| 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 are presently a British overseas territory. |
| Location: |
Caribbean, two
island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The
Bahamas |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
21 45 N, 71 35 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
2.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical; marine;
moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
| Terrain: |
low, flat
limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
| Natural
resources: |
spiny lobster,
conch |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
frequent
hurricanes |
| Environment
- current issues: |
limited natural
fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
| Geography
- note: |
30 islands (eight
inhabited) |
| Population: |
18,122 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
32.58% (male 2,996; female 2,908)
15-64 years: 63.51% (male 6,050; female 5,459)
65 years and over: 3.91% (male 316; female 393)
(2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.41% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
24.89
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.47 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
13.69 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
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 (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
18.06
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 73.52 years
male: 71.37 years
female: 75.77 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.22 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
none
adjective: none |
| Religions: |
Baptist 41.2%,
Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%,
other 19.9% (1980) |
| Languages: |
English
(official) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos
Islands |
| Dependency
status: |
overseas
territory of the UK |
| Capital: |
Cockburn Town (on
Grand Turk) |
| Administrative
divisions: |
none (overseas
territory of the UK) |
| Independence: |
none (overseas
territory of the UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Constitution Day,
30 August (1976) |
| Constitution: |
introduced 30
August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March
1988 |
| Legal
system: |
based on laws of
England and Wales, with a small number adopted from Jamaica
and The Bahamas |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),
represented by Governor Mervyn JONES (since 27 January 2000)
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
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary;
governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed
by the governor |
| Legislative
branch: |
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 by 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 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive
National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic
Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
Caricom
(associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (overseas
territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic
representation 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 contains a conch shell, lobster, and
cactus |
| Economy
- overview: |
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 was the leading source of
tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the
87,000 visitors; tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by
1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from
offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $128 million (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
8.7% (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $7,300 (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
4% (1995) |
| Labor
force: |
4,848 (1990 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
about 33% in
government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant
numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997
est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
10% (1997 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1997-1998 est.) |
| Industries: |
tourism, offshore
financial services |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
5 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
4.6 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
corn, beans,
cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
| Exports: |
$4.7 million
(1993) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
lobster, dried
and fresh conch, conch shells |
| Exports
- partners: |
US, UK |
| Imports: |
$46.6 million
(1993) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
food and
beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction
materials |
| Imports
- partners: |
US, UK |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$4.1 million
(1997) |
| Currency: |
US dollar (USD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
the US dollar is
used |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
3,000 (1994) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
0 (1994) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3 (one
inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
0 (broadcasts
from The Bahamas are received; cable television is
established) (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.tc |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
14 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Grand Turk,
Providenciales |
| Merchant
marine: |
none (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
transshipment
point for South American narcotics destined for the US and
Europe |
|
