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  Turks and Caicos Islands  
Flag of Turks and Caicos Islands
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January, 2004
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2004.


This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004


Map of Turks and Caicos Islands

Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Turks and Caicos Islands
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Turks and Caicos Islands
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
21 45 N, 71 35 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 430 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
389 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
spiny lobster, conch
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 2.3%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.7% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
frequent hurricanes
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
   People    Turks and Caicos Islands
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
19,956 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,301; female 3,184)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,696; female 6,036)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 327; female 412) (2004 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 27.2 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 26.5 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
3.03% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
22.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 18.79 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 74.25 years
male: 72.05 years
female: 76.57 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
female: 98% (1970 est.)
male: 99%
total population: 98%
People - note:
Definition Field Listing
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US
   Government    Turks and Caicos Islands
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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 Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003)
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:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism fell by 6% in 2002.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.9% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4% (1995)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4,848 (1990 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
10% (1997 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, offshore financial services
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.65 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day NA (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$169.2 million (2000)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US, UK
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$175.6 million (2000)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US, UK
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$4.1 million (1997)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
US dollar (USD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
USD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Turks and Caicos Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 (1994)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.tc
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Turks and Caicos Islands
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2000)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Grand Turk, Providenciales
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
none
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
8 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.)
   Military    Turks and Caicos Islands
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Turks and Caicos Islands
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
have received Haitians fleeing economic collapse and civil unrest
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004


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