Turks and Caicos Islands Fact File
 

Introduction

Turks and Caicos Islands
Background:

The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory.

Geography

Turks and Caicos Islands
Location:

Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Geographic coordinates:

21 45 N, 71 35 W

Map references:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

389 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:

tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry

Terrain:

low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Natural resources:

spiny lobster, conch

Land use:

arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.67% (2005)

Irrigated land:

NA

Natural hazards:

frequent hurricanes

Environment - current issues:

limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Geography - note:

about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

People

Turks and Caicos Islands
Population:

21,152 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 31.9% (male 3,432/female 3,312)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 7,155/female 6,457)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 362/female 434) (2006 est.)

Median age:

total: 27.5 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 26.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.82% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:

21.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:

4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:

10.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 74.73 years
male: 72.48 years
female: 77.08 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:

3.05 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

NA

Nationality:

noun: none
adjective: none

Ethnic groups:

black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%

Religions:

Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)

Languages:

English (official)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)

People - note:

destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and US

Government

Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name:

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Dependency status:

overseas territory of the UK

Government type:

NA

Capital:

Grand Turk

Administrative divisions:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:

Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Constitution:

introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988

Legal system:

based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor

Legislative branch:

unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:

People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

NA

International organization participation:

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:

blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

Economy

Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:

The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the annual 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$216 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

NA

GDP - real growth rate:

4.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$11,500 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%

Labor force:

4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Unemployment rate:

10% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

4% (1995)

Budget:

revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.)

Agriculture - products:

corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Industries:

tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate:

NA%

Electricity - production:

5 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

4.65 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:

80 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:

NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:

$169.2 million (2000)

Exports - commodities:

lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Exports - partners:

US, UK (2004)

Imports:

$175.6 million (2000)

Imports - commodities:

food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials

Imports - partners:

US, UK (2004)

Debt - external:

$NA

Economic aid - recipient:

$4.1 million (1997)

Currency (code):

US dollar (USD)

Currency code:

USD

Exchange rates:

the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications

Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:

5,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1,700 (1999)

Telephone system:

general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available
international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:

8,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004)

Televisions:

NA

Internet country code:

.tc

Internet hosts:

1,488 (2005)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

14 (2000)

Internet users:

NA

Transportation

Turks and Caicos Islands
Airports:

8 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2005)

Roadways:

total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2003)

Ports and terminals:

Grand Turk, Providenciales

Military

Turks and Caicos Islands
Military - note:

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:

have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

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