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.

Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
21 45 N, 71 35 W
Central America and the Caribbean
total: 430 sq km ; land: 430 sq km ; water: 0 sq km
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
0 km
389 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m ; highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
spiny lobster, conch
arable land: 2.33% ; permanent crops: 0% ; other: 97.67% (2005)
NA


frequent hurricanes
limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
21,746 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 31.3% (male 3,466/female 3,345) ; 15-64 years: 64.8% (male 7,398/female 6,690) ; 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 394/female 453) (2007 est.)
total: 27.7 years ; male: 28.4 years ; female: 26.9 years (2007 est.)
2.722% (2007 est.)
21.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
9.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 1.106 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female ; total population: 1.073 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 17 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 74.95 years ; male: 72.69 years ; female: 77.32 years (2007 est.)
3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.)
NA
NA
NA
noun: none ; adjective: none
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
English (official)
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school ; total population: 98% ; male: 99% ; female: 98% (1970 est.)

destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US
conventional long form: none ; conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands ; abbreviation: TCI
NA
name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) ; geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W ; time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) ; daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
none (overseas territory of the UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006)
based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005) ; head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003); note - the office of premier was created in the 2006 constitution ; cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general ; elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor
unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats of which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms) ; elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held in 2011) ; election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 60%, PDM 40%; seats by party - PNP 13, PDM 2
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]
NA
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
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
none (overseas territory of the UK)
none (overseas territory of the UK)
overseas territory of the UK




The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
$216 million (2002 est.)
$NA
4.9% (2000 est.)
$11,500 (2002 est.)
agriculture: NA% ; industry: NA% ; services: NA%
4,848 (1990 est.)
note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
10% (1997 est.)
NA%
lowest 10%: NA% ; highest 10%: NA%

4% (1995)

revenues: $47 million ; expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 est.)

corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
tourism, offshore financial services
NA%
11.57 million kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
10.76 million kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
80 bbl/day (2005 est.)
0 bbl/day (2004)
83.55 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$169.2 million (2000)
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
US, UK (2006)
$175.6 million (2000)
US, UK (2006)


$NA



US dollar (USD)
USD
the US dollar is used
calendar year
$4.1 million (1997)
5,700 (2002)
1,700 (1999)
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing ; domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available ; international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003)
8,000 (1997)
0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003)
NA
.tc
2,310 (2007)
14 (2000)
NA

8 (2007)
total: 6 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 1 ; under 914 m: 2 (2007)
total: 2 ; under 914 m: 2 (2007)



total: 121 km ; paved: 24 km ; unpaved: 97 km (2003)

registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
Grand Turk, Providenciales







defense is the responsibility of the UK
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

