Turks and Caicos Islands

Airports

total: 7 usable: 7 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 4

Highways

total: 121 km (including 24 km tarmac) paved: NA unpaved: NA

Ports

Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales, Cockburn Harbour

Telecommunications

fair cable and radio services; 1,446 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, no FM, several TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Agriculture

subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more important than farming; not self-sufficient in food

Budget

revenues: $20.3 million expenditures: $44 million, including capital expenditures of $23.9 million (1989 est.)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $110 million

Electricity

capacity: 9,050 kW production: 11.1 million kWh consumption per capita: 860 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$6.8 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells partners: US, UK

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$42.8 million (1992) commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials partners: US, UK

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

fishing, tourism, offshore financial services

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $80.8 million (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$6,000 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

-1.5% (1992)

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.

Unemployment rate

12% (1992)

Area

total area: 430 sq km land area: 430 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry

Coastline

389 km

Environment

current issues: freshwater scarcity, private cisterns collect rainwater natural hazards: subject to frequent hurricanes international agreements: NA

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98%

Location

Caribbean, in the western North Atlantic Ocean, 190 km north of the Dominican Republic and southeast of The Bahamas

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

spiny lobster, conch

Note

30 islands (eight inhabited)

Terrain

low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Administrative divisions

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Capital

Grand Turk

Constitution

introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, restored and revised 5 March 1988

Digraph

TK

Diplomatic representation in US

none (dependent territory of the UK)

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 Washington MISSICK (since NA March 1991) cabinet: Executive Council; consists of three ex-officio members and five appointed by the governor from the Legislative Council

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

Independence

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on laws of England and Wales with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Legislative Council

elections last held on 3 April 1991 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (20 total, 13 elected) PNP 8, PDM 5

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

CARICOM (associate), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau)

Names

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

National holiday

Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Political parties and leaders

Progressive National Party (PNP), Washington MISSICK; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Oswald SKIPPINGS; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel MISSICK

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

dependent territory of the UK

US diplomatic representation

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Birth rate

14.14 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

5.17 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

African

Infant mortality rate

12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence agriculture

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 75.34 years male: 73.41 years female: 77.02 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over who have ever attended school (1970) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: none adjective: none

Net migration rate

17.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

13,552 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.69% (1994 est.)

Religions

Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)

Total fertility rate

2.05 children born/woman (1994 est.)