Map of Turks and Caicos Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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; note - although the Turks and Caicos Islands do not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically they are often designated as being Caribbean

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
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

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

Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch

Land use
Agricultural land: 1.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.)
Forest: 36.2% (2018 est.)
Other: 62.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

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: 59,367 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 1.81% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 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: 20.7% (male 6,262/female 6,026)
15-64 years: 73.24% (male 21,860/female 21,619)
65 years and over: 6.06% (2023 est.) (male 1,741/female 1,859)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 36.8
Youth dependency ratio: 22.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 13.9
Potential support ratio: 7.2 (2021)

Median age
Total: 35.9 years (2023 est.)
Male: 36.1 years
Female: 35.7 years

Population growth rate: 1.81% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 13.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 3.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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: 94.2% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

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

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

Air pollutants
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.22 megatons (2016 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 14.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81 years (2023 est.)
Male: 78.3 years
Female: 83.9 years

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 34.4% (2019/20)

Drinking water source
Improved: total: 94.3% of population
Unimproved: total: 5.7% of population (2017)

Current health expenditure: NA

Physicians density: NA

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.4% (2019/20) NA

Education expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: NA
Female: (2015) NA

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 Turk's 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)
Etymology: named after Sir Francis COCKBURN, who served as governor of the Bahamas from 1837 to 1844

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: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Nigel DAKIN (since 15 July 2019)
Head of government: Premier Washington MISICK (since 19 February 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor from among members of the House of Assembly
Elections/appointments: 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 (21 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, and 2 ex-officio members; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 19 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025)
Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PNP 14, PDM 1; composition as of mid-2022 (elected members) - men 12, women 3; percent of women 20%

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:

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us embassy: 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"
Lyrics/music: Conrad HOWELL
Note: serves as a local anthem; as an overseas territory of the UK, "God Save the King" is the official anthem (see United Kingdom)

National heritage


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Economy overview: British Caribbean island territorial economy; GDP and its tourism industry hit hard by COVID-19 disruptions; major biodiversity locale; US dollar user; fossil fuel dependent; negative trade balance; increasing unemployment

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

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: 5% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 4,848 (1990 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: $247.3 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $224.3 million (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue
From forest resources: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

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:
Partners: France 31%, United States 16%, Zambia 13%, Singapore 9%, Republic of the Congo 8% (2019)
Commodities: plastic building materials, stone processing machinery, iron structures, crustaceans, integrated circuits (2019)

Imports:
Partners: United States 76% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, jewelry, furniture, soybeans (2019)

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: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 85,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 231.618 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 12.5 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 1,369 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 245,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 245,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 0 Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 25,085 (2004 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2004 est.)

Telephone system

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
Users total: 37,008 (2022)
Users percent of population: 93.5% (2022)

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: 3 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 22

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VQ-T

Airports: 8 (2021)
With paved runways: 6
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 2
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

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

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 3 (2022)
By type: general cargo 1, other 2

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


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Disputes international: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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