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 remain a British overseas territory. Grand Turk island suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Maria on 22 September 2017 resulting in loss of power and communications as well as damage to housing and businesses.


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

Geographic coordinates: 21 45 N, 71 35 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 948 km²
Land: 948 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 186
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
Note: nm

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

Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Elevation
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point: Blue Hill on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos 48 m

Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch

Land use
Agricultural land: 1.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 36.2% (2011 est.)
Other: 62.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent hurricanes

Geography
Note: include eight large islands and numerous smaller cays, islets, and reefs; only two of the Caicos Islands and six of the Turks group are inhabited


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Population
Distribution: eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk: 53,701 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 207
Growth rate: 2.09% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 44
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: none
Adjective: none

Ethnic groups: black 87.6%, white 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006 est.)

Languages: English (official)

Religions: Protestant 72.8% (Baptist 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Anglican 10%, Methodist 9.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Jehovah's Witness 1.8%, other 14% (2006 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.62% (male 5,916 /female 5,694)
15-24 years: 13.7% (male 3,657 /female 3,698)
25-54 years: 52.97% (male 14,316 /female 14,128)
55-64 years: 6.96% (male 1988 /female 1748)
65 years and over: 4.76% (male 1181 /female 1375) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 33.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 34.1 years
Female: 33.5 years
Rank: 91

Population growth rate: 2.09% (2018 est.)
Rank: 44

Birth rate: 14.9 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 127

Death rate: 3.3 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 221

Net migration rate: 9.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 9

Population distribution: eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk

Urbanization
Urban population: 93.4% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.77% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 5,000 GRAND TURK (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural freshwater resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.8 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 12.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 135

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.1 years (2018 est.)
Male: 77.3 years
Female: 83 years
Rank: 44

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 173

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

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

Major infectious diseases: note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 149

Literacy

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
Abbreviation: TCI
Etymology: the Turks Islands are named after the Turks cap cactus (native to the islands and appearing on the flag and coat of arms), while the Caicos Islands derive from the native term caya hico meaning string of islands

Government type: parliamentary democracy

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)

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June

Constitution
History: several previous; latest signed 7 August 2012, effective 15 October 2012 (The Turks and Caicos Constitution Order 2011)
Amendments: NA

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law and civil law

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Nigel DAKIN (since 15 July 2019)
Head of government: Premier Sharlene CARTWRIGHT-ROBINSON (since 20 December 2016); first female Premier of Turks and Caicos
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor from among members of the House of Assembly
Electionsappointments: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 members in multi-seat constituencies and a single all-islands constituency directly elected by simple majority vote, 1 member nominated by the premier and appointed by the governor, 1 nominated by the opposition party leader and appointed by the governor, and 2 from the Turks and Caicos Islands Civic Society directly appointed by the governor; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 15 December 2016 (next to be held in 2020)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PDM 10, PNP 5; composition - men 15, women 6, percent of women 28.6%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and other judges, as determined by the governor); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges appointed by the governor in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body of high-level judicial officials; Supreme Court judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65, but terms can be extended to age 70; Appeals Court judge tenure determined by individual terms of appointment
Subordinate courts: magistrates courts

Political parties and leaders: People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sharlene CARTWRIGHT-ROBINSON]Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]

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

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 displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turk's cap cactus - three common elements of the islands' biota

National symbols: conch shell, Turk's cap cactus

National anthem
Name: This Land of Ours
Lyricsmusic: Conrad HOWELL: note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the UK, 'God Save the Queen' is the official anthem (see United Kingdom)

National heritage


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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 more than 1 million visitors that arrive annually. Three-quarters of the visitors come by ship. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 210

Real gdp growth rate: 11.2% (2007 est.)
Rank: 4

Real gdp per capita: $29,100 (2007 est.)
Rank: 72

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 49% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 21.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 16.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 69.5% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -56.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.5% (2017 est.)
Industry: 8.9% (2017 est.)
Services: 90.6% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2017 est.)
Rank: 106

Labor force: 4,848 (1990 est.)
Rank: 220 note:

Unemployment rate: 10% (1997 est.)
Rank: 139

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 247.3 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 224.3 million (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 158

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: $24.77 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 208
Commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Imports: $591.3 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 197
Commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials

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
Access electrification total population: 95.7% (2016)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2016)
Access electrification rural areas: 42.7% (2016)
Production: 235 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 188
Consumption: 218.6 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 191
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 211
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 213
Installed generating capacity: 82,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 183
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 21
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 201
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 208
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 211

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 209
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 209
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 207
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 207

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 210
Products consumption: 1420 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 201
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 211
Products imports: 1369 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 197

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 208
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 208
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 203
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 204
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 202

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 221,800 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 198

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system
General assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing; broadband access; expanded FttP (Fiber to the Home) markets; LTE launches; regulatory development (2018)
Domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available; (2018)
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) (2015)

Broadcast media: no local terrestrial TV stations, broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received and multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; government-run radio network operates alongside private broadcasters with a total of about 15 stations

Internet
Country code: .tc

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
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 16 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VQ-T (2016)

Airports: 8 (2013)
Rank: 164
With paved runways total: 6 (2013)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2013)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways total: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 121 km (2003)
Paved: 24 km (2003)
Unpaved: 97 km (2003)
Rank: 206

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 4
By type: general cargo 1, other 3 (2018)
Rank: 166

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales


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Disputes international: have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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