Believed to have been discovered by Columbus in 1492, some still argue that Ponce De Leon arrived in Turks & Caicos first. The original inhabitants were the Taino Indians, who were then replaced by the Lucayans, who occupied the islands until the mid-16th Century. In 1874, after years of Spanish, French and British control, Turks & Caicos was annexed to Jamaica. When Jamaica became independent in 1962, the islands were loosely associated with the Bahamas for more than 10 years until they became a British Crown Colony. Salt is the island’s main economic source.