Coral Sea Islands (2004) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 31.3% (male 3,466/female 3,345)
15-64 years: 64.8% (male 7,398/female 6,690) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 394/female 453) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
Airports | - | 8 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Area | total: less than 3 sq km
land: less than 3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a sea area of about 780,000 sq km, with the Willis Islets the most important |
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Scattered over some 1 million square kilometers of ocean, the Coral Sea Islands were declared a territory of Australia in 1969. They are uninhabited except for a small meteorological staff on the Willis Islets. Automated weather stations, beacons, and a lighthouse occupy many other islands and reefs. | 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 remain a British overseas territory. |
Birth rate | - | 21.48 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million (1997-98 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
Coastline | 3,095 km | 389 km |
Constitution | - | Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006) |
Country name | conventional long form: Coral Sea Islands Territory
conventional short form: Coral Sea Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI |
Death rate | - | 4.23 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $NA |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $4.1 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | no economic activity | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than three-quarters of the 175,000 visitors that arrived in 2004. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 10.76 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 11.57 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Cato Island 6 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
Environment - current issues | no permanent fresh water resources | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
Ethnic groups | - | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% |
Exchange rates | - | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | administered from Canberra by the Department of the Environment, Sport, and Territories | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003); note - the office of premier was created in the 2006 constitution cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the House of Assembly, and the attorney general elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor |
Exports | - | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | - | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
Exports - partners | - | US, UK (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 00 S, 152 00 E | 21 45 N, 71 35 W |
Geography - note | important nesting area for birds and turtles | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) |
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 | - | 83.55 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | - | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
Imports - partners | - | US, UK (2006) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, offshore financial services |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 14.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 4% (1995) |
International organization participation | - | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | - | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (mostly grass or scrub cover) (2001) |
arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005) |
Languages | - | English (official) |
Legal system | the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats of which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 February 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 60%, PDM 40%; seats by party - PNP 13, PDM 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 74.95 years
male: 72.69 years female: 77.32 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Oceania, islands in the Coral Sea, northeast of Australia | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti |
Map references | Oceania | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
National holiday | - | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
Nationality | - | noun: none
adjective: none |
Natural hazards | occasional tropical cyclones | frequent hurricanes |
Natural resources | NEGL | spiny lobster, conch |
Net migration rate | - | 9.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
People - note | - | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and the US |
Political parties and leaders | - | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Floyd SEYMOUR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a staff of three to four at the meteorological station (2004 est.) |
21,746 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 2.722% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; offshore anchorage only | - |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2003) |
Religions | - | Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.106 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.073 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available international: country code - 1-649; the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber optic telecommunications submarine cable provides connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and US; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 5,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 1,700 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 0 (broadcasts received from The Bahamas; 2 cable television networks) (2003) |
Terrain | sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays) | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
Total fertility rate | - | 3.02 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 10% (1997 est.) |