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 in 2017.

Area
Total: 948 km²
Land: 948 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

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: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 1.1% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 1.1% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Forest: 11.1% (2023 est.)
Other: 87.9% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

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

Population
Total: 60,439 (2024 est.)
Male: 30,389
Female: 30,050
Distribution: eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk
Growth rate: 1.77% (2024 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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.4% (male 6,288/female 6,056)
15-64 years: 73.2% (male 22,232/female 22,011)
65 years and over: 6.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,869/female 1,983)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 36.6 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 27.9 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.7 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 11.5 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 36.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 36.5 years
Female: 36.1 years

Population growth rate: 1.77% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 3.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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)

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 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.3 years (2024 est.)
Male: 78.5 years
Female: 84.1 years

Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0.8% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 8.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 2.3% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.4% (2020 est.)

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

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Dileeni Daniel-SELVARATNAM (since 29 June 2023)
Head of government: Premier Washington MISICK (since 19 February 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor from among members of the House of Assembly
Election/appointment process: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor appoints the leader of the majority party as the premier

Legislative branch
Legislature name: House of Assembly
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 21 (directly elected or appointed)
Electoral system: mixed
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 2/07/2025
Parties elected and seats per party: PNP (16); PDM (2); independents (1)
Percentage of women in chamber: 27.3%
Expected date of next election: 2,029

Flag description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the right half of the flag; the shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turk's cap cactus

National anthem
Title: 'God Save the King'
Lyrics/music: unknown
History: official anthem, as a UK overseas territory

Real gdp growth rate: 5.6% (2024 est.); 13.7% (2023 est.); 14.1% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 5.6% (2024 est.); 13.7% (2023 est.); 14.1% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.4% (2024 est.)
Industry: 9.3% (2024 est.)
Services: 72.6% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate: 9% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Exports: $826.824 million (2018 est.); $602.581 million (2017 est.); $741.173 million (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: plastics, shellfish, carbonates, tobacco, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $544.219 million (2018 est.); $484.842 million (2017 est.); $438.041 million (2016 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, aluminum structures, furniture, plastic products (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 94,000 kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 252.088 million kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 12.912 million kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 99.9% (2022 est.)
Access electrification - urban areas: 100%
Access electrification - rural areas: 100%
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 447,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 447,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4,000 (2021 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 25,085 (2004 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2004 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 93.5% (2022)

Airports: 9 (2025)

Merchant marine
Total: 3 (2023)
By type: general cargo 1, other 2