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: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 4

Highways

121 km, including 24 km tarmac

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 $44.0 million, including capital expenditures of $23.9 million (1989)

Currency

US currency is used

Economic aid

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

Electricity

9,050 kW capacity; 11.1 million kWh produced, 860 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates

US currency is used

Exports

$4.1 million (f.o.b., 1987) commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells partners: US, UK

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$33.2 million (c.i.f., FY84) commodities: foodstuffs, drink, 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 - $68.5 million (1989 est.)

National product per capita

$5,000 (1989 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA%

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 km2 land area: 430 km2 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

30 islands (eight inhabited); subject to frequent hurricanes

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

NA km2

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

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

Location

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

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, and a Constitutional Commission is currently reviewing its contents

Digraph

TK

Diplomatic representation in US

as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of the Turks and Caicos Islands are represented in the US by the UK

Elections

Legislative Council: 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

Executive branch

British monarch, governor, Executive Council, chief minister

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

Leaders

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Michael J. BRADLEY (since NA 1987) Head of Government: Chief Minister Washington MISSIC (since NA 1991)

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council

Member of

CARICOM (associate), CDB

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 MISSIC; 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

Birth rate

14.88 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

5.17 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

African

Infant mortality rate

12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 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 (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1970) total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98%

Nationality

noun: none adjective: none

Net migration rate

20.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

13,137 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

2.97% (1993 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

2.17 children born/woman (1993 est.)