1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry
Coastline
389 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Environment
30 islands (eight inhabited); subject to frequent hurricanes
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 98% other
Natural resources
spiny lobster, conch
Note
located 190 km north of the Dominican Republic in the North Atlantic Ocean
Terrain
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
430 km2; land area: 430 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
25 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
majority of African descent
Infant mortality rate
14 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
NA; majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries; some subsistence agriculture
Language
English (official)
Life expectancy at birth
72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Literacy
99% (est.)
Nationality
no noun or adjectival forms
Net migration rate
4 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
St. George's Industrial Trade Union
Population
9,761 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Religion
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Church of God, Seventh-Day Adventist
Total fertility rate
3.8 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Capital
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
Communists
none
Constitution
introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, and a Constitutional Commission is currently reviewing its contents
Diplomatic representation
as a dependent territory of the UK, the interests of the Turks and Caicos Islands are represented in the US by the UK; US--none
Elections
Legislative Council--last held on 3 March 1988 (next to be held NA); results--PDM 60%, PNP 30%, others 10%; seats--(20 total, 13 elected) PDM 11, PNP 2
Executive branch
British monarch, governor, Executive Council
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
Independence
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Michael J. BRADLEY (since 1987); Head of Government--Chief Minister Oswald O. SKIPPINGS (since 3 March 1988)
Legal system
based on laws of England and Wales with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council
Long-form name
none
National holiday
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)
Political parties and leaders
People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Oswald Skippings; Progressive National Party (PNP), Dan Malcolm and Norman Saunders; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel Missick
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
dependent territory of the UK
Economy
Agriculture
subsistence farming prevails, based on corn and beans; fishing more important than farming; not self-sufficient in food
Aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $92.8 million
Budget
revenues $12.4 million; expenditures $15.8 million, including capital expenditures of $2.6 million (FY87)
Currency
US currency is used
Electricity
9,050 kW capacity; 11 million kWh produced, 1,160 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
US currency is used
Exports
$2.9 million (f.o.b., FY84); commodities--lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells; partners--US, UK
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$44.9 million, per capita $5,000; real growth rate NA% (1986)
Imports
$26.3 million (c.i.f., FY84); commodities--foodstuffs, drink, tobacco, clothing; partners--US, UK
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
fishing, tourism, offshore financial services
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
NA%
Overview
The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore banking. Subsistence farming--corn and beans--exists only on the Caicos Islands, so that most foods, as well as nonfood products, must be imported.
Unemployment rate
12% (1989)
Communications
Airports
7 total, 7 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
Air Turks and Caicos (passenger service) and Turks Air Ltd.
Highways
121 km, including 24 km tarmac
Ports
Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales, Cockburn Harbour
Telecommunications
fair cable and radio services; 1,446 telephones; stations--3 AM, no FM, several TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of the UK