Map of Turks and Caicos Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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.


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

Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N 71 35 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 430 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 430 km²
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
Extremes highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Natural resources: spiny lobster conch

Land use
Arable land: 2.33%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 97.67% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes

Geography
Note: about 40 islands (eight inhabited)


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Population: 18,738 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 3.28% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: none
Adjective: none

Ethnic groups: black

Languages: English (official)

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

Demographic profile

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.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.28% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 24.18 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.38 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources private cisterns collect rainwater

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male/female
Total population: 1.07 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 17.46 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.76 years
Female: 76.03 years (2002 est.)
Male: 71.59 years

Total fertility rate: 3.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Male: 99%
Female: 98% (1970 est.)
Total population: 98%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Government type: NA

Capital: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
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
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
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]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 8.7% (1999 est.)

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

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

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

Industries: tourism offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 4,848 (1990 est.)
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.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

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

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $13.7 million (1999)
Commodities: lobster dried and fresh conch conch shells
Partners: US UK

Imports: $175.6 million (1999)
Commodities: food and beverages tobacco clothing manufactures construction materials
Partners: US UK

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


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Electricity
Production: 5 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 4.65 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 3,000 (1994)
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)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .tc
Service providers isps: 14 (2000)
Users: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 8 (2001)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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