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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: 948 sq km
country comparison to the world: 185
land: 948 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:
Current Weather
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:
23,528 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.7% (male 3,556/female 3,426)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 8,107/female 7,394)
65 years and over: 4.4% (male 518/female 527) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 28 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 27.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.491% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Birth rate:
20.44 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
Death rate:
4.17 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 206
Net migration rate:
8.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Urbanization:
urban population: 92% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.047 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.43 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 130
male: 15.5 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.64 years
country comparison to the world: 78
male: 73.32 years
female: 78.07 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.92 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2005)
Education expenditures:
NA
People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks
and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
Government - Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
abbreviation: TCI
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in
November
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009, S.I.
2009/701 - effective 14 August 2009 - suspended Ministerial government, the
House of Assembly, and the constitutional right to trial by jury, and imposed
direct British rule
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 Gordon WETHERELL (since 5 August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August 2009); note - the
office of premier is suspended by the Order in Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet is suspended
effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an Advisory Council appointed by the
governor
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread corruption and
misconduct within the Turks and Caicos Government, the UK foreign minister
directed the governor to bring into effect on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council
suspending Ministerial government and the House of Assembly, and imposing direct
rule for a period of up to two years
Legislative branch:
under provisions of the Order in Council, the unicameral House of Assembly is
dissolved and all seats vacated for a period of up to two years; in the interim,
a Consultative Forum, appointed by the governor, will be established
elections: last held on 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July 2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all seats in the
House of Assembly are vacated
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; 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 displays
a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turks Head cactus - three common elements of
the islands' biota
Economy - Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services,
and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported.
The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than
three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of
government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and
customs receipts.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$216 million (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$11,500 (2002 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
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.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (1995)
country comparison to the world: 129
Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
12 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209
Electricity - consumption:
11.16 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
Oil - imports:
80 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 117
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
Exports:
$169.2 million (2000)
country comparison to the world: 183
Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Imports:
$175.6 million (2000)
country comparison to the world: 202
Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications - Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,700 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 217
Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,100 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 204
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available
international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System
(ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity
to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)
Television broadcast stations:
0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003)
Internet country code:
.tc
Internet hosts:
9,445 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 117
Transportation - Turks and Caicos Islands
Airports:
8 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 163
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 121 km
country comparison to the world: 211
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2003)
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 152
Ports and terminals:
Grand Turk, Providenciales
Military - Turks and Caicos Islands
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 5,062
females age 16-49: 4,772 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 229
female: 223 (2010 est.)
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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