Turks and Caicos Islands

Broadcast media

no local terrestrial TV stations, broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received and multi-channel cable and satellite TV services are available; government-run radio network operates alongside private broadcasters with a total of about 15 stations (2007)

Internet country code

.tc

Telephone system

general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing (2015) | domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available (2015) | international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2015)

Agriculture - products

corn, beans, cassava (manioc, tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Budget

revenues: 247.3 million (2017 est.) | expenditures: 224.3 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

NA

Economy - overview

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 more than 1 million visitors that arrive annually. Three-quarters of the visitors come by ship. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

$24.77 million (2008 est.)

Exports - commodities

lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$632 million (2007 est.) | $568.3 million (2006 est.)

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 49% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 21.5% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 16.5% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 69.5% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -56.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.5% (2017 est.) | industry: 8.9% (2017 est.) | services: 90.6% (2017 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$29,100 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

11.2% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports

$591.3 million (2008 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, offshore financial services

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (2017 est.) | 0.7% (2016 est.)

Labor force

4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Population below poverty line

NA

Unemployment rate

10% (1997 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

221,800 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

218.6 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

82,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

235 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

population without electricity: 5,143 (2012) | electrification - total population: 91% (2012) | electrification - urban areas: 92% (2012) | electrification - rural areas: 80% (2012)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1,420 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

1,369 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Area

total: 948 sq km | land: 948 sq km | water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

389 km

Elevation

0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea | 48 highest point: Blue Hill on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Geographic coordinates

21 45 N, 71 35 W

Geography - note

include eight large islands and numerous smaller cays, islets, and reefs; only two of the Caicos Islands and six of the Turks group are inhabited

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 1.1% (2011 est.) | arable land: 1.1% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.) | forest: 36.2% (2011 est.) | other: 62.7% (2011 est.)

Location

two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

frequent hurricanes

Natural resources

spiny lobster, conch

Population distribution

eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk

Terrain

low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Administrative divisions

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Capital

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)

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

several previous; latest signed 7 August 2012, effective 15 October 2012 (The Turks and Caicos Constitution Order 2011) (2018)

Country name

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands | abbreviation: TCI | etymology: the Turks Islands are named after the Turk's cap cactus (native to the islands and appearing on the flag and coat of arms), while the Caicos Islands derive from the native term "caya hico" meaning "string of islands"

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor John FREEMAN (since 17 October 2016) | head of government: Premier Sharlene CARTWRIGHT-ROBINSON (since 20 December 2016); first female Premier of Turks and Caicos | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor from among members of the House of Assembly | elections/appointments: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor

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 displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turk's cap cactus - three common elements of the islands' biota

Government type

parliamentary democracy (House of Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and other judges, as determined by the governor); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges appointed by the governor in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body of high-level judicial officials; Supreme Court judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65, but terms can be extended to age 70; Appeals Court judge tenure determined by individual terms of appointment | subordinate courts: magistrates' courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of English common law and civil law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral House of Assembly (19 seats; 15 members in multi-seat constituencies and a single all-islands constituency directly elected by simple majority vote, 1 member nominated by the premier and appointed by the governor, 1 nominated by the opposition party leader and appointed by the governor, and 2 from the Turks and Caicos Islands Civic Society directly appointed by the governor; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 15 December 2016 (next to be held in 2020) | election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PDM 10, PNP 5

National anthem

name: This Land of Ours | lyrics/music: Conrad HOWELL | note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is the official anthem (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June

National symbol(s)

conch shell, Turk's cap cactus

Political parties and leaders

People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sharlene CARTWRIGHT-ROBINSON] Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 remain a British overseas territory. Grand Turk island suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Maria on 22 September 2017 resulting in loss of power and communications as well as damage to housing and businesses.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.62% (male 5,916 /female 5,694) | 15-24 years: 13.7% (male 3,657 /female 3,698) | 25-54 years: 52.97% (male 14,316 /female 14,128) | 55-64 years: 6.96% (male 1,988 /female 1,748) | 65 years and over: 4.76% (male 1,181 /female 1,375) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Central America :: Turks and Caicos Islands Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Turks and Caicos Islands. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

14.9 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death rate

3.3 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Education expenditures

3.3% of GDP (2015)

Ethnic groups

black 87.6%, white 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 12.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.1 years (2018 est.) | male: 77.3 years (2018 est.) | female: 83 years (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major urban areas - population

5,000 GRAND TURK (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 33.8 years | male: 34.1 years | female: 33.5 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

noun: none | adjective: none

Net migration rate

9.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

People - note

destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Bahamas and the US

Population

53,701 (July 2018 est.)

Population distribution

eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk

Population growth rate

2.09% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 72.8% (Baptist 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Anglican 10%, Methodist 9.3%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.8%, other 14% (2006 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 1.18 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 93.1% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 1.77% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

8 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 6 (2013) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 (2013) | under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VQ-T (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 4 (2017) | by type: general cargo 1, other 3 (2017)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 16 (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales

Roadways

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