CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Turks and Caicos Islands


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!| 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 430 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Blue Hills 49 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti
 * 21 45 N, 71 35 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 430 sq km
 * 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 389 km
 * territorial sea: 12 nm
 * tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
 * low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
 * lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
 * spiny lobster, conch
 * arable land: 2.33%
 * NA sq km
 * frequent hurricanes
 * limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
 * about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,696; female 6,036) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 327; female 412) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 27.9 years female: 26.5 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 18.79 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 72.05 years female: 76.57 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: none !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: female: 98% (1970 est.) male: 99% total population: 98% !| People - note:
 * 19,956 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,301; female 3,184)
 * total: 27.2 years
 * 3.03% (2004 est.)
 * 22.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
 * total: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 74.25 years
 * 3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * noun: none
 * black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%
 * Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
 * English (official)
 * definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
 * destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands !| Dependency status: !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003) cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council !| Legislative branch: elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: !| Diplomatic representation from the US: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * overseas territory of the UK
 * NA
 * Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
 * none (overseas territory of the UK)
 * none (overseas territory of the UK)
 * Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
 * introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
 * based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
 * unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
 * Supreme Court
 * People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
 * NA
 * Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU
 * none (overseas territory of the UK)
 * none (overseas territory of the UK)
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: NA services: NA (2001 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997-98 est.) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism fell by 6% in 2002.
 * purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)
 * 4.9% (2000 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)
 * agriculture: NA
 * NA
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 4% (1995)
 * 4,848 (1990 est.)
 * about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
 * 10% (1997 est.)
 * revenues: $47 million
 * corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
 * tourism, offshore financial services
 * NA
 * 5 million kWh (2001)
 * 4.65 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day NA (2001 est.)
 * 0 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $169.2 million (2000)
 * lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
 * US, UK
 * $175.6 million (2000)
 * food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
 * US, UK
 * NA (2002 est.)
 * $4.1 million (1997)
 * US dollar (USD)
 * USD
 * the US dollar is used
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 5,700 (2002)
 * 1,700 (1999)
 * general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
 * AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)
 * 8,000 (1997)
 * 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004)
 * NA
 * .tc
 * 14 (2000)
 * NA
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!| Highways: paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)
 * total: 121 km
 * Grand Turk, Providenciales
 * none
 * 8 (2003 est.)
 * total: 6
 * total: 2
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!| Military - note:
 * defense is the responsibility of the UK
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