Grand Turk Island

Grand Turkis an island in theTurks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory,tropical islandsin theLucayan Archipelagoof the Atlantic Ocean and northernWest Indies.It is the largestislandin theTurks Islands(the smaller of the two archipelagos that make up the island territory) with 18 km(6.9 sq mi). Grand Turk contains the territory's capital,Cockburn Town, and theJAGS McCartney International Airport. The island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial centre of the territory and has the second-largest population of the islands at approximately 4,831 people in 2012.
The name comes from a species ofcactuson the island, the Turk's cap cactus (Melocactus intortus), which has a distinctive cap, reminiscent of anOttomanfez. In addition, this interpretation of the name received a reaction in the Turkish press on the grounds that it wasanachronism.Fezbegan to be used by the Ottoman Turks in the 19th century, and the "Turk" in the island's name dates back to very old times.
TheLucayan peoplewere the indigenous people of the island, who called itAbawana,meaning "the First Small Land".The Spanish later called it Amuana.
Grand Turk was first colonised in 1681 by Bermudians, who set up the salt industry in the islands.In 1766 it became the capital of the country.  For some time, at least until the early 19th century, Grand Turk was often referred to as Grand Cay,not to be confused with eitherGrand Cayin theBahamasorGrand Cayman.
Grand Turk Lighthousewas erected in 1852 near northern end of the island. The 60 ft (18 m) lighthouse was designed by Alexander Gordon and built by Chance Brothers in England. It was shipped in pieces and assembled on Grand Turk.
Grand Turk has been put forward as the possible landfall island ofChristopher Columbusduring his first voyage to the New World in 1492.San Salvador IslandorSamana Cayinthe Bahamasis traditionally identified withGuanahani, the site ofColumbus' first landfall, but some believe that studies of Columbus' journals show that his descriptions ofGuanahanimuch more closely fit Grand Turk than they do other candidates.Magnetic variations that caused misreadings in Columbus' compasses demonstrate that several of the recorded moorings using a rope-secured anchor to a clear sandy bottom would not have been possible had Columbus sailed from the islands of the Bahamas.In addition, the latitudes recorded in Columbus' diary place the landfall island at 90 nautical miles (100 mi; 170 km) fromHispaniola, too close for the Bahamas, but almost exactly the distance from Grand Turk.
On the contrary, historianGregory McIntoshhas concluded that Grand Turk was not Guanahani butBabueca, an island separately discovered byMartín Alonso Pinzónin November - December 1492.
A U.S. Naval Facility (NAVFAC), the name given for a shore terminus of an offshore surveillance array of theSound Surveillance System(SOSUS), was established on Grand Turk in 1954 as one of three additional Atlantic systems installed that year during the first phase of SOSUS installation. The facility was commissioned 23 October 1954 and was active until decommissioned 31 March 1980. The actual undersea surveillance mission of the system and shore facility remained classified through decommissioning.The NAVFAC was located (21°30′43.6″N71°07′57.7″W﻿ / ﻿21.512111°N 71.132694°W﻿ /21.512111; -71.132694) near the Grand Turk Lighthouse.
Grand Turk, located about 700 nmi (810 mi; 1,300 km) fromCape Canaveral, became the first down range tracking facility of the U.S. Air Force'sEastern Rangeto have aMissile Impact Location System(MILS) target array to detect the splash down location of test missile nose cones. The next target arrays down range were located at 1,300 nmi (1,500 mi; 2,400 km) atAntiguaand at 4,400 nmi (5,100 mi; 8,100 km) atAscension Island. In addition to the precise target array the facility was the terminus of one of the Broad Ocean Area (BOA) MILS that could give good location data over large ocean areas.
From 1957 to 1959USN Mobile Construction Battalion 7constructed aLORANStation on the island.
In 1962,John Glenn'sFriendship 7Mercury spacecraftlanded in the vicinity of Grand Turk off the southeast shoreline. A replica of theFriendship 7is on display in Grand Turk at the entrance to the Grand Turk airport.
In 1966 at least fiveArcas(All-Purpose Rocket for Collecting Atmospheric Soundings)sounding rocketswere launched from Grand Turk by the USA.