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

Internet country code

.tc

Internet users

total: 37,008 (2022) percent of population: 93.5% (2022)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: is connected to the internet via a single submarine fiber-optic cable (Arcos-1), which links the US and several Caribbean countries (2023) domestic: fixed-line teledensity is 9 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 1-649; landing point for the ARCOS fiber-optic telecommunications submarine cable providing connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 4,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 25,085 (2004 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2004 est.)

Agricultural products

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

Budget

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

Current account balance

$172.709 million (2018 est.) $35.016 million (2017 est.) $247.081 million (2016 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

British Caribbean island territorial economy; GDP and its tourism industry hit hard by COVID-19 disruptions; major biodiversity locale; US dollar user; fossil fuel dependent; negative trade balance; increasing unemployment

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

$826.824 million (2018 est.) $602.581 million (2017 est.) $741.173 million (2016 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

fertilizers, shellfish, plastics, sulfur, soybean oil (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Togo 61%, US 13%, Zimbabwe 6%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 3%, Central African Republic 2% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.402 billion (2023 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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: 0.4% (2016 est.) industry: 9.5% (2016 est.) services: 77.9% (2016 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$544.219 million (2018 est.) $484.842 million (2017 est.) $438.041 million (2016 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, plastic products, furniture, aluminum structures (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 75%, Dominican Republic 6%, Italy 3%, Switzerland 2%, China 2% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

5.84% (2016 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

tourism, offshore financial services

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

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

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.03 billion (2023 est.) $1.018 billion (2022 est.) $958.811 million (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

1.2% (2023 est.) 6.2% (2022 est.) 9.03% (2021 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$22,400 (2023 est.) $22,300 (2022 est.) $21,300 (2021 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

Remittances

0% of GDP (2023 est.) 0% of GDP (2022 est.) 0% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Carbon dioxide emissions

244,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 244,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 91,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 249.998 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 13 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 99.9% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 100% electrification - rural areas: 100%

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 99.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions: 0.22 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

limited natural freshwater resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Land use

agricultural land: 1.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 36.2% (2018 est.) other: 62.7% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 94.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 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

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

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 (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 1.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 0% (2018 est.) forest: 36.2% (2018 est.) other: 62.7% (2018 est.)

Location

two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti; note - although the Turks and Caicos Islands do not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically they are often designated as being Caribbean

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) etymology: named after Sir Francis COCKBURN, who served as governor of the Bahamas from 1837 to 1844

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

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

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

embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Dileeni Daniel-SELVARATNAM (since 29 June 2023) head of government: Premier Washington MISICK (since 19 February 2021) 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

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s): 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 (21 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, and 2 ex-officio members; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 19 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - PNP 14, PDM 1; composition - men 11, women 3, percentage women 27.3%

National anthem

name: "This Land of Ours" lyrics/music: Conrad HOWELL note: serves as a local anthem; as an overseas territory of the UK, "God Save the King" 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

People's Democratic Movement or PDM Progressive National Party or PNP

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 in 2017.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.4% (male 6,288/female 6,056) 15-64 years: 73.2% (male 22,232/female 22,011) 65 years and over: 6.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,869/female 1,983)

Birth rate

13 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 18: 23.3% men married by age 18: 5.1% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.4% (2019/20) NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

34.4% (2019/20)

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

59.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

3.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 36.8 youth dependency ratio: 22.9 elderly dependency ratio: 13.9 potential support ratio: 7.2 (2021)

Drinking water source

improved: total: 94.3% of population unimproved: total: 5.7% of population (2017)

Education expenditures

4.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.83 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 13.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.3 years (2024 est.) male: 78.5 years female: 84.1 years

Literacy

total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Major urban areas - population

5,000 GRAND TURK (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 36.3 years (2024 est.) male: 36.5 years female: 36.1 years

Nationality

noun: none adjective: none

Net migration rate

8.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

People - note

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

Physician density

NA

Population

total: 60,439 male: 30,389 female: 30,050 (2024 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

1.77% (2024 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 Witness 1.8%, other 14% (2006 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 88% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 12% of population (2017)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years male: NA female: (2015) NA

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.7 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 94.2% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Illicit drugs

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

Airports

9 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VQ-T

Merchant marine

total: 3 (2023) by type: general cargo 1, other 2

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 22

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 0 very small: 2 size unknown: 1 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Cockburn Harbor, Grand Turk, Providenciales

Roadways

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