Turks and Caicos Islands Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Turks and Caicos Islands
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Online

Bottlenose Dolphin
JoJo The Dolphin Project

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 are presently a British overseas territory.

Geography Turks and Caicos Islands

Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean,
southeast of The Bahamas

Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N, 71 35 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

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

Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 389 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 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% permanent crops: 0% other: 98% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

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: 18,738 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 3,101; female 3,004) 15-64 years:
63.6% (male 6,266; female 5,651) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 319;
female 397) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.28% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 24.18 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 76.03 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 3.18 children born/woman (2002 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

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

Languages: English (official)

Literacy: 99% female: People - note: destination and transit point
for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands,
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 (Cockburn Town)

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
1953), represented by Governor Mervyn JONES (since 27 January 2000)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor head of government:
Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January 1995) cabinet: Executive
Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the
governor from among the members of the Legislative Council

Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which
13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms) elections:
last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2003) election results:
percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%, independent 6.9%;
seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Movement or PDM
[Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK];
United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: Caricom (associate), CDB,
Interpol (subbureau)

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 93,000 visitors in
1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore
financial activities and customs receipts.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 8.7% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (1995)

Labor force: 4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: about 33% in government and 20% in
agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial,
and other services (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 10% (1997 est.)

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

Industries: tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - production: 5 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0%
(2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 4.65 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits;
fish

Exports: $13.7 million (1999)

Exports - commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Exports - partners: US, UK

Imports: $175.6 million (1999)

Imports - commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing,
manufactures, construction materials

Imports - partners: US, UK

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid - recipient: $4.1 million (1997)

Currency: 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: 3,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1994)

Telephone system: general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone
services domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 8,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are
received; cable television is established) (1997)

Televisions: NA

Internet country code: .tc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 14 (2000)

Internet users: NA

Transportation Turks and Caicos Islands

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Grand Turk, Providenciales

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Airports: 8 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to
1,523 m: 1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m:
2 (2001)

Military Turks and Caicos Islands

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined
for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002