Geography


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


Geographic coordinates:
21 45 N, 71 35 W


Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean


Area:
total:948 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 186
land:948 sq km
water:0 sq km


Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC


Land boundaries:
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:Flamingo Hill 48 m


Natural resources:
spiny lobster, conch


Land use:
arable land:1.05%
permanent crops:0%
other:98.95% (2011)


Irrigated land:
NA


Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes


Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources, private cisterns collect rainwater


Geography - note:
about 40 islands (eight inhabited)



People and Society


Nationality:
noun: none
adjective:none


Ethnic groups:
black 87.6%, white 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006)


Languages:
English (official)


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%


Population:
49,070 (July 2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 212


Age structure:
0-14 years:22.1% (male 5,536/female 5,332)
15-24 years:14.8% (male 3,552/female 3,715)
25-54 years:53.5% (male 13,333/female 12,931)
55-64 years:5.3% (male 1,434/female 1,188)
65 years and over:4.1% (male 910/female 1,139) (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:31.9 years
male:32.2 years
female:31.5 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
2.58% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 27


Birth rate:
16.61 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 119


Death rate:
3.08 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 221


Net migration rate:
12.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 12


Urbanization:
urban population:93.8% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:1.67% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
GRAND TURK (capital) 7,000 (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years:0.96 male(s)/female
25-54 years:1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years:1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.8 male(s)/female
total population:1.02 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


    Infant mortality rate:
total:10.97 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 131
male:13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female:8.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


Life expectancy at birth:
total population:79.55 yearscountry comparison to the world: 43
male:76.8 years
female:82.42 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
1.7 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 172


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 87% of population
rural: 87% of population
total: 87% of population
unimproved:
urban: 13% of population
rural: 13% of population
total: 13% of population (2007 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 81.4% of population
rural: 81.4% of population
total: 81.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 18.6% of population
rural: 18.6% of population
total: 18.6% of population (2007 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA


Education expenditures:
NA

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, The Bahamas, and the US


Government


Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form:Turks and Caicos Islands
abbreviation:TCI


Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK


Government type:
NA


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)
daylight saving time:+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November


Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)


Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)


National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)


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


Legal system:
mixed legal system of English common law and civil law


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal


Executive branch:
chief of state:Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter BECKINGHAM (since 9 October 2013)
head of government:Premier Rufus EWING (since 13 November 2012)
cabinet:Cabinet consists of the governor, deputy governor, the premier, no more than six other ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general
elections:the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor
note:the UK foreign minister has determined that sufficient progress has been made to reinstate local government under a new constitution, effective in October 2012


    Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly consisting of 19 seats, 15 elected and 4 appointed by the governor; of elected members, five are elected at large and 10 from single member districts for four-year terms
elections:last held on 9 November 2012 (next to be held in 2016)
election results:percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PNP 8, PDM 7


Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and such number of 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 heard by 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 appointed until mandatory retirement at age 65, but can be extended to age 70; Appeals Court judge tenure determined by individual terms of appointment
subordinate courts:magistrates' courts


Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Oswald SKIPPINGS]
People's Progressive Party [NA]
Progressive National Party or PNP [Rufus EWING]


Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA


International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU


Diplomatic representation in the US:
name:'This Land of Ours'
lyrics/music:Conrad HOWELL
note:serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, 'God Save the Queen' is the official anthem (see United Kingdom)


Economy


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 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$632 million (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
$568.3 million (2006 est.)


GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA


GDP - real growth rate:
11.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 7

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$29,100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:29.6%
government consumption:17.7%
investment in fixed capital:52.9%
exports of goods and services:76.2%
imports of goods and services:-76.3%
(2013 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:1%
industry:22.5%
services:76.5% (2013 est.)


Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (manioc, tapioca), citrus fruits; fish


Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services


Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

    Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222


Labor force - by occupation:
note:about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Unemployment rate:
10% (1997 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

Population below poverty line:
NA%


Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:NA%
highest 10%:NA%


Budget:
revenues:$434.1 million
expenditures:$437.6 million (2013 est.)


Fiscal year:
calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
2.5% (2012 est.)


Exports:
$24.77 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205

Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells


Imports:
$591.3 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials


Debt - external:
$NA


Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used


Energy


Electricity - production:
200 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182


Electricity - consumption:
186 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187


Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 200


Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
50,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127


Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135


Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189


Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 193


Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
999 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203


Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133


Refined petroleum products - imports:
1,063 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 194


Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196


Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197


Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190


Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134


Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
155,500 Mt (2011 est.)



Communications


Telephone system:
domestic:full range of services available; GSM wireless service available
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) (2011)



    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


Internet hosts:
73,217 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 86



Transportation


Airports
8 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 163


Airports - with paved runways
total:6
2,438 to 3,047 m:1
1,524 to 2,437 m:3
914 to 1,523 m:1
under 914 m:1 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:2
under 914 m:
2 (2013)


    Roadways
total:121 kmcountry comparison to the world: 212
paved:24 km
unpaved:97 km (2003)


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


Military


Manpower fit for military service
females age 16-49:11,755 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:338
female:342 (2010 est.)


    Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK


Transnational Issues


Disputes - international
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder


    Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
Information provided by CIA - The World Fact Book

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