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Turks And Caicos Islands travel guides

Turks And Caicos Islands - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Turks And Caicos Islands

The capital of Turks and Caicos Islands is Grand Turk (Cockburn Town).

Major cities of Turks and Caicos Islands are:
Grand Turk Island, North Caicos, Providenciales, Salt Cay, South Caicos.

Geography

Location:	Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
Coordinates:	21 45 N, 71 35 W
Area:	total: 430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area Comparative:	2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries:	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 Extremes:	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
Natural Resources:	spiny lobster, conch
Land Use:	arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001)
Irrigated Land:	NA sq km
Natural Hazards:	frequent hurricanes
Environment Current Issues:	limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
Note:	about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

People

Population:	19,956 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 27.2 years male: 27.9 years female: 26.5 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	3.03% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	22.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex Ratio:	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:	total: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.79 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 74.25 years male: 72.05 years female: 76.57 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Nationality:	noun: none adjective: none
Ethnic Groups:	black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Religions:	Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
Languages:	English (official)
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.)
People Note:	destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
Capital:	Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
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 few 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 Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002) 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 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
Legislative Branch:	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:	Supreme Court
Political Parties Leaders:	People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
International Organization Participation:	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
Diplomatic in US:	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic from 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

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 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:	purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	4.9% (2000 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	4% (1995)
Labor Force:	4,848 (1990 est.)
Labor Force Occupation:	about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
Unemployment Rate:	10% (1997 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $47 million expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997-98 est.)
Agriculture Products:	corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
Industries:	tourism, offshore financial services
Electricity Production:	5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	4.65 million kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	0 kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	0 bbl/day NA (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	0 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Exports:	$169.2 million (2000)
Exports Commodities:	lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
Exports Partners:	US, UK
Imports:	$175.6 million (2000)
Imports Commodities:	food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
Imports Partners:	US, UK
Debt External:	NA (2002 est.)
Currency:	US dollar (USD)
Currency Code:	USD
Exchange Rates:	the US dollar is used
Fiscal Year:	calendar year

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	5,700 (2002)
Mobile Cellular:	1,700 (1999)
Telephone System:	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 Stations:	AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)
Television Stations:	0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004)
Internet Code:	.tc

Transnational Issues

Disputes International:	have received Haitians fleeing economic collapse and civil unrest
Illicit Drugs:	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe