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TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

 (dependent territory of the UK) 

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Geography

 Location: Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean,
 southeast of The Bahamas

 Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

 Area:
 total area: 430 sq km
 land area: 430 sq km
 comparative area: slightly less than 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

 International disputes: none

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

 Terrain: low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

 Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch

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

 Irrigated land: NA sq km

 Environment:
 current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private
 cisterns collect rainwater
 natural hazards: frequent hurricanes
 international agreements: NA

 Note: 30 islands (eight inhabited)

@Turks And Caicos Islands:People

 Population: 13,941 (July 1995 est.)

 Age structure:
 0-14 years: NA
 15-64 years: NA
 65 years and over: NA

 Population growth rate: 2.41% (1995 est.)

 Birth rate: 13.46 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Death rate: 5.16 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Net migration rate: 15.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

 Infant mortality rate: 12.63 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

 Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 75.37 years
 male: 73.44 years
 female: 77.04 years (1995 est.)

 Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1995 est.)

 Nationality:
 noun: none
 adjective: none

 Ethnic divisions: African

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

 Languages: English (official)

 Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970)
 total population: 98%
 male: 99%
 female: 98%

 Labor force: NA
 by occupation: majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries;
 some subsistence agriculture

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Government

 Names:
 conventional long form: none
 conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

 Digraph: TK

 Type: dependent territory of the UK

 Capital: Grand Turk

 Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

 Independence: none (dependent 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 small number
 adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

 Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 Executive branch:
 chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),
 represented by Governor Martin BOURKE (since NA February 1993)
 head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January
 1995)
 cabinet: Executive Council; consists of three ex-officio members and
 five appointed by the governor from the Legislative Council

 Legislative branch: unicameral
 Legislative Council: elections last held 31 January 1995 (next to be
 held by NA 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (20
 total, 13 elected) PDM 8, PNP 4, independent (Norman SAUNDERS) 1

 Judicial branch: Supreme Court

 Political parties and leaders: Progressive National Party (PNP),
 Washington MISSICK; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Derek H.
 TAYLOR; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel MISSICK

 Member of: CARICOM (associate), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau)

 Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

 US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

 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

Economy

 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.

 National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $80.8 million (1992
 est.)

 National product real growth rate: -1.5% (1992)

 National product per capita: $6,000 (1992 est.)

 Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

 Unemployment rate: 12% (1992)

 Budget:
 revenues: $20.3 million
 expenditures: $44 million, including capital expenditures of $23.9
 million (1989 est.)

 Exports: $6.8 million (f.o.b., 1993)
 commodities: lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells
 partners: US, UK

 Imports: $42.8 million (1993)
 commodities: food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures,
 construction materials
 partners: US, UK

 External debt: $NA

 Industrial production: growth rate NA%

 Electricity:
 capacity: 9,050 kW
 production: 11.1 million kWh
 consumption per capita: 860 kWh (1992)

 Industries: fishing, tourism, offshore financial services

 Agriculture: subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans;
 fishing more important than farming; not self-sufficient in food

 Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics
 destined for the US

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

 Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

 Exchange rates: US currency is used

 Fiscal year: calendar year

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Transportation

 Railroads: 0 km

 Highways:
 total: 121 km (including 24 km tarmac)
 paved: NA
 unpaved: NA

 Ports: Cockburn Harbour, Grand Turk, Providenciales, Salt Cay

 Merchant marine: none

 Airports:
 total: 7
 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
 with paved runways under 914 m: 1
 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Communications

 Telephone system: 1,446 telephones; fair cable and radio services
 local: NA
 intercity: NA
 international: 2 submarine cables; 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth
 station

 Radio:
 broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0
 radios: NA

 Television:
 broadcast stations: NA
 televisions: NA

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Defense Forces

 Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK


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