Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2001) - Turks and Caicos Islands (2001)

British Indian Ocean Territory (2001)

Turks and Caicos Islands (2001)

Administrative divisions

-

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Age structure

-

0-14 years:
32.58% (male 2,996; female 2,908)

15-64 years:
63.51% (male 6,050; female 5,459)

65 years and over:
3.91% (male 316; female 393) (2001 est.)

Agriculture - products

-

corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Airports

1 (2000 est.)

8 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total:
1

over 3,047 m:
1 (2000 est.)

total:
4

1,524 to 2,437 m:
3

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

-

total:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
2

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)

Area

total:
60 sq km

land:
60 sq km

water:
0 sq km

note:
includes the entire Chagos Archipelago

total:
430 sq km

land:
430 sq km

water:
0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Background

Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier resident in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.

The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. 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.

Birth rate

-

24.89 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Budget

-

revenues:
$47 million

expenditures:
$33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-1998 est.)

Capital

-

Cockburn Town (on Grand Turk)

Climate

tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds

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

Coastline

698 km

389 km

Constitution

-

introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988

Country name

conventional long form:
British Indian Ocean Territory

conventional short form:
none

abbreviation:
BIOT

conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Turks and Caicos Islands

Currency

-

US dollar (USD)

Death rate

-

4.47 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Debt - external

-

$NA

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Disputes - international

the Chagos Archipelago is claimed by Mauritius and Seychelles

none

Economic aid - recipient

-

$4.1 million (1997)

Economy - overview

All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.

The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US was the leading source of tourists in 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000 visitors; tourist arrivals had risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh

4.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

-

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

-

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production

NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military

5 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

-

fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)

Elevation extremes

lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point:
unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m

lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:
Blue Hills 49 m

Environment - current issues

NA

limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Ethnic groups

-

black

Exchange rates

-

the US dollar is used

Executive branch

chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)

head of government:
Commissioner John WHITE (since NA); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK

cabinet:
NA

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch

chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Mervyn JONES (since 27 January 2000)

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 among the members of the Legislative Council

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor

Exports

-

$4.7 million (1993)

Exports - commodities

-

lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Exports - partners

-

US, UK

Fiscal year

-

calendar year

Flag description

white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the 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

GDP

-

purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

-

agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
NA%

GDP - per capita

-

purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-

8.7% (1999 est.)

Geographic coordinates

6 00 S, 71 30 E

21 45 N, 71 35 W

Geography - note

archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility

30 islands (eight inhabited)

Highways

total:
NA km

paved:
short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia

unpaved:
NA km

total:
121 km

paved:
24 km

unpaved:
97 km (2000)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

-

lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%

Illicit drugs

-

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Imports

-

$46.6 million (1993)

Imports - commodities

-

food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials

Imports - partners

-

US, UK

Independence

-

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Industrial production growth rate

-

NA%

Industries

-

tourism, offshore financial services

Infant mortality rate

-

18.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-

4% (1995)

International organization participation

-

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

14 (2000)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1993)

NA sq km

Judicial branch

-

Supreme Court

Labor force

-

4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

-

about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
NA%

other:
NA%

arable land:
2%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
98% (1993 est.)

Languages

-

English (official)

Legal system

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

based on laws of England and Wales, with a small number adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Legislative branch

-

unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats, of which 13 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 4 March 1999 (next to be held by NA 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - PDM 52.2%, PNP 40.9%, independent 6.9%; seats by party - PDM 9, PNP 4

Life expectancy at birth

-

total population:
73.52 years

male:
71.37 years

female:
75.77 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

-

definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population:
98%

male:
99%

female:
98% (1970 est.)

Location

Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia

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

Map references

World

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM

exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM

Merchant marine

-

none (2000 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016

defense is the responsibility of the UK

National holiday

-

Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Nationality

-

noun:
none

adjective:
none

Natural hazards

NA

frequent hurricanes

Natural resources

coconuts, fish, sugarcane

spiny lobster, conch

Net migration rate

-

13.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

-

People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

-

NA

Population

no indigenous inhabitants

note:
approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 1995, there were approximately 1,700 UK and US military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia

18,122 (July 2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

-

NA%

Population growth rate

-

3.41% (2001 est.)

Ports and harbors

Diego Garcia

Grand Turk, Providenciales

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

NA

8,000 (1997)

Railways

-

0 km

Religions

-

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

Sex ratio

-

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.11 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.8 male(s)/female

total population:
1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Suffrage

-

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

general assessment:
separate facilities for military and public needs are available

domestic:
all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet

international:
international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)

general assessment:
fair cable and radiotelephone services

domestic:
NA

international:
2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

NA

3,000 (1994)

Telephones - mobile cellular

-

0 (1994)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1997)

0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997)

Terrain

flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)

low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps