Turks and Caicos Islands (2002) | Norfolk Island (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 32.6% (male 3,101; female 3,004)
15-64 years: 63.6% (male 6,266; female 5,651) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 319; female 397) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 20.2%
15-64 years: 63.9% 65 years and over: 15.9% (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry |
Airports | 8 (2001) | 1 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 34.6 sq km
land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. |
Birth rate | 24.18 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.) |
revenues: $4.6 million
expenditures: $4.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY92/93) |
Capital | Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) | Kingston |
Climate | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry | subtropical; mild, little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 389 km | 32 km |
Constitution | introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised 5 March 1988 | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands |
conventional long form: Territory of Norfolk Island
conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | Australian dollar (AUD) |
Death rate | 4.38 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | NA |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $4.1 million (1997) (1997) | NA |
Economy - overview | 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 is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in 1998. Major sources of government revenue include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs. |
Electricity - consumption | 4.65 million kWh (2000) | NA kWh |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | - |
Electricity - production | 5 million kWh (2000) | NA kWh |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater | NA |
Ethnic groups | black | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953), represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
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; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Grant TAMBLING (since 1 November 2003)
head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Geoffrey Robert GARDNER (since 5 December 2001) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the administrator elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004) election results: Geoffrey Robert GARDNER elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA |
Exports | $13.7 million (1999) | $1.5 million f.o.b. (FY91/92) |
Exports - commodities | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados |
Exports - partners | US, UK | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $128 million (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: NA |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $7,300 (1999 est.) | purchasing power parity - NA |
GDP - real growth rate | 8.7% (1999 est.) | NA |
Geographic coordinates | 21 45 N, 71 35 W | 29 02 S, 167 57 E |
Geography - note | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) | most of the 32-km coastline consists of almost inaccessible cliffs, but the land slopes down to the sea in one small southern area on Sydney Bay, where the capital of Kingston is situated |
Highways | total: 121 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000) |
total: 80 km
paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe | - |
Imports | $175.6 million (1999) | $17.9 million c.i.f. (FY91/92) |
Imports - commodities | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials | NA |
Imports - partners | US, UK | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (territory of Australia) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA |
Industries | tourism, offshore financial services | tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4% (1995) (1995) | NA |
International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau) | UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 14 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions |
Labor force | 4,848 (1990 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services (1997 est.) | tourism NA, subsistence agriculture NA |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
Languages | English (official) | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian |
Legal system | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law |
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 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 |
unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 29 November 2001 (next to be held by December 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.76 years
male: 71.59 years female: 76.03 years (2002 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
NA |
Location | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Oceania |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | none |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | defense is the responsibility of Australia |
National holiday | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) | Bounty Day (commemorates the arrival of Pitcairn Islanders), 8 June (1856) |
Nationality | noun: none
adjective: none |
noun: Norfolk Islander(s)
adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
Natural hazards | frequent hurricanes | typhoons (especially May to July) |
Natural resources | spiny lobster, conch | fish |
Net migration rate | 12.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
People - note | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US | - |
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] | none |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
Population | 18,738 (July 2002 est.) | 1,841 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 3.28% (2002 est.) | -0.01% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Grand Turk, Providenciales | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3 (one inactive), FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 8,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) | Anglican 37.4%, Uniting Church in Australia 14.5%, Roman Catholic 11.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 3.1%, none 12.2%, unknown 17.4%, other 3.9% (1996) |
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 (2002 est.) |
NA |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA international: 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: adequate
domestic: NA international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada; satellite service planned for near future |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3,000 (1994) | 2,532; note: a mix of analog (2500) and digital (32) circuits (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1994) | 0 (proposed cellular service disallowed in August 2002 island referendum) (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; cable television is established) (1997) | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998) |
Terrain | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains |
Total fertility rate | 3.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) | NA children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10% (1997 est.) | NA |
Waterways | none | - |