Legend:
Definition
Field Listing
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Background:
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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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People |
Turks and Caicos Islands |
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Population:
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18,738 (July 2002 est.)
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Age structure:
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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.)
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Population growth rate:
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3.28% (2002 est.)
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Birth rate:
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24.18 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Death rate:
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4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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12.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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17.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 73.76 years
female: 76.03 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.59 years
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Total fertility rate:
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3.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA%
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: none
adjective: none
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Ethnic groups:
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black
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Religions:
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Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
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Languages:
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English (official)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
total population: 98%
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People - note:
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destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK
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Government type:
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NA
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Capital:
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Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
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Administrative divisions:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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National holiday:
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Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
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Constitution:
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introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
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Legal system:
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based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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
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Legislative branch:
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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
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court
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Political parties and leaders:
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People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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8.7% (1999 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4% (1995)
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Labor force:
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4,848 (1990 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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10% (1997 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.)
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Industries:
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tourism, offshore financial services
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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5 million kWh (2000)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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4.65 million kWh (2000)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000)
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Agriculture - products:
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corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
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Exports:
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$13.7 million (1999)
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Exports - commodities:
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lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
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Exports - partners:
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US, UK
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Imports:
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$175.6 million (1999)
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Imports - commodities:
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food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
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Imports - partners:
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US, UK
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Debt - external:
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$NA
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$4.1 million (1997)
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Currency:
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US dollar (USD)
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Currency code:
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USD
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Exchange rates:
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the US dollar is used
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK
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This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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