Turks and Caicos Islands
From Imakoopedia
| Flag | |
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| Quick Facts | |
| Capital | Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) |
| Government | Overseas territory of United Kingdom |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) |
| Area | total: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 430 sq km |
| Population | 18,738 (July 2002 est.) |
| Language | English (official) |
| Religion | Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
The Turks and Caicos Islands are two groups of Caribbean islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas.
Even though you only boarded the plane in Miami, Florida a scant hour before, the moment you step off the plane, you know you are in a different world. The tropical breeze hits you as you step onto the tarmac, and you start looking forward to the incredible SCUBA diving that awaits. Although definitely not one of the prettiest (at least above water) of the Caribbean Islands, it has its own charms that come from being a mostly undiscovered tourist destination.
| Table of contents |
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Regions
Turks and Caicos Islands
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Cities
- Cockburn Town - capital.
- Cockburn Harbour
- Bottle Creek
- Blue Hills
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Other destinations
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Understand
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 are presently a British overseas territory.
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Get in
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By plane
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By boat
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Get around
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Talk
- Languages
- English (official)
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Buy
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Eat
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Drink
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Sleep
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Hotels
- Beaches Resorts
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Learn
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Work
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Stay safe
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Stay healthy
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Respect
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Contact
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External links
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Geography
- Geographic coordinates
- 21 45 N, 71 35 W
- Map references
- Central America and the Caribbean
- Area
- total: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 430 sq km
- Area - comparative
- 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries
- 0 km
- Coastline
- 389 km
- Maritime claims
- exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: Blue Hills 49 m
- Natural resources
- spiny lobster, conch
- Land use
- arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.67% (1998 est.)
- Irrigated land
- NA sq km
- Natural hazards
- frequent hurricanes
- Environment - current issues
- limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
- Geography - note
- about 40 islands (eight inhabited)
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People
- Population
- 18,738 (July 2002 est.)
- Age structure
- 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 3,101; female 3,004)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 6,266; female 5,651)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 319; female 397) (2002 est.)
- Population growth rate
- 3.28% (2002 est.)
- Birth rate
- 24.18 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
- Death rate
- 4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 12.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
- Sex ratio
- at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
- Infant mortality rate
- 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 73.76 years
female: 76.03 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.59 years
- Total fertility rate
- 3.18 children born/woman (2002 est.)
- HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
- NA%
- Nationality
- noun: none
adjective: none
- Ethnic groups
- black
- Religions
- Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990)
- Literacy
- definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.)
total population: 98%
- People - note
- destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US
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Government
- Country name
- conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
- Dependency status
- overseas territory of the UK
- Government type
- NA
- Capital
- Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
- Administrative divisions
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- National holiday
- Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
- Constitution
- introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988
- Legal system
- based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- 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 contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
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Economy
- Economy - overview
- 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 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.
- Labor force
- 4,848 (1990 est.)
- Labor force - by occupation
- about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.)
- Unemployment rate
- 10% (1997 est.)
- Budget
- revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.)
- Industries
- tourism, offshore financial services
- Electricity - production
- 5 million kWh (2000)
- Electricity - production by source
- fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
- Agriculture - products
- corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish
- Exports - commodities
- lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
- Imports - commodities
- food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials
- Currency
- US dollar (USD)
- Currency code
- USD
- Exchange rates
- the US dollar is used
- Fiscal year
- calendar year
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Communications
- Telephones - main lines in use
- 3,000 (1994)
- Telephones - mobile cellular
- 0 (1994)
- Telephone system
- general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
- Radio broadcast stations
- AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)
- Radios
- 8,000 (1997)
- Television broadcast stations
- 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997)
- Televisions
- NA
- Internet country code
- .tc
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- 14 (2000)
- Internet users
- NA
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Transportation
- Railways
- 0 km
- Highways
- total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2000)
- Waterways
- none
- Ports and harbors
- Grand Turk, Providenciales
- Airports
- 8 (2001)
- Airports - with paved runways
- total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
- Airports - with unpaved runways
- total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
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Transnational Issues
- Disputes - international
- none
- Illicit drugs
- transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
