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Motto: |
One
People, One Nation, One Destiny |
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History |
The islands were under Jamaican jurisdiction until 1962, when they assumed
the status of a crown colony. 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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Geography |
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Location:
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Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic
Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas
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Geographic coordinates:
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21 45 N, 71 35 W
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Area:
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total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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389 km
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate:
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tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and
relatively dry
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Terrain:
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low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove
swamps
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m
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Natural resources:
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spiny lobster, conch
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Land use:
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arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 98% (1993 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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Only 4 major hurricanes in the last century.
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Environment - current issues:
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limited natural fresh water
resources, private cisterns collect rainwater
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Geography - note:
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30 islands (eight inhabited)
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People |
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Population:
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22,942 (July 2009
est.) |
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Age structure:
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Age
structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 3,528/female 3,401)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 7,875/female 7,164)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 475/female 499) (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
2.563% (2009 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
20.79 births/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Death rate: |
4.18 deaths/1,000 population
(July 2009 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
9.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: none
adjective: none |
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Ethnic groups: |
black 90%, mixed, European, or
North American 10% |
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Religions: |
Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%,
Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
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Languages: |
English (official) |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1970 est.) |
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Government |
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Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
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Dependency status: |
overseas territory of the UK |
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Government type: |
NA |
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Capital: |
Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W |
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Administrative divisions: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Independence: |
None (overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday: |
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
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Constitution: |
Turks and Caicos Islands
Constitution (Interim Amendment) Order 2009, S.I. 2009/701 -
effective 14 August 2009 - suspended Ministerial government, the
House of Assembly, and the constitutional right to trial by
jury, and imposed direct British rule |
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Legal system: |
Based on laws of England and Wales, with a small
number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH
II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Gordon
WETHERELL (since 5 August 2008)
head of government: Governor Gordon WETHERELL (since 14 August
2009); note - the office of premier is suspended by the Order in
Council, effective 14 August 2009
cabinet: under provisions of the Order in Council, the cabinet
is suspended effective 14 August 2009 and replaced by an
Advisory Council appointed by the governor
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the
monarch
note: following an investigation into allegations of widespread
corruption and misconduct within the Turks and Caicos
Government, the UK foreign minister directed the governor to
bring into effect on 14 August 2009 an Order in Council
suspending Ministerial government and the House of Assembly, and
imposing direct rule for a period of up to two years |
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Legislative branch: |
under provisions of the Order in
Council, the unicameral House of Assembly is dissolved and all
seats vacated for a period of up to two years; in the interim, a
Consultative Forum, appointed by the governor, will be
established
elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held by July
2011)
election results: under provisions of the Order in Council, all
seats in the House of Assembly are vacated |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
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Political parties and leaders: |
People's Democratic Movement or
PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael
Eugene MISICK] |
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International organization participation: |
Caricom (associate), CDB,
Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
None (overseas territory of
the UK) |
Diplomatic representation
from the US: |
None (overseas territory
of the UK) |
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National Holidays: |
New Years Day (01 January);
Commonwealth Day (Monday nearest to 12 March); Good Friday;
Easter Monday; National Heroes Day (last Monday in May in honor
of the First Chief Minister, The late Hon J.A.G.S. McCartney);
Queens Official Birthday (mid-June); Emancipation Day (01
August); National Youth Day (Last Friday of September); Columbus
Day (Monday nearest the 10th of October); International Human
Rights Day (24 October); Christmas Day (25 December); Boxing Day
(26 December) |
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Date of CARICOM Membership:
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2 July 1991 |
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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 |
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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. |
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GDP (Purchasing
power parity PPP):: |
$216 million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
4.9% (1997 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$NA |
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GDP - per capita
(PPP): |
$11,500 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA% |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
Lowest 10%: NA%
Highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
4% (1995) |
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Labor force: |
4,848 (1990 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
About
33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing;
significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services
(1997 est.) |
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Budget: |
Revenues: $47 million
Expenditures: $33.6 million, (1997/98 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca),
citrus fruits; fish |
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Industries: |
Tourism, offshore financial services |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
NA% |
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Agriculture - products: |
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus
fruits; fish |
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Exports: |
$169.2 million (2000) |
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Exports - commodities: |
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch
shells |
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Imports: |
$175.6 million |
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Imports - commodities: |
Food and beverages, tobacco, clothing,
manufactures, construction materials |
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Imports - partners: |
US, UK |
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Debt - external: |
$NA |
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Exchange rates: |
US currency is used |
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Business Hours: |
Commercial: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. Monday to Friday
Government: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday to Friday |
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Fiscal year: |
Calendar year |
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
3,700 (2008) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
25,100 (2004) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment: fully digital
system with international direct dialing
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) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 7,
shortwave 0 (2003) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas
are received; 2 cable television networks) (2003) |
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Internet Country code |
.tc |
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Internet
hosts: |
2,352 (2008) |
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Transportation |
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Highways: |
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Grand Turk, Providenciales |
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Merchant marine: |
registered in other countries: 1
(Panama 1) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 152 |
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Airports: |
7 (1999 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2009) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009) |
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Military |
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Military - note:
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Defense is the responsibility of the UK |
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest |
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National Anthem |
God Save the Queen
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save The Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save The Queen.
O Lord our God, arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks;
On thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
God save The Queen.
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Favourite Local Cuisine: |
Conch in all forms is one of the
staples along with other seafood delicacies such as
lobster and mahi-mahi (dolphin). Boiled fish with Johnny
cake or pig's tail and peas and grits are breakfast favorites. |
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