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The Turks and Caicos Islands are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, southeast of the Bahamas, at 21°45'N, 71°35'W. The thirty
islands total 166 sq. mi. (430 km²), primarily of low, flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps. The weather is
usually sunny and relatively dry, but suffers frequent hurricanes. The islands
have limited natural fresh water resources; private cisterns collect rainwater for drinking. The primary natural resources are
spiny lobster and conch.
Government
The capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands is Cockburn Town on
Grand Turk. 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.
The islands adopted a constitution on August 30, 1976, which is Constitution Day, the national holiday. The constitution was suspended in 1986, but restored and revised March 5, 1988. The territory's legal system is based on English
common law, with a small number of laws adopted from Jamaica and the Bahamas. Suffrage is universal for those over 18
years of age. English is the official language.
As a British territory, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is the sovereign, represented by a governor. The head
of government is the chief minister. The Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and five appointed by
the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council. No elections are held; the monarch is hereditary, the governor
appointed by the monarch, and the chief minister appointed by the governor.
The unicameral Legislative Council consists of 19 seats, 13 popularly elected; members serve four-year terms. Elections were
held March 4, 1999, and are next to be held in
2003. The People's Democratic Movement, led by Derek H. Taylor, holds nine seats, the
Progressive National Party, led by Washington Misick, holds four seats. The United Democratic Party, led by Wendal Swann,
received a small fraction of the popular vote, but not enough to earn a seat.
The judicial branch of government is headed by a Supreme Court.
Turks and Caicos participates in CDB, is an associate in Caricom, and maintains an
International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol subbureau.
Defense is the responsibility of the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Eight of the thirty islands in the territory are inhabited, with a total population in mid-2000 of about 17,500. One-third of the population is under 15 years old, and only 4% are 65 or older. In 2000 the population was growing at 3.55%, with 14.46 migrants per 1,000 population and 25.65 births
per 1,000 population, offset by 4.57 deaths per 1,000 population. The infant mortality rate was 18.66 deaths per 1,000 live births and the life expectancy at birth was 73.28 years (71.15 years for males, 75.51 years for females). The total
fertility rate was 3.25 children born per woman. Ethnically, the vast majority of inhabitants are black. Two-fifth of them are
Baptist one-fifth Methodist,
one-fifth Anglican, and less than 2% Seventh-Day Adventist.
History
Main Article History of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Economy
The economy of the Turks and Caicos is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food
for domestic consumption are imported. The United States was the leading
source of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000 visitors; another
major source of tourists is Canada. Tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and
customs receipts. The territory's gross domestic
product was about $117 million (per capita $7700) in 1997, with a real growth rate of
about 4% and an inflation rate of about 4%. The labor force totalled 4848 workers in 1990,
one-third of whom work in government and one-fifth of whom work in agriculture and fishing; the rest are employed in tourism,
financial, and other services. The unemployment rate is about 10%. The territory takes in revenues of $47 million against
expenditures of $33.6 million and receives economic aid, $5.7 million in 1995. The
territory's currency is the United States dollar.
The primary agricultural products include maize, beans, cassava (tapioca),
citrus fruits, and fish. in 1993 the territory exported some $4.7 million (1993) of
lobster, dried and fresh conch, and conch
shells, primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom. The territory is an important trans-shipment point for South
American narcotics destined for the United States.
The islands import food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, and
construction materials, primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom. Imports totaled $46.6 million in 1993.
Communications
The islands produce and consume about 5 GWh of electricity, all from fossil fuel. The territory had about 3000 telephone lines
(no cellular phones) in use in 1994. The system is connected to the mainland by two
submarine cables and a Intelsat earth station. There were three AM radio stations (one inactive) and six FM stations (no
shortwave) in 1998. Over 8000 radios are owned across the territory. There are no
television broadcast stations; broadcasts from the Bahamas can be received and cable
television is available. The territory has one Internet service provider and its country
code top level domain (ccTLD) is TC.
Transportation
The islands have no significant railways, and 121 kilometers of highway, 24 km paved and 97 km unpaved. The territory's ports
and harbors are on Grand Turk and
Providenciales. The islands
have seven airports. Four have paved runways, three of which are around 2000 meters long and one around 1000 meters long. Three
have unpaved runways, two of which are around 1000 meters long and one significantly shorter.
Issues
A great many of the tourists who visit the islands are Canadian. Owing to this and the islands' status as a British colony,
some politicians, both in Canada and the Turks and Caicos, have suggested some form of
union between the two countries.
In 1973, Canadian NDP MP Max Saltsman introduced the first failed attempt at annexing the islands. The idea was
brought up again in 1986 by Conservative MP Dan McKenzie, but it was rejected by his party's caucus committee on external affairs in 1987. The
committee, chaired by MP David
Daubney, looked at immigration, banking, health care and tourism issues in making its decision. In 2004 Conservative MP
Peter Goldring visited Turks and Caicos to explore the possibility once
more.
For the islands to join Canada as a full province would require amending the Canadian constitution, a step which is considered highly unlikely. The last new province, Newfoundland and Labrador, was brought into the country
in 1949 by an act of British Parliament. Joining as a territory would be easier, as
territories can be created by an act of federal law.
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