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United Kingdom - Turks and Caicos Islands

Status: UK overseas territory

Population: 32,000 (2006 census estimate)

Time: GMT minus 5-4hr

Currency:US dollar 

Geography

Turks and Caicos Islands form the southern tip of the Bahamas chain in the north of the Caribbean region. Their nearest neighbour to the south is the Dominican Republic. They comprise two groups of about 40 islands. The Turks Islands take their name from the red flowers of a type of indigenous cactus which, to 17th-century Spanish sailors, resembled the headgear of Turkish men. Two of the eight Turks Islands are inhabited: Grand Turk and Salt Cay. Principal islands of the Caicos group (Spanish cayos: cays) are: South Caicos, East Caicos, Middle (or Grand) Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales and West Caicos. 

Time: GMT minus 5hr. The clock is advanced by one hour from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. 

Area: 500 sq km 

Main settlements: Cockburn Town (capital) on Grand Turk; and Cockburn Harbour, straddling South and East Caicos. The most populous islands are Providenciales, Grand Turk, North Caicos, South Caicos and East Caicos. 

Topography: The islands are all flat sandy cays, nowhere higher than 75m. The Turks Islands passage, a deep channel 35km across, separates the two island groups. 

Climate: Constant south-east trade winds freshen the air in the otherwise tropical climate. Rainfall is variable: about 525mm on Grand Turk and generally higher in the Caicos Islands. Hurricanes are a danger.

Transport/Communications:There are surfaced and unsurfaced roads on all inhabited islands.

The main seaports are Grand Turk, Salt Cay, Providenciales and Cockburn Harbour. Regular cargo and postal services operate to/from Miami.

The country has three international airports, on Grand Turk, Providenciales and South Caicos. There are landing strips on Salt Cay, Pine Cay, Parrot Cay, Middle Caicos and North Caicos.

The international dialling code is +1 649. There are 148 main telephone lines and 996 mobile phones per 1,000 people (2004).

Society

Population: 32,000 (2006 census estimate); 12,350 at the 1990 census; population density 64 per sq km. The population has grown rapidly due to immigration from other Caribbean countries, especially Haiti, including a substantial number of illegal immigrants, making it difficult to estimate the population; growth 2.9% p.a.; birth rate 22 per 1,000 people; life expectancy 75 years.

Some 60% of the population are Turks and Caicos Islands nationals, around 20% from Haiti, 7% from The Bahamas and 4% from the USA. Most of the people are of African descent.

Religion: Mainly Christians (Baptists 40% in 1990, Anglicans 18%, Methodists 16%, Church of God 12%).

Language: The official and national language is English.

Media:The newspapers are Turks and Caicos News (weekly) and Turks and Caicos Free Press (weekly). The government runs a domestic radio-broadcasting service to all the islands from Grand Turk (Radio Turks and Caicos). Cable TV is available on Grand Turk and Providenciales.

Education:There are 13 years of compulsory education starting at age four (2006). Net enrolment ratios are 78% for primary and 70% for secondary (2005). The pupil-teacher ratio for primary is 15:1 and for secondary 9:1 (2005). The school year starts in September.

At tertiary level, the Community College on Grand Turk offers vocational and professional education, and the new Windsor University at Cockburn Town on Grand Turk provides medical training. There are three public libraries.

Health: The general hospital is on Grand Turk; it has a maternity ward and a geriatric block, an operating theatre and a laboratory with X-ray facilities. There are clinics, staffed by nurses and visited fortnightly by medical officers, on Salt Cay, South Caicos, Middle Caicos and North Caicos; there is a full-time medical officer on Providenciales and a health complex offering 24-hour secondary health care. Dental services are provided at a dental clinic and visits by dental professionals to the clinics. Further medical back-up is available in The Bahamas, Jamaica and the USA. Infant mortality was an estimated 16 per 1,000 live births in 2005.

Public holidays: New Year, Commonwealth Day (second Monday in March), National Heroes' Day (last Monday in May), Queen's Official Birthday (the Monday following one of the first three Saturdays in June, in line with the UK), Emancipation Day (1 August), National Youth Day (last Friday in September), Columbus Day (October), International Human Rights Day (24 October), Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Economy

GDP:US$570m (2005)

Tourist arrivals:173,000 (2004)

Overview: Tourism and financial services have become the main economic activities in Turks and Caicos Islands. Reflecting the openness of the economy, its close links with the USA and use of the US dollar as domestic currency, domestic prices tend to follow US prices. The economy was sluggish in 2001-02, but has expanded strongly in 2003-05, reaching 13.9% in 2005.

Government economic policy continues to stress growth and diversification, allocating further resources to the promotion of tourism and the offshore sector.

Trade:The USA is the main trading partner; the main export is seafood products, including lobster and conch; and main imports food/beverages/tobacco, manufactured goods and construction materials.

History

The islands, then uninhabited, were discovered by Juan Ponce de Leon in 1512, but there was no settlement. After about 1678 Bermudians came and went; they raked sea salt between March and November. Driven away by the Spaniards in 1710, they returned soon afterwards, despite harassment. After the American War of Independence (1775-81) loyalist planters from the southern part of what is now the United States settled on the islands, bringing African-descended slaves with them.

After the abolition of slavery (1834), many of the planters left, but their former slaves remained, and the islands were administered from The Bahamas until 1848, when the inhabitants petitioned for, and were granted, separate colonial status, with an elected Legislative Board and an administrative president. In 1873, following another petition from the inhabitants, the islands were annexed to Jamaica, but kept their own legislative board and had their own commissioner.

In the period of the Cold War, Turks and Caicos was used for deployment of various Western armaments. The USA retained an air base on South Caicos from 1944 to 1947, and in 1952 a guided missile base was set up on Grand Turk.

In 1959 moves towards representative government were put into effect. The Governor of Jamaica also became Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the legislative board was replaced by an assembly. Presided over by the administrator (replacement for the commissioner), the assembly was composed of nine members elected by universal adult suffrage, and between four and six members appointed by the governor. An executive council was also set up, with membership comprising the administrator, two of the elected members of the assembly (themselves elected by all the assembly members), one nominated member and two official members.

In 1962, when Jamaica chose to become independent, the country became a Crown colony without a governor, but with an administrator. In November 1965 the Governor of The Bahamas also became the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 1973, when The Bahamas became independent, the islands got their own governor, responsible for defence, internal security and foreign affairs, and their own legal jurisdiction. The office of administrator was abolished, and a chief secretary and financial secretary were added to the executive council. Under the constitution of August 1976, provision was made for a chief minister and up to three ministers empowered to govern the country in accordance with decisions of the executive council. 

Constitution

The constitution of August 2006 provides for a governor (representing the British monarch, who is head of state); a cabinet of two ex-officio members (the financial secretary and the attorney-general), the premier and other ministers; and (replacing the legislative council) a unicameral house of assembly of 21 members, 15 of whom are directly elected for a four-year term, four nominated from the cabinet, one ex-officio (the attorney-general) and the speaker.

Politics

Last elections:February 2007

Next elections:2011

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by the governor

Head of government: Premier Michael E Misick

Ruling party: Progressive National Party

Party politics in Turks and Caicos Islands revolves around the two political parties: the People's Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Progressive National Party (PNP).

At the general election in January 1995, the PDM emerged victors, winning eight seats in the legislative council; the PNP took four and one seat was won by an independent. PDM leader Derek Taylor became chief minister and minister of finance, economic development and planning.

In March 1999 the PDM again won with nine of the 13 contested seats and 52% of the votes; the PNP took four seats.

Then in the April 2003 election, when the ruling PDM was returned for a third term, the opposition PNP filed election petitions against the results in two constituencies. The chief justice declared the results in both districts void and the PDM no longer had a majority in the legislative council. The governor, acting in accordance with the constitution, issued writs for by-elections in the two constituencies to be held on 7 August. The PNP won both seats in the by-elections giving them a majority of 8:5 in the legislative council, and Michael Misick was sworn in as chief minister on 15 August 2003. Under the new constitution in August 2006 Misick's title was changed to Premier.

In the February 2007 general election, the ruling PNP received 60% of the votes and was returned with 13 seats, the PDM taking the remaining two.