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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Header
-
-
- Affiliation:
- (dependent territory of the UK)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The
- Bahamas
- Map references:
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area:
- total area:
- 430 sq km
- land area:
- 430 sq km
- comparative area:
- slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 389 km
- Maritime claims:
- exclusive fishing zone:
- 200 nm
- territorial sea:
- 12 nm
- International disputes:
- none
- Climate:
- tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
- Terrain:
- low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
- Natural resources:
- spiny lobster, conch
- Land use:
- arable land:
- 2%
- permanent crops:
- 0%
- meadows and pastures:
- 0%
- forest and woodland:
- 0%
- other:
- 98%
- Irrigated land:
- NA sq km
- Environment:
- current issues:
- limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
- natural hazards:
- frequent hurricanes
- international agreements:
- NA
- Note:
- 30 islands (eight inhabited)
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 13,941 (July 1995 est.)
- Age structure:
- 0-14 years:
- NA
- 15-64 years:
- NA
- 65 years and over:
- NA
- Population growth rate:
- 2.41% (1995 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 13.46 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Death rate:
- 5.16 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- 15.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 75.37 years
- male:
- 73.44 years
- female:
- 77.04 years (1995 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 2.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- none
- adjective:
- none
- Ethnic divisions:
- African
- Religions:
- Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%,
- other 19.9% (1980)
- Languages:
- English (official)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970)
- total population:
- 98%
- male:
- 99%
- female:
- 98%
- Labor force:
- NA
- by occupation:
- majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence
- agriculture
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Digraph:
- TK
- Type:
- dependent territory of the UK
- Capital:
- Grand Turk
- Administrative divisions:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Independence:
- none (dependent 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 Martin
- BOURKE (since NA February 1993)
- 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 the Legislative Council
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral
- Legislative Council:
- elections last held 31 January 1995 (next to be held by NA 2000); results -
- percent of vote by party NA; seats - (20 total, 13 elected) PDM 8, PNP 4,
- independent (Norman SAUNDERS) 1
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court
- Political parties and leaders:
- Progressive National Party (PNP), Washington MISSICK; People's Democratic
- Movement (PDM), Derek H. TAYLOR; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel
- MISSICK
- Member of:
- CARICOM (associate), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau)
- Diplomatic representation in US:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- US diplomatic representation:
- none (dependent territory of the UK)
- Flag:
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Economy
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-
- Overview:
- The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Only
- subsistence farming - corn, cassava, citrus, and beans - exists on the
- Caicos Islands, so that most foods, as well as nonfood products, must be
- imported.
- National product:
- GDP - purchasing power parity - $80.8 million (1992 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- -1.5% (1992)
- National product per capita:
- $6,000 (1992 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- NA%
- Unemployment rate:
- 12% (1992)
- Budget:
- revenues:
- $20.3 million
- expenditures:
- $44 million, including capital expenditures of $23.9 million (1989 est.)
- Exports:
- $6.8 million (f.o.b., 1993)
- commodities:
- lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
- partners:
- US, UK
- Imports:
- $42.8 million (1993)
- commodities:
- food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
- partners:
- US, UK
- External debt:
- $NA
- Industrial production:
- growth rate NA%
- Electricity:
- capacity:
- 9,050 kW
- production:
- 11.1 million kWh
- consumption per capita:
- 860 kWh (1992)
- Industries:
- fishing, tourism, offshore financial services
- Agriculture:
- subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more
- important than farming; not self-sufficient in food
- Illicit drugs:
- transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US
- Economic aid:
- recipient:
- Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
- $110 million
- Currency:
- 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
- Exchange rates:
- US currency is used
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Economy
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Transportation
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-
- Railroads:
- 0 km
- Highways:
- total:
- 121 km (including 24 km tarmac)
- paved:
- NA
- unpaved:
- NA
- Ports:
- Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales, Salt Cay
- Merchant marine:
- none
- Airports:
- total:
- 7
- with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
- 3
- with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 1
- with paved runways under 914 m:
- 1
- with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
- 2
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Communications
-
-
- Telephone system:
- 1,446 telephones; fair cable and radio services
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- NA
- international:
- 2 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station
- Radio:
- broadcast stations:
- AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
- radios:
- NA
- Television:
- broadcast stations:
- NA
- televisions:
- NA
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Defense Forces
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-
- Note:
- defense is the responsibility of the UK
-