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Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI;[7] /tɜːrks/ and /ˈkkəs, -ks, -kɒs/) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies.[8] They are known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. The resident population in 2023 was estimated by The World Factbook at 59,367, making it the third-largest of the British overseas territories by population.[7] However, according to a Department of Statistics estimate in 2022, the population was 47,720.[9]

Turks and Caicos Islands
Anthem: "God Save the King"
National song: "This Land of Ours"[1]
Location of Turks and Caicos Islands (circled in red)
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Treaty of Paris3 September 1783
Federation3 January 1958
Separate colony31 May 1962
CapitalGrand Turk (Cockburn Town)[2]
Largest cityProvidenciales
Official languagesEnglish
Ethnic groups
88% Afro-Caribbean
8% Euro-Caribbean
4% Mixed or Indo-Caribbeans
Demonym(s)Turks and Caicos Islander
GovernmentDependency under constitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Charles III
• Governor
Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam
Anya Williams
• Premier
Washington Misick
LegislatureHouse of Assembly
Government of the United Kingdom
David Rutley
Area
• Total
948 km2 (366 sq mi)
• Water (%)
negligible
Highest elevation
48 m (157 ft)
Population
• 2020 estimate
44,542[3] (215th)
• 2012 census
31,458[4]
• Density
121.7[5]/sq mi (47.0/km2)
GDP (nominal)2020 estimate
• Total
US$924,583,000[6]
CurrencyUnited States dollar (US$) (USD)
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)
UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Date formatdd/mm/yyyy
Driving sideleft
Calling code+1-649
UK postcode
TKCA 1ZZ
ISO 3166 codeTC
Internet TLD.tc
Websitehttps://gov.tc/

The islands are southeast of Mayaguana in the Bahamas island chain and north of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Grand Turk (Cockburn Town), the capital since 1766, is situated on Grand Turk Island[2] about 1,042 kilometres (647 mi) east-southeast of Miami. They have a total land area of 430 square kilometres (170 sq mi).[a]

The islands were inhabited for centuries by indigenous peoples. The first recorded European sighting of them was in 1512.[12] In subsequent centuries, they were claimed by several European powers, with the British Empire eventually gaining control. For many years they were governed indirectly through Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the islands received their own governor, and have remained an autonomous territory since.[7]

Etymology edit

The name Caico[s] is from the Lucayan caya hico, meaning 'string of islands'.[13][7] The Turks Islands are named after the Turk's cap cactus, Melocactus intortus, whose red cephalium resembles the fez hat worn by Turks in the late Ottoman Empire.[13][7]

History edit

Pre-colonial era edit

The first inhabitants of the islands were the Arawakan-speaking Taíno people, who most likely crossed over from Hispaniola some time from AD 500 to 800.[14]: 18  Together with Taíno who migrated from Cuba to the southern Bahamas around the same time, these people developed as the Lucayan.[8][15]: 80–86  Around 1200, the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Taínos from Hispaniola.[16]

European arrival edit

It is unknown precisely who the first European to sight the islands was. Some sources state that Christopher Columbus saw the islands on his voyage to the Americas in 1492.[8] However, other sources state that it is more likely that Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León was the first European in Turks and Caicos, in 1512.[12] In either case, by 1512 the Spanish had begun capturing the Taíno and Lucayans as labourers in the encomienda system to replace the largely depleted native population of Hispaniola.[17]: 92–99 [18]: 159–160, 191  As a result of this, and the introduction of diseases to which the native people had no immunity, the southern Bahama Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands were completely depopulated by about 1513, and remained so until the 17th century.[19]: 34–37 [20]: 37–39 [21][page range too broad]

European settlement edit

 
Raking salt on a 1938 postage stamp of the islands
 
The 1852 lighthouse on Grand Turk

From the mid-1600s Bermudian salt collectors began seasonally visiting the islands, later settling more permanently with their African slaves.[8][22] For several decades around the turn of the 18th century, the islands became popular pirate hideouts.[22] During the Anglo-French War (1778–1783) the French captured the archipelago in 1783; however, it was later confirmed as a British colony with the Treaty of Paris (1783). After the American War of Independence (1775–1783), many Loyalists fled to British Caribbean colonies, also bringing with them African slaves.[8][22] They developed cotton as an important cash crop, but it was superseded by the development of the salt industry, with the labour done by African slaves forcibly imported from Africa or the other Caribbean islands and their descendants, who soon came to outnumber the European settlers.[8]

In 1799, both the Turks and the Caicos island groups were annexed by Britain as part of the Bahamas.[8] The processing of sea salt was developed as a highly important export product from the West Indies and continued to be a major export product into the nineteenth century.

19th century edit

In 1807, Britain prohibited the slave trade and, in 1833, abolished slavery in its colonies.[8] British ships sometimes intercepted slave traders in the Caribbean, and some ships were wrecked off the coast of these islands. In 1837, the Esperança, a Portuguese slaver, was wrecked off East Caicos, one of the larger islands. While the crew and 220 captive Africans survived the shipwreck, 18 Africans died before the survivors were taken to Nassau. Africans from this ship may have been among the 189 liberated Africans whom the British colonists settled in the Turks and Caicos from 1833 to 1840.[23]: 211 

In 1841, the Trouvadore, an illegal Spanish slave ship, was wrecked off the coast of East Caicos. All of the 20 man crew and 192 captive Africans survived the sinking. Officials freed the Africans and arranged for 168 persons to be apprenticed to island proprietors on Grand Turk Island for one year. They increased the small population of the colony by seven per cent.[23]: 212  The remaining 24 were resettled in Nassau, Bahamas. The Spanish crew were also taken there, to be turned over to the custody of the Cuban consul and taken to Cuba for prosecution.[24] An 1878 letter documents the "Trouvadore Africans" and their descendants as constituting an essential part of the "labouring population" on the islands.[23]: 210  In 2004, marine archaeologists affiliated with the Turks and Caicos National Museum discovered a wreck, called the "Black Rock Ship", that subsequent research has suggested may be that of the Trouvadore. In November 2008, a cooperative marine archaeology expedition, funded by the United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, confirmed that the wreck has artifacts whose style and date of manufacture link them to the Trouvadore.[23][24][25]

In 1848, Britain designated the Turks and Caicos as a separate colony under a council president.[8] In 1873–4, the islands were made part of the Jamaica colony;[8] in 1894, the chief colonial official was restyled commissioner. In 1917, Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden suggested that the Turks and Caicos join Canada, but this suggestion was rejected by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the islands remained a dependency of Jamaica.[26]

20th and 21st centuries edit

On 4 July 1959 the islands were again designated as a separate colony, the last commissioner being restyled administrator. The governor of Jamaica also continued as the governor of the islands. When Jamaica was granted independence from Britain in August 1962, the Turks and Caicos Islands became a Crown colony.[8] Beginning in 1965, the governor of the Bahamas was also governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands and oversaw affairs for the islands.[7]

 
Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson, the first female Premier of Turks and Caicos, served from 2016 to 2021.

When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973, the Turks and Caicos received their own governor (the last administrator was restyled).[8] In 1974, Canadian New Democratic Party MP Max Saltsman tried to use his private member's bill C-249, "An Act Respecting a Proposed Association Between Canada and the Caribbean Turks and Caicos Islands" that proposed that Canada form an association with the Turks and Caicos Islands; however, it was never submitted to a vote.[27] Since August 1976, the islands have had their own government headed by a chief minister (now premier), the first of whom was J. A. G. S. McCartney. Moves towards independence in the early 1980s were stalled by the election of an anti-independence party in 1980 and since then the islands have remained British territory.[8] Local government was suspended from 1986 to 1988, following allegation of government involvement with drug trafficking which resulted in the arrest of Chief Minister Norman Saunders.[8][28]: 495–6 

In 2002 the islands were re-designated a British Overseas Territory, with islanders gaining full British citizenship.[8] A new constitution was promulgated in 2006; however in 2009 Premier Michael Misick of the Progressive National Party (PNP) resigned in the face of corruption charges, and the United Kingdom took over direct control of the government.[29][8]

During this period of direct British rule, in 2010 the leaders of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands discussed the possibility of forming a federation.[30]

A new constitution was promulgated in October 2012 and the government was returned to full local administration after the November 2012 elections.[8][31]: 56  Rufus Ewing of the PNP was elected as the new, restored, premier.[32][33]

In the 2016 elections, the PNP lost for the first time since they replaced Derek Hugh Taylor's government in 2003. The People's Democratic Movement (PDM) came to power with Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson as Premier.[34][8] She was replaced by Washington Misick after the PNP returned to power after winning the 2021 general elections.[35]

Geography and environment edit

 
A map of the Turks and Caicos Islands

The two island groups are in the North Atlantic Ocean about 160 kilometres (99 mi) north of Hispaniola and about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from Miami in the United States, at 21°46′48″N 71°48′00″W / 21.78000°N 71.80000°W / 21.78000; -71.80000. The territory is geographically contiguous to the Bahamas, both comprising the Lucayan Archipelago, but is politically a separate entity. The Caicos Islands are separated by the Caicos Passage from the closest Bahamian islands, Mayaguana and Great Inagua. The nearest foreign landmass from the Turks and Caicos Islands is the Bahamian island of Little Inagua, about 30 miles (48 km) from West Caicos.

The eight main islands and more than 22 smaller islands have a total land area of 616.3 square kilometres (238.0 square miles),[a] consisting primarily of low, flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps and 332 square kilometres (128 sq mi) of beach front. The tallest peaks in the islands are Blue Hills on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos, both at a modest 48 m.[7] The weather is usually sunny (it is generally regarded that the islands receive 350 days of sun each year[36]) and relatively dry, but suffers frequent hurricanes.[7] The islands have limited natural fresh water resources; private cisterns collect rainwater for drinking. The primary natural resources are spiny lobster, conch, and other shellfish. Turks and Caicos contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Bahamian dry forests,[37] Bahamian pineyards, and Bahamian-Antillean mangroves.[38]

The two distinct island groups are separated by the Turks Island Passage.[8]

Turks Islands edit

The Turks Islands are separated from the Caicos Islands by Turks Island Passage, which is more than 2,200 m (7,200 ft) deep.[39] The islands form a chain that stretches north–south. The 2012 census population was 4,939 on the two main islands, the only inhabited islands of the group:

  • Grand Turk (with the capital of the territory, area 17.39 km2 (6.71 sq mi),[11] population 4,831)
  • Salt Cay (area 6.74 km2 (2.60 sq mi),[11] population 108)

Together with nearby islands, all on Turks Bank, those two main islands form the two administrative districts of the territory (out of six in total) that fall within the Turks Islands. Turks Bank, which is smaller than Caicos Bank, has a total area of about 324 km2 (125 sq mi).[40]: 149 

The main uninhabited islands are:

  • Big Sand Cay
  • Cotton Cay
  • East Cay
  • Endymion Rock
  • Gibbs Cay
  • Pear Cay

Mouchoir Bank edit

25 kilometres (16 mi) east of the Turks Islands and separated from them by Mouchoir Passage is the Mouchoir Bank. Although it has no emergent cays or islets, some parts are very shallow and the water breaks on them. Mouchoir Bank is part of the Turks and Caicos Islands and falls within its Exclusive Economic Zone. It measures 958 square kilometres (370 sq mi) in area.[41]: 127  Two banks further east, Silver Bank and Navidad Bank, are geographically a continuation, but belong politically to the Dominican Republic.

Caicos Islands edit

 
Humpback whale breaching off South Caicos

The largest island in the Caicos archipelago is the sparsely-inhabited Middle Caicos, which measures 144 square kilometres (56 sq mi) in area, but has a population of only 168 at the 2012 Census. The most populated island is Providenciales, with 23,769 inhabitants in 2012, and an area of 122 square kilometres (47 sq mi). North Caicos (116 square kilometres (45 sq mi) in area) had 1,312 inhabitants. South Caicos (21 square kilometres (8.1 sq mi) in area) had 1,139 inhabitants, and Parrot Cay (6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) in area) had 131 inhabitants. East Caicos (which is administered as part of South Caicos District) is uninhabited, while the only permanent inhabitants of West Caicos (administered as part of Providenciales District) are resort staff.[42]

The Caicos Islands comprise the following main islands:

Climate edit

The Turks and Caicos Islands feature a tropical savannah climate (AW), with relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year.[7] Summertime temperatures rarely exceed 33 °C (91 °F) and winter nighttime temperatures rarely fall below 18 °C (64 °F). Water temperature in the summer is 82 to 84 degrees (28–29 degrees celsius) and in winter about 74 to 78 degrees (23–26 degrees celsius). A constant trade wind keeps the climate at a very comfortable level.[43]

Biodiversity edit

 
A blue tang and a squirrelfish in Princess Alexandra Land and Sea National Park, Providenciales

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a biodiversity hotspot. The islands have many endemic species and others of international importance, due to the conditions created by the oldest established salt-pan development in the Caribbean. The variety of species includes a number of endemic species of lizards, snakes, insects and plants, and marine organisms; in addition to being an important breeding area for seabirds.[44]

The UK and Turks and Caicos Islands Governments have joint responsibility for the conservation and preservation to meet obligations under international environmental conventions.[45]

Due to this significance, the islands are on the United Kingdom's tentative list for future UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[46]

Politics edit

 
A street in Cockburn Town, the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory.[7] As a British territory, its sovereign is King Charles III of the United Kingdom, represented by a governor appointed by the monarch, on the advice of the Foreign Office.[7] With the election of the territory's first Chief Minister, J. A. G. S. McCartney, the islands first adopted a constitution on 30 August 1976. The national holiday, Constitution Day, is celebrated annually on 30 August.[47]

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. Grand Turk is the administrative and political capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Cockburn Town has been the seat of government since 1766.

The Turks and Caicos Islands participate in the Caribbean Development Bank, is an associate in CARICOM, a member of the Universal Postal Union and maintains an Interpol sub-bureau. The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization includes the territory on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories.

Under the new Constitution that came into effect in October 2012, legislative power is held by a unicameral House of Assembly, consisting of 19 seats, 15 elected and four appointed by the governor; of elected members, five are elected at large and 10 from single-member districts for four-year terms.[7]

In the 2021 elections the Progressive National Party won in a landslide and Washington Misick became Premier.[34]

Administrative divisions edit

The Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into six administrative districts (two in the Turks Islands and four in the Caicos Islands), headed by district commissioners. For the House of Assembly, the Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into 15 electoral districts (four in the Turks Islands and eleven in the Caicos Islands).

Judiciary edit

The judicial branch of government is headed by a Supreme Court; appeals are heard by the Court of Appeal and final appeals by the United Kingdom's Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.[7] There are three justices of the Supreme Court, a Chief Justice and two others. The Court of Appeal consists of a president and at least two justices of appeal.

Magistrates' Courts are the lower courts and appeals from Magistrates' Courts are sent to the Supreme Court.

As of April 2020, the Chief Justice is Justice Mabel Agyemang.[48]

List of chief justices edit

Public safety edit

Policing is primarily the responsibility of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Customs and border enforcement is the responsibility of the Border Force. At times these may be supported by the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.

Military and defence edit

The defence of the Turks and Caicos Islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. The Royal Navy has a ship on permanent station in the Caribbean, HMS Medway, and from time-to-time may send another Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship as a part of the Atlantic Patrol (NORTH) tasking. These ships' main mission in the region is to maintain British sovereignty for the overseas territories, provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief during disasters such as hurricanes, which are common in the area, and to conduct counter-narcotic operations.[7] [49] In the autumn of 2022, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA Tideforce, with a Wildcat helicopter embarked, was deployed to the islands to provide surveillance support to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police which was confronted with rising gang violence in the territory.[50]

Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment edit

Governor Nigel Dakin announced in early December 2019 that the Turks and Caicos will build its own defence regiment, the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, with the assistance of the UK's Ministry of Defence and it is to be similar to the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the Cayman Islands Regiment. The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment, like regiments in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, will focus on increasing the nation's security, and, for times of natural disasters, the Regiment would be trained in engineering and communications. In mid December 2019, a team from the UK's Ministry of Defence was on Turks and Caicos to start on building the Regiment. It is projected that the Turk and Caicos Regiment will go operational sometime within the third quarter of 2020, putting it nearly half a year after the Cayman Regiment.[51]

In spring 2020, a Security and Assistance Team from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence arrived in Turks and Caicos to assist with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, and to help build the new Turks and Caicos Regiment.[52]

In early June 2020, Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant was appointed as the commanding officer of the new Turks and Caicos Regiment.[53]

Demography edit

Population edit

Historical population
YearPop.±%
19115,615—    
19215,522−1.7%
19436,138+11.2%
19605,668−7.7%
19705,558−1.9%
19807,413+33.4%
199011,465+54.7%
200020,014+74.6%
201231,458+57.2%
Sources:[4][54]

Eight of the thirty islands in the territory are inhabited, with a total population estimated from preliminary results of the census of 25 January 2012 (released on 12 August 2012) of 31,458 inhabitants, an increase of 58.2% from the population of 19,886 reported in the 2001 census.[4] July 2021 estimates put the population at 57,196.[7] One-third of the population is under 15 years old, and only 4% are 65 or older. In 2000 the population was growing at a rate of 3.55% per year. 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. The annual population growth rate is 2.82%.

The CIA World Factbook breaks down the islanders' ethnicity as African 87%, European 7.9%, Mixed 2.5.%, East Indian 1.3% and Other 0.7%.[7] There is a small Dominican and Haitian community on the islands.[7][8]

Population by island edit

Island Capital Area (km2) Population[b] Native Taino Name Notes
Caicos Islands
South Caicos Cockburn Harbour 21.2 2,013 Kasiba
West Caicos New Marina 28 10 Makobisa Resort staff only
Providenciales Downtown Providenciales 122 33,253 Yukanaka Yanikana
Pine Cay South Bay Village 3.2 30 Buyana Resort staff only
Parrot Cay Parrot Cay Village 5 90 Half resort staff, half residential
North Caicos Bottle Creek 116.4 2,066 Kaiko
Middle Caicos Conch Bar 136 522 Aniyana
Ambergris Cays Big Ambergris Cay 10.9 50
Other Caicos Islands East Caicos 146.5 0 Wana
Turks Islands
Grand Turk Cockburn Town 17.6 8,051 Amuana
Salt Cay Balfour Town 7.1 315 Kanamani Kanomani
Other Turks Islands Cotton Cay 2.4 0 Makarike
Turks and Caicos Islands Cockburn Town 616.3 49000[7]

Structure of the population edit

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2017): [55]
Age Group Male Female Total %
Total 20 296 19 496 39 792 100
0–4 1 426 1 398 2 824 7.10
5–9 1 270 1 229 2 499 6.28
10–14 1 146 1 157 2 303 5.79
15–19 1 111 1 155 2 266 5.69
20–24 1 306 1 365 2 671 6.71
25–29 1 582 1 650 3 232 8.12
30–34 1 889 1 885 3 774 9.48
35–39 2 248 2 140 4 388 11.03
40–44 2 162 2 010 4 172 10.48
45–49 1 948 1 770 3 718 9.34
50–54 1 553 1 396 2 949 7.41
55–59 1 050 933 1 983 4.98
60–64 730 636 1 366 3.43
65-69 445 375 820 2.06
70-74 258 213 471 1.18
75-79 112 94 206 0.52
80+ 60 90 150 0.38
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 3 842 3 784 7 626 19.16
15–64 15 579 14 940 30 519 76.70
65+ 875 772 1 647 4.14

Language edit

The official language of the islands is English, but the population also speaks Turks and Caicos Islands Creole, which is similar to Bahamian Creole.[56] Due to its proximity to Cuba and Hispaniola, large Haitian Creole and Spanish-speaking communities have developed in the territory due to immigration, both legal and illegal, from Haitian Creole-speaking Haiti and from Spanish-speaking Cuba and Dominican Republic.[57]

 
St. Mary's Cathedral, Grand Turk

Religion edit

86% of the population of Turks and Caicos are Christian (Baptists 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Roman Catholics 11.4%, Anglicans 10%, Methodists 9.3%, Seventh-day Adventists 6%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.8%), with other faiths making up the remaining 14%.[7]

Catholics are served by the Mission Sui Iuris for Turks and Caicos, which was erected in 1984 with territory taken from the then Diocese of Nassau.[58]

Culture edit

 
The Turks and Caicos National Museum on Grand Turk

The Turks and Caicos Islands are perhaps best known musically for ripsaw music, a genre which originated on the islands.[59]: 34  The Turks and Caicos Islands are known for their annual Music and Cultural Festival showcasing many local talents and other dynamic performances by many music celebrities from around the Caribbean and United States.

Women continue traditional crafts of using a straw to make baskets and hats on the larger Caicos islands. It is possible that this continued tradition is related to the liberated Africans who joined the population directly from Africa in the 1830s and 1841 from shipwrecked slavers; they brought cultural craft skills with them.[23]: 216 

The island's most popular sports are fishing, sailing, football (soccer) and cricket (which is the national sport).

Turks and Caicos cuisine is based primarily around seafood, especially conch.[60] Two common local dishes are conch fritters and conch salad.[61]

Citizenship edit

Because the Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory and not an independent country, its nationality laws are partly determined by British nationality law and its history. People with close ties to Britain's Overseas Territories all hold the same nationality: British Overseas Territories citizenship (BOTC), originally defined by the British Nationality Act 1981 as British Dependent Territories citizenship.[62]: 213–214  BOTC, however, does not confer any right to live in any British Overseas Territory, including the territory from which it is derived. Instead, the rights normally associated with citizenship derive from what is called Belonger status and island natives or those descended from natives are said to be Belongers. The Turks and Caicos government amended its immigration law in 2021 in that regard, making the granting of Belonger Status exclusive to "being married for ten years to a Belonger (other than a Belonger by marriage), or by being the dependent child of someone who becomes a Belonger by marriage."[63] It was also made possible "for someone who has invested $500,000 or more in Providenciales or West Caicos, or $250,000 or more in Grand Turk or the family Islands, to obtain a residence permit for up to ten years."[63]

In 2002, the British Overseas Territories Act restored full British citizenship status to all citizens of British Overseas Territories, including the Turks and Caicos.

Education edit

The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services oversees education in Turks and Caicos. Public education is supported by taxation and is mandatory for children aged five to sixteen. Primary education lasts for six years and secondary education lasts for five years.[citation needed] In the 1990s the Primary In-Service Teacher Education Project (PINSTEP) was launched in an effort to increase the skills of its primary school teachers, nearly one-quarter of whom were unqualified.[citation needed] Turks and Caicos also worked to refurbish its primary schools, reduce textbook costs, and increase equipment and supplies given to schools. For example, in September 1993, each primary school was given enough books to allow teachers to establish in-class libraries.[citation needed] In 2001, the student-teacher ratio at the primary level was roughly 15:1.[citation needed]

Public secondary schools include:[64]

International School of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a private school which serves preschool through grade six, is in Leeward, Providenciales. In 2014 it had 106 students. It was known as The Ashcroft School until 2014.[65]

The Turks and Caicos Islands Community College offers free higher education to students who have successfully completed their secondary education. The community college also oversees an adult literacy program. Once a student completes their education at Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, they are allowed to further their education at a university in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom for free. They have to commit to working in the Turks and Caicos Islands for four years to receive this additional education.

Charisma University is a non-profit private university recognised by the Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services [66][67] that offers accredited undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programmes, along with certificate programs in various disciplines taught by over a 100 faculty members.

The public University of the West Indies Open Campus has one site in the territory.[68]

Healthcare edit

The Turks and Caicos established a National Health Insurance Plan in 2010.[69]: 231  Residents contribute to a National Health Insurance Plan through salary deduction and nominal user fees. The majority of care is provided by private-public-partnership hospitals managed by Interhealth Canada, one hospital in Providenciales and one hospital on Grand Turk Island. In addition, there are a number of government clinics and private clinics. The hospitals opened in 2010 and have been accredited by Accreditation Canada since 2012.[70]

Economy edit

 
Cruise terminal at Grand Turk Island

The economy of Turks and Caicos is dominated by tourism, offshore finance and fishing.[7][8] The US dollar is the main currency used on the islands.

Historically the salt industry, along with small sponge and hemp exports, sustained the Turks and Caicos Islands (only barely, however; there was little population growth and the economy stagnated). The economy grew in the 1960s, when American investors arrived on the islands and funded the construction of an airstrip on Providenciales and built the archipelago's first hotel, "The Third Turtle".[citation needed] A small trickle of tourists began to arrive, supplementing the salt-based economy. Club Med set up a resort at Grace Bay soon after.[citation needed] In the 1980s, Club Med funded an upgrading of the airstrip to allow for larger aircraft, and since then, tourism has been gradually on the increase.[8]

In 2009, GDP contributions were as follows:[71] Hotels & Restaurants 34.67%, Financial Services 13.12%, Construction 7.83%, Transport, Storage & Communication 9.90%, and Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities 9.56%.[clarification needed] Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported.[7]

In 2010/2011, major sources of government revenue included Import Duties (43.31%), Stamp Duty on Land Transaction (8.82%), Work Permits and Residency Fees (10.03%) and Accommodation Tax (24.95%). The territory's gross domestic product as of late 2009 is approximately US$795 million (per capita $24,273).[71]

The labour force totalled 27,595 workers in 2008. The labour force distribution in 2006 is as follows:

Skill level Percentage
Unskilled/Manual 53%
Semi-skilled 12%
Skilled 20%
Professional 15%

The unemployment rate in 2008 was 8.3%. In 2007–2008, the territory took in revenues of $206.79 million against expenditures of $235.85 million. In 1995, the island received economic aid worth $5.7 million. The territory's currency is the United States dollar, with a few government fines (such as airport infractions) being payable in pounds sterling. Most commemorative coin issues are denominated in crowns.[72]

The primary agricultural products include limited amounts of maize, beans, cassava (tapioca) and citrus fruits. Fish and conch are the only significant export, with some $169.2 million of lobster, dried and fresh conch, and conch shells exported in 2000, primarily to the United Kingdom and the United States. In recent years, however, the catch has been declining. The territory used to be an important trans-shipment point for South American narcotics destined for the United States, but due to the ongoing pressure of a combined American, Bahamian and Turks and Caicos effort this trade has been greatly reduced.[citation needed]

The islands import food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufacture and construction materials, primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom. Imports totalled $581 million in 2007.

The islands produce and consume 236.5 GWh of electricity, per year, all of which comes from fossil fuels.[73]

Tourism edit

Tourism is one of the largest sources of income for the islands, with most visitors coming from America via ship.[7] Tourist arrivals had risen to 264,887 in 2007 and to 351,498 by 2009. In 2010, a total of 245 cruise ships arrived at the Grand Turk Cruise Terminal, carrying a total of 617,863 visitors.[74]

 
A Turks and Caicos sunset
 
View of the southwestern beach at Grand Turk Island

The government is pursuing a two-pronged strategy to increase tourism. Upmarket resorts are aimed at the wealthy, while a large new cruise-ship port and recreation centre has been built for the masses visiting Grand Turk. Turks and Caicos Islands has one of the longest coral reefs in the world[75][76] and the world's only conch farm.[77]

The French vacation village company of Club Méditerannée (Club Med) has an all-inclusive adult resort called 'Turkoise' on Providenciales.

The islands have become popular with various celebrities. Several Hollywood stars have owned homes in the Turks and Caicos, including Dick Clark[78] and Bruce Willis.[79] Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner married on Parrot Cay in 2005. Actress Eva Longoria and her ex-husband Tony Parker went to the islands for their honeymoon in July 2007. Musician Nile Rodgers has a vacation home on the island.[80]

To boost tourism during the Caribbean low season of late summer, since 2003 the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board have organised and hosted an annual series of concerts during this season called the Turks & Caicos Music and Cultural Festival.[81] Held in a temporary bandshell at The Turtle Cove Marina in The Bight on Providenciales, this festival lasts about a week and has featured several notable international recording artists, such as Lionel Richie, LL Cool J, Anita Baker, Billy Ocean, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Kenny Rogers, Michael Bolton, Ludacris, Chaka Khan, and Boyz II Men.[82] More than 10,000 people attend annually.[82]

Resorts

Transportation edit

Providenciales International Airport is the main entry point for the Turks and Caicos Islands, with JAGS McCartney International Airport serving the capital Cockburn Town on Grand Turk Island. Altogether, there are seven airports, located on each of the inhabited islands. Five have paved runways (three of which are approximately 2,000 m (6,600 ft) long and one is approximately 1,000 m (3,300 ft) long), and the remaining two have unpaved runways (one of which is approximately 1,000 m (3,300 ft) long and the other is significantly shorter).[89][unreliable source?]

The islands have 121 kilometres (75 miles) of highway, 24 km (15 mi) paved and 97 km (60 mi) unpaved. Like the United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands drive on the left.[90]

The territory's main international ports and harbours are on Grand Turk and Providenciales.[91]

The islands have no significant railways. In the early twentieth century East Caicos operated a horse-drawn railway to transport sisal from the plantation to the port. The 14-kilometre (8.7-mile) route was removed after sisal trading ceased.[92]

Spaceflight edit

 
Replica of Friendship 7 at Grand Turk Airport

From 1950 to 1981, the United States had a missile tracking station on Grand Turk. In the early days of the American space program, NASA used it. After his three earth orbits in 1962, American astronaut John Glenn successfully landed in the nearby ocean and was brought back ashore to Grand Turk island.[93][94]

Postal system edit

There is no postal delivery in the Turks and Caicos; mail is picked up at one of four post offices on each of the major islands.[95] Mail is transported three or seven times a week, depending on the destination.[96] The Post Office is part of the territory's government and reports to the Minister of Government Support Services.[97]

Media edit

Mobile phone service is provided by Cable & Wireless Communications, through its Flow brand, using GSM 850 and TDMA, and Digicel, using GSM 900 and 1900 and Islandcom Wireless, using 3G 850. Cable & Wireless provides CDMA mobile phone service in Providenciales and Grand Turk. The system is connected to the mainland by two submarine cables and an Intelsat earth station. There were three AM radio stations (one inactive) and six FM stations (no shortwave) in 1998. The most popular station is Power 92.5 FM which plays Top 100 hits. Over 8000 radio receivers are owned across the territory.

West Indies Video (WIV) has been the sole cable television provider for the Turks and Caicos Islands for over two decades and WIV4 (a subsidiary of WIV) has been the only broadcast station in the islands for over 15 years; broadcasts from the Bahamas can also be received. The territory has two internet service providers and its country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is ".tc". Amateur radio callsigns begin with "VP5" and visiting operators frequently work from the islands.

Turks and Caicos is served by the ARCOS-1[98] submarine cable, connecting the territory to the Dominican Republic to the south, to the Bahamas to the north and onto the USA and countries in Central America.

WIV introduced Channel 4 News in 2002 broadcasting local news and infotainment programs across the country. Channel 4 was re-launched as WIV4 in November 2007.

In 2013 4NEWS became the islands' first high-definition cable news service with television studios in Grace Bay, Providenciales. DigicelPlay is the local cable provider.

Turks and Caicos's newspapers include the Turks and Caicos Weekly News, the Turks and Caicos Sun[99] and the Turks and Caicos Free Press.[100] All three publications are weekly. The Weekly News and the Sun both have supplement magazines. Other local magazines Times of the Islands,[101] s3 Magazine,[102] Real Life Magazine, Baller Magazine, and Unleashed Magazine.

Sports edit

Cricket is the islands' national sport.[103] The national team takes part in regional tournaments in the ICC Americas Championship,[104] as well as having played one Twenty20 match as part of the 2008 Standford 20/20.[105] Two domestic leagues exist, one on Grand Turk with three teams and another on Providenciales.[103]

As of December 2020, the Turks and Caicos Islands' football team is ranked 203rd out of 210 teams in the FIFA World Rankings. Its highest ever ranking was 158th, achieved in 2008.[106]

Because the territory is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee, Turks and Caicos Islanders compete for Great Britain at the Olympic Games.[107]

Notable people edit

Politics edit

  • Nathaniel Francis (1912 – 2004 both in the Turks and Caicos Islands) was a politician who served as the island territory's acting Chief Minister from 28 March 1985 until 25 July 1986, when he was forced to resign after charges of corruption and patronage were levelled against him
  • Clement Howell (1935 in Blue Hills, Providenciales – 1987 near Nassau, Bahamas) was a politician who served on a four-member interim Advisory Council beginning in July 1986
  • James Alexander George Smith McCartney (1945 in Grand Turk – 1980 in New Jersey) also known as "Jags" McCartney was a politician who served as the island territory's first Chief Minister from August 1976 until 9 May 1980, when he died in a plane crash over New Jersey.
  • Ariel Misick (born 1951) is a former minister of development and commerce. He served on a four-member interim Advisory Council from July 1986 to 3 March 1988
  • Michael Misick (born 1966 in Bottle Creek, North Caicos) is the former chief minister from 15 August 2003 to 9 August 2006 and was the first Premier from 9 August 2006 to 23 March 2009. He is on trial for conspiracy to receive bribes, conspiracy to defraud the government and money laundering.
  • Washington Misick (born 1950 in the Turks and Caicos Islands) is a politician who serves as the current Premier and formerly as the Chief Minister from April 1991 to 31 January 1995.
  • Norman B. Saunders (born 1943 in the Turks and Caicos Islands) is a former politician who served as the island territory's Chief Minister until March 1985, when he was arrested in Miami. In July 1985 he was sentenced to eight years in prison on conspiracy charges related to drug smuggling.
  • Oswald Skippings (born 1953 in the Turks and Caicos Islands) is a politician who served as the island territory's Chief Minister from 19 June 1980 to November 1980 and again from 3 March 1988 to April 1991.

Sports edit

  • Trevor Ariza (born 1985 in Miami) is an American professional basketball player. He is of Turks & Caicos Islands and Dominican descent through his parents, Lolita Ariza and Trevor Saunders of Grand Turk
  • Christopher Bryan (born 1960 in the Turks and Caicos Islands) is a former association football player. In 2006 he became the President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association
  • Errion Charles (born 1965 in Saint Vincent) is a sportsman from the Turks and Caicos Islands who has represented his nation at both association football and cricket
  • Billy Forbes (born 1990 in Providenciales) is an association football player who currently plays for Valour FC. He holds the record for the most goals for the national team.
  • Gavin Glinton (born 1979 in Grand Turk) is a footballer who last played for Nam Dinh FC
  • Delano Williams (born 1993 in Grand Turk) is a British sprinter. He trains with the Racers Track Club in Jamaica

Celebrities edit

  • LisaRaye McCoy (born 1967 in Chicago Illinois) is an American actress and former first lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands. McCoy married former chief turned premiere Michael Misick back in April 2006. In 2008 LisaRaye released a statement that she and the premiere were divorcing citing his corruption of governmental funds, infidelity and bribery. The divorce was finalized in 2010. She is also the half-sister of hip-hop rapper Da Brat.

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Alternative sources give different figures for the area of the Islands. The CIA World Factbook gives 430 km2 (170 sq mi),[7] the European Union says 417 km2 (161 sq mi),[10] and the Encyclopædia Britannica says, "Area at high tide, 238 square miles (616 square km); at low tide, 366 square miles (948 square km)".[8] A report by the Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Economic Planning and Statistics gives the same numbers as the Encyclopædia Britannica though its definitions are less clear.[11]
  2. ^ Area and population data retrieved from the 2012 census.

References edit

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Further reading edit

  • Boultbee, Paul G. Turks and Caicos Islands. Oxford: ABC-Clio Press, 1991.
  • Correll, Donovan Stewart and Helen B. Correll. Flora of the Bahama Archipelago (including the Turks and Caicos Islands). Vaduz: J. Cramer, 1982.
  • Keegan, William F. Bahamian Archaeology: Life in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands before Columbus. Nassau: Media Pub., 1997.
  • White, Anthony W. A Birder’s Guide to The Bahama Islands (including the Turks and Caicos Islands). Colorado Springs: American Birding Association, 1998.

External links edit

Government edit

  • Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands – official website
  • FCO – UK and Turks and Caicos Islands

General information edit

  • Visit Turks & Caicos
  • Turks & Caicos National Museum
  • from UCB Libraries GovPubs (archived 7 April 2008)
  • Turks and Caicos Islands at Curlie
  •   Wikimedia Atlas of the Turks and Caicos Islands

turks, caicos, islands, caicos, turks, caicos, redirect, here, ship, caicos, k505, film, turks, caicos, film, song, turks, caicos, song, abbreviated, ɜːr, british, overseas, territory, consisting, larger, caicos, islands, smaller, turks, islands, groups, tropi. Caicos and Turks amp Caicos redirect here For the ship see HMS Caicos K505 For the film see Turks amp Caicos film For the song see Turks amp Caicos song The Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviated TCI 7 t ɜːr k s and ˈ k eɪ k e s k oʊ s k ɒ s are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies 8 They are known primarily for tourism and as an offshore financial centre The resident population in 2023 was estimated by The World Factbook at 59 367 making it the third largest of the British overseas territories by population 7 However according to a Department of Statistics estimate in 2022 the population was 47 720 9 Turks and Caicos IslandsBritish Overseas TerritoryFlagCoat of armsAnthem God Save the King source source track track track track track National song This Land of Ours 1 Location of Turks and Caicos Islands circled in red Sovereign state United KingdomTreaty of Paris3 September 1783Federation3 January 1958Separate colony31 May 1962CapitalGrand Turk Cockburn Town 2 Largest cityProvidencialesOfficial languagesEnglishEthnic groups88 Afro Caribbean8 Euro Caribbean4 Mixed or Indo CaribbeansDemonym s Turks and Caicos IslanderGovernmentDependency under constitutional monarchy MonarchCharles III GovernorDileeni Daniel Selvaratnam Deputy GovernorAnya Williams PremierWashington MisickLegislatureHouse of AssemblyGovernment of the United Kingdom MinisterDavid RutleyArea Total948 km2 366 sq mi Water negligibleHighest elevation48 m 157 ft Population 2020 estimate44 542 3 215th 2012 census31 458 4 Density121 7 5 sq mi 47 0 km2 GDP nominal 2020 estimate TotalUS 924 583 000 6 CurrencyUnited States dollar US USD Time zoneUTC 05 00 EST Summer DST UTC 04 00 EDT Date formatdd mm yyyyDriving sideleftCalling code 1 649UK postcodeTKCA 1ZZISO 3166 codeTCInternet TLD tcWebsitehttps gov tc The islands are southeast of Mayaguana in the Bahamas island chain and north of the island of Hispaniola Haiti and the Dominican Republic Grand Turk Cockburn Town the capital since 1766 is situated on Grand Turk Island 2 about 1 042 kilometres 647 mi east southeast of Miami They have a total land area of 430 square kilometres 170 sq mi a The islands were inhabited for centuries by indigenous peoples The first recorded European sighting of them was in 1512 12 In subsequent centuries they were claimed by several European powers with the British Empire eventually gaining control For many years they were governed indirectly through Bermuda the Bahamas and Jamaica When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973 the islands received their own governor and have remained an autonomous territory since 7 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Pre colonial era 2 2 European arrival 2 3 European settlement 2 4 19th century 2 5 20th and 21st centuries 3 Geography and environment 3 1 Turks Islands 3 2 Mouchoir Bank 3 3 Caicos Islands 3 4 Climate 3 5 Biodiversity 4 Politics 4 1 Administrative divisions 4 2 Judiciary 4 2 1 List of chief justices 4 3 Public safety 4 4 Military and defence 4 4 1 Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment 5 Demography 5 1 Population 5 1 1 Population by island 5 2 Structure of the population 5 3 Language 5 4 Religion 5 5 Culture 5 6 Citizenship 6 Education 7 Healthcare 8 Economy 8 1 Tourism 9 Transportation 9 1 Spaceflight 10 Postal system 11 Media 12 Sports 13 Notable people 13 1 Politics 13 2 Sports 13 3 Celebrities 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 Further reading 18 External links 18 1 Government 18 2 General informationEtymology editThe name Caico s is from the Lucayan caya hico meaning string of islands 13 7 The Turks Islands are named after the Turk s cap cactus Melocactus intortus whose red cephalium resembles the fez hat worn by Turks in the late Ottoman Empire 13 7 History editMain article History of the Turks and Caicos Islands Pre colonial era edit The first inhabitants of the islands were the Arawakan speaking Taino people who most likely crossed over from Hispaniola some time from AD 500 to 800 14 18 Together with Taino who migrated from Cuba to the southern Bahamas around the same time these people developed as the Lucayan 8 15 80 86 Around 1200 the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Tainos from Hispaniola 16 European arrival edit It is unknown precisely who the first European to sight the islands was Some sources state that Christopher Columbus saw the islands on his voyage to the Americas in 1492 8 However other sources state that it is more likely that Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon was the first European in Turks and Caicos in 1512 12 In either case by 1512 the Spanish had begun capturing the Taino and Lucayans as labourers in the encomienda system to replace the largely depleted native population of Hispaniola 17 92 99 18 159 160 191 As a result of this and the introduction of diseases to which the native people had no immunity the southern Bahama Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands were completely depopulated by about 1513 and remained so until the 17th century 19 34 37 20 37 39 21 page range too broad European settlement edit Main article Colony of Jamaica nbsp Raking salt on a 1938 postage stamp of the islands nbsp The 1852 lighthouse on Grand TurkFrom the mid 1600s Bermudian salt collectors began seasonally visiting the islands later settling more permanently with their African slaves 8 22 For several decades around the turn of the 18th century the islands became popular pirate hideouts 22 During the Anglo French War 1778 1783 the French captured the archipelago in 1783 however it was later confirmed as a British colony with the Treaty of Paris 1783 After the American War of Independence 1775 1783 many Loyalists fled to British Caribbean colonies also bringing with them African slaves 8 22 They developed cotton as an important cash crop but it was superseded by the development of the salt industry with the labour done by African slaves forcibly imported from Africa or the other Caribbean islands and their descendants who soon came to outnumber the European settlers 8 In 1799 both the Turks and the Caicos island groups were annexed by Britain as part of the Bahamas 8 The processing of sea salt was developed as a highly important export product from the West Indies and continued to be a major export product into the nineteenth century 19th century edit In 1807 Britain prohibited the slave trade and in 1833 abolished slavery in its colonies 8 British ships sometimes intercepted slave traders in the Caribbean and some ships were wrecked off the coast of these islands In 1837 the Esperanca a Portuguese slaver was wrecked off East Caicos one of the larger islands While the crew and 220 captive Africans survived the shipwreck 18 Africans died before the survivors were taken to Nassau Africans from this ship may have been among the 189 liberated Africans whom the British colonists settled in the Turks and Caicos from 1833 to 1840 23 211 In 1841 the Trouvadore an illegal Spanish slave ship was wrecked off the coast of East Caicos All of the 20 man crew and 192 captive Africans survived the sinking Officials freed the Africans and arranged for 168 persons to be apprenticed to island proprietors on Grand Turk Island for one year They increased the small population of the colony by seven per cent 23 212 The remaining 24 were resettled in Nassau Bahamas The Spanish crew were also taken there to be turned over to the custody of the Cuban consul and taken to Cuba for prosecution 24 An 1878 letter documents the Trouvadore Africans and their descendants as constituting an essential part of the labouring population on the islands 23 210 In 2004 marine archaeologists affiliated with the Turks and Caicos National Museum discovered a wreck called the Black Rock Ship that subsequent research has suggested may be that of the Trouvadore In November 2008 a cooperative marine archaeology expedition funded by the United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed that the wreck has artifacts whose style and date of manufacture link them to the Trouvadore 23 24 25 In 1848 Britain designated the Turks and Caicos as a separate colony under a council president 8 In 1873 4 the islands were made part of the Jamaica colony 8 in 1894 the chief colonial official was restyled commissioner In 1917 Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden suggested that the Turks and Caicos join Canada but this suggestion was rejected by British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the islands remained a dependency of Jamaica 26 20th and 21st centuries edit Main articles West Indies Federation British Overseas Territories and Lucayan Archipelago On 4 July 1959 the islands were again designated as a separate colony the last commissioner being restyled administrator The governor of Jamaica also continued as the governor of the islands When Jamaica was granted independence from Britain in August 1962 the Turks and Caicos Islands became a Crown colony 8 Beginning in 1965 the governor of the Bahamas was also governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands and oversaw affairs for the islands 7 nbsp Sharlene Cartwright Robinson the first female Premier of Turks and Caicos served from 2016 to 2021 When the Bahamas gained independence in 1973 the Turks and Caicos received their own governor the last administrator was restyled 8 In 1974 Canadian New Democratic Party MP Max Saltsman tried to use his private member s bill C 249 An Act Respecting a Proposed Association Between Canada and the Caribbean Turks and Caicos Islands that proposed that Canada form an association with the Turks and Caicos Islands however it was never submitted to a vote 27 Since August 1976 the islands have had their own government headed by a chief minister now premier the first of whom was J A G S McCartney Moves towards independence in the early 1980s were stalled by the election of an anti independence party in 1980 and since then the islands have remained British territory 8 Local government was suspended from 1986 to 1988 following allegation of government involvement with drug trafficking which resulted in the arrest of Chief Minister Norman Saunders 8 28 495 6 In 2002 the islands were re designated a British Overseas Territory with islanders gaining full British citizenship 8 A new constitution was promulgated in 2006 however in 2009 Premier Michael Misick of the Progressive National Party PNP resigned in the face of corruption charges and the United Kingdom took over direct control of the government 29 8 During this period of direct British rule in 2010 the leaders of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands discussed the possibility of forming a federation 30 A new constitution was promulgated in October 2012 and the government was returned to full local administration after the November 2012 elections 8 31 56 Rufus Ewing of the PNP was elected as the new restored premier 32 33 In the 2016 elections the PNP lost for the first time since they replaced Derek Hugh Taylor s government in 2003 The People s Democratic Movement PDM came to power with Sharlene Cartwright Robinson as Premier 34 8 She was replaced by Washington Misick after the PNP returned to power after winning the 2021 general elections 35 Geography and environment edit nbsp A map of the Turks and Caicos IslandsThe two island groups are in the North Atlantic Ocean about 160 kilometres 99 mi north of Hispaniola and about 1 000 kilometres 620 mi from Miami in the United States at 21 46 48 N 71 48 00 W 21 78000 N 71 80000 W 21 78000 71 80000 The territory is geographically contiguous to the Bahamas both comprising the Lucayan Archipelago but is politically a separate entity The Caicos Islands are separated by the Caicos Passage from the closest Bahamian islands Mayaguana and Great Inagua The nearest foreign landmass from the Turks and Caicos Islands is the Bahamian island of Little Inagua about 30 miles 48 km from West Caicos The eight main islands and more than 22 smaller islands have a total land area of 616 3 square kilometres 238 0 square miles a consisting primarily of low flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps and 332 square kilometres 128 sq mi of beach front The tallest peaks in the islands are Blue Hills on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos both at a modest 48 m 7 The weather is usually sunny it is generally regarded that the islands receive 350 days of sun each year 36 and relatively dry but suffers frequent hurricanes 7 The islands have limited natural fresh water resources private cisterns collect rainwater for drinking The primary natural resources are spiny lobster conch and other shellfish Turks and Caicos contains three terrestrial ecoregions Bahamian dry forests 37 Bahamian pineyards and Bahamian Antillean mangroves 38 The two distinct island groups are separated by the Turks Island Passage 8 Turks Islands edit The Turks Islands are separated from the Caicos Islands by Turks Island Passage which is more than 2 200 m 7 200 ft deep 39 The islands form a chain that stretches north south The 2012 census population was 4 939 on the two main islands the only inhabited islands of the group Grand Turk with the capital of the territory area 17 39 km2 6 71 sq mi 11 population 4 831 Salt Cay area 6 74 km2 2 60 sq mi 11 population 108 Together with nearby islands all on Turks Bank those two main islands form the two administrative districts of the territory out of six in total that fall within the Turks Islands Turks Bank which is smaller than Caicos Bank has a total area of about 324 km2 125 sq mi 40 149 The main uninhabited islands are Big Sand Cay Cotton Cay East Cay Endymion Rock Gibbs Cay Pear CayMouchoir Bank edit 25 kilometres 16 mi east of the Turks Islands and separated from them by Mouchoir Passage is the Mouchoir Bank Although it has no emergent cays or islets some parts are very shallow and the water breaks on them Mouchoir Bank is part of the Turks and Caicos Islands and falls within its Exclusive Economic Zone It measures 958 square kilometres 370 sq mi in area 41 127 Two banks further east Silver Bank and Navidad Bank are geographically a continuation but belong politically to the Dominican Republic Caicos Islands edit nbsp Humpback whale breaching off South CaicosThe largest island in the Caicos archipelago is the sparsely inhabited Middle Caicos which measures 144 square kilometres 56 sq mi in area but has a population of only 168 at the 2012 Census The most populated island is Providenciales with 23 769 inhabitants in 2012 and an area of 122 square kilometres 47 sq mi North Caicos 116 square kilometres 45 sq mi in area had 1 312 inhabitants South Caicos 21 square kilometres 8 1 sq mi in area had 1 139 inhabitants and Parrot Cay 6 square kilometres 2 3 sq mi in area had 131 inhabitants East Caicos which is administered as part of South Caicos District is uninhabited while the only permanent inhabitants of West Caicos administered as part of Providenciales District are resort staff 42 The Caicos Islands comprise the following main islands Ambergris Cays Big Ambergris Cay Little Ambergris Cay Bay Cay Bush Cay Dellis Cay Donna Cay Dove Cay East Bay Cay East Caicos Fish Cays Five Cays Five Little Cays Fort George Cay French Cay Little Water Cay Long Cay Mangrove Cay Middle Caicos Middleton Cay North Caicos Parrot Cay Pine Cay Plandon Cay Providenciales Seal Cays Six Hill Cays South Caicos Stubbs Cay Water Cay West Caicos West Sand Spit Climate edit The Turks and Caicos Islands feature a tropical savannah climate AW with relatively consistent temperatures throughout the course of the year 7 Summertime temperatures rarely exceed 33 C 91 F and winter nighttime temperatures rarely fall below 18 C 64 F Water temperature in the summer is 82 to 84 degrees 28 29 degrees celsius and in winter about 74 to 78 degrees 23 26 degrees celsius A constant trade wind keeps the climate at a very comfortable level 43 Biodiversity edit nbsp A blue tang and a squirrelfish in Princess Alexandra Land and Sea National Park ProvidencialesThe Turks and Caicos Islands are a biodiversity hotspot The islands have many endemic species and others of international importance due to the conditions created by the oldest established salt pan development in the Caribbean The variety of species includes a number of endemic species of lizards snakes insects and plants and marine organisms in addition to being an important breeding area for seabirds 44 The UK and Turks and Caicos Islands Governments have joint responsibility for the conservation and preservation to meet obligations under international environmental conventions 45 Due to this significance the islands are on the United Kingdom s tentative list for future UNESCO World Heritage Sites 46 Politics editMain article Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands nbsp A street in Cockburn Town the capital of the Turks and Caicos IslandsThe Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory 7 As a British territory its sovereign is King Charles III of the United Kingdom represented by a governor appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Foreign Office 7 With the election of the territory s first Chief Minister J A G S McCartney the islands first adopted a constitution on 30 August 1976 The national holiday Constitution Day is celebrated annually on 30 August 47 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 Grand Turk is the administrative and political capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Cockburn Town has been the seat of government since 1766 The Turks and Caicos Islands participate in the Caribbean Development Bank is an associate in CARICOM a member of the Universal Postal Union and maintains an Interpol sub bureau The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization includes the territory on the United Nations list of non self governing territories Under the new Constitution that came into effect in October 2012 legislative power is held by a unicameral House of Assembly consisting of 19 seats 15 elected and four appointed by the governor of elected members five are elected at large and 10 from single member districts for four year terms 7 In the 2021 elections the Progressive National Party won in a landslide and Washington Misick became Premier 34 Administrative divisions edit Main article Districts of the Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into six administrative districts two in the Turks Islands and four in the Caicos Islands headed by district commissioners For the House of Assembly the Turks and Caicos Islands are divided into 15 electoral districts four in the Turks Islands and eleven in the Caicos Islands Judiciary edit The judicial branch of government is headed by a Supreme Court appeals are heard by the Court of Appeal and final appeals by the United Kingdom s Judicial Committee of the Privy Council 7 There are three justices of the Supreme Court a Chief Justice and two others The Court of Appeal consists of a president and at least two justices of appeal Magistrates Courts are the lower courts and appeals from Magistrates Courts are sent to the Supreme Court As of April 2020 the Chief Justice is Justice Mabel Agyemang 48 List of chief justices edit Main page Category Chief justices of the Turks and Caicos Islands 1985 1987 John Charles Rowell Fieldsend 1987 1990 Frederick Smith 1998 2004 Richard William Ground 2004 2007 Christopher James Ellis Gardner 2008 2012 Frederick Gordon Roy Ward 2014 2020 Margaret Ramsay Hale 2020 Mabel Maame AgyemangPublic safety edit Policing is primarily the responsibility of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force Customs and border enforcement is the responsibility of the Border Force At times these may be supported by the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment Military and defence edit This section appears to be slanted towards recent events Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non recent events November 2022 The defence of the Turks and Caicos Islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom The Royal Navy has a ship on permanent station in the Caribbean HMS Medway and from time to time may send another Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship as a part of the Atlantic Patrol NORTH tasking These ships main mission in the region is to maintain British sovereignty for the overseas territories provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief during disasters such as hurricanes which are common in the area and to conduct counter narcotic operations 7 49 In the autumn of 2022 the Royal Fleet Auxiliary RFA Tideforce with a Wildcat helicopter embarked was deployed to the islands to provide surveillance support to the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police which was confronted with rising gang violence in the territory 50 Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment edit Main article Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment Governor Nigel Dakin announced in early December 2019 that the Turks and Caicos will build its own defence regiment the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment with the assistance of the UK s Ministry of Defence and it is to be similar to the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the Cayman Islands Regiment The Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment like regiments in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands will focus on increasing the nation s security and for times of natural disasters the Regiment would be trained in engineering and communications In mid December 2019 a team from the UK s Ministry of Defence was on Turks and Caicos to start on building the Regiment It is projected that the Turk and Caicos Regiment will go operational sometime within the third quarter of 2020 putting it nearly half a year after the Cayman Regiment 51 In spring 2020 a Security and Assistance Team from the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence arrived in Turks and Caicos to assist with the COVID 19 pandemic the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season and to help build the new Turks and Caicos Regiment 52 In early June 2020 Lieutenant Colonel Ennis Grant was appointed as the commanding officer of the new Turks and Caicos Regiment 53 Demography editPopulation edit Historical populationYearPop 19115 615 19215 522 1 7 19436 138 11 2 19605 668 7 7 19705 558 1 9 19807 413 33 4 199011 465 54 7 200020 014 74 6 201231 458 57 2 Sources 4 54 Eight of the thirty islands in the territory are inhabited with a total population estimated from preliminary results of the census of 25 January 2012 released on 12 August 2012 of 31 458 inhabitants an increase of 58 2 from the population of 19 886 reported in the 2001 census 4 July 2021 estimates put the population at 57 196 7 One third of the population is under 15 years old and only 4 are 65 or older In 2000 the population was growing at a rate of 3 55 per year 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 The annual population growth rate is 2 82 The CIA World Factbook breaks down the islanders ethnicity as African 87 European 7 9 Mixed 2 5 East Indian 1 3 and Other 0 7 7 There is a small Dominican and Haitian community on the islands 7 8 Population by island edit Island Capital Area km2 Population b Native Taino Name NotesCaicos IslandsSouth Caicos Cockburn Harbour 21 2 2 013 KasibaWest Caicos New Marina 28 10 Makobisa Resort staff onlyProvidenciales Downtown Providenciales 122 33 253 Yukanaka YanikanaPine Cay South Bay Village 3 2 30 Buyana Resort staff onlyParrot Cay Parrot Cay Village 5 90 Half resort staff half residentialNorth Caicos Bottle Creek 116 4 2 066 KaikoMiddle Caicos Conch Bar 136 522 AniyanaAmbergris Cays Big Ambergris Cay 10 9 50Other Caicos Islands East Caicos 146 5 0 WanaTurks IslandsGrand Turk Cockburn Town 17 6 8 051 AmuanaSalt Cay Balfour Town 7 1 315 Kanamani KanomaniOther Turks Islands Cotton Cay 2 4 0 MakarikeTurks and Caicos Islands Cockburn Town 616 3 49000 7 Structure of the population edit Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group 01 VII 2017 55 Age Group Male Female Total Total 20 296 19 496 39 792 1000 4 1 426 1 398 2 824 7 105 9 1 270 1 229 2 499 6 2810 14 1 146 1 157 2 303 5 7915 19 1 111 1 155 2 266 5 6920 24 1 306 1 365 2 671 6 7125 29 1 582 1 650 3 232 8 1230 34 1 889 1 885 3 774 9 4835 39 2 248 2 140 4 388 11 0340 44 2 162 2 010 4 172 10 4845 49 1 948 1 770 3 718 9 3450 54 1 553 1 396 2 949 7 4155 59 1 050 933 1 983 4 9860 64 730 636 1 366 3 4365 69 445 375 820 2 0670 74 258 213 471 1 1875 79 112 94 206 0 5280 60 90 150 0 38Age group Male Female Total Percent0 14 3 842 3 784 7 626 19 1615 64 15 579 14 940 30 519 76 7065 875 772 1 647 4 14 Language edit The official language of the islands is English but the population also speaks Turks and Caicos Islands Creole which is similar to Bahamian Creole 56 Due to its proximity to Cuba and Hispaniola large Haitian Creole and Spanish speaking communities have developed in the territory due to immigration both legal and illegal from Haitian Creole speaking Haiti and from Spanish speaking Cuba and Dominican Republic 57 nbsp St Mary s Cathedral Grand TurkReligion edit Main article Religion in the Turks and Caicos Islands 86 of the population of Turks and Caicos are Christian Baptists 35 8 Church of God 11 7 Roman Catholics 11 4 Anglicans 10 Methodists 9 3 Seventh day Adventists 6 Jehovah s Witnesses 1 8 with other faiths making up the remaining 14 7 Catholics are served by the Mission Sui Iuris for Turks and Caicos which was erected in 1984 with territory taken from the then Diocese of Nassau 58 Culture edit See also Music of the Turks and Caicos Islands nbsp The Turks and Caicos National Museum on Grand TurkThe Turks and Caicos Islands are perhaps best known musically for ripsaw music a genre which originated on the islands 59 34 The Turks and Caicos Islands are known for their annual Music and Cultural Festival showcasing many local talents and other dynamic performances by many music celebrities from around the Caribbean and United States Women continue traditional crafts of using a straw to make baskets and hats on the larger Caicos islands It is possible that this continued tradition is related to the liberated Africans who joined the population directly from Africa in the 1830s and 1841 from shipwrecked slavers they brought cultural craft skills with them 23 216 The island s most popular sports are fishing sailing football soccer and cricket which is the national sport Turks and Caicos cuisine is based primarily around seafood especially conch 60 Two common local dishes are conch fritters and conch salad 61 Citizenship edit See also British Overseas Territories citizen Access to British citizenship Because the Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory and not an independent country its nationality laws are partly determined by British nationality law and its history People with close ties to Britain s Overseas Territories all hold the same nationality British Overseas Territories citizenship BOTC originally defined by the British Nationality Act 1981 as British Dependent Territories citizenship 62 213 214 BOTC however does not confer any right to live in any British Overseas Territory including the territory from which it is derived Instead the rights normally associated with citizenship derive from what is called Belonger status and island natives or those descended from natives are said to be Belongers The Turks and Caicos government amended its immigration law in 2021 in that regard making the granting of Belonger Status exclusive to being married for ten years to a Belonger other than a Belonger by marriage or by being the dependent child of someone who becomes a Belonger by marriage 63 It was also made possible for someone who has invested 500 000 or more in Providenciales or West Caicos or 250 000 or more in Grand Turk or the family Islands to obtain a residence permit for up to ten years 63 In 2002 the British Overseas Territories Act restored full British citizenship status to all citizens of British Overseas Territories including the Turks and Caicos Education editThe Ministry of Education Youth Sports and Library Services oversees education in Turks and Caicos Public education is supported by taxation and is mandatory for children aged five to sixteen Primary education lasts for six years and secondary education lasts for five years citation needed In the 1990s the Primary In Service Teacher Education Project PINSTEP was launched in an effort to increase the skills of its primary school teachers nearly one quarter of whom were unqualified citation needed Turks and Caicos also worked to refurbish its primary schools reduce textbook costs and increase equipment and supplies given to schools For example in September 1993 each primary school was given enough books to allow teachers to establish in class libraries citation needed In 2001 the student teacher ratio at the primary level was roughly 15 1 citation needed Public secondary schools include 64 HJ Robinson High School Grand Turk Clement Howell High School Providenciales Long Bay High School Providenciales Raymond Gardiner High School North Caicos Marjorie Basden High School South Caicos International School of the Turks and Caicos Islands a private school which serves preschool through grade six is in Leeward Providenciales In 2014 it had 106 students It was known as The Ashcroft School until 2014 65 The Turks and Caicos Islands Community College offers free higher education to students who have successfully completed their secondary education The community college also oversees an adult literacy program Once a student completes their education at Turks and Caicos Islands Community College they are allowed to further their education at a university in the United States Canada or the United Kingdom for free They have to commit to working in the Turks and Caicos Islands for four years to receive this additional education Charisma University is a non profit private university recognised by the Turks and Caicos Islands Ministry of Education Youth Sports and Library Services 66 67 that offers accredited undergraduate graduate and post graduate degree programmes along with certificate programs in various disciplines taught by over a 100 faculty members The public University of the West Indies Open Campus has one site in the territory 68 Healthcare editThe Turks and Caicos established a National Health Insurance Plan in 2010 69 231 Residents contribute to a National Health Insurance Plan through salary deduction and nominal user fees The majority of care is provided by private public partnership hospitals managed by Interhealth Canada one hospital in Providenciales and one hospital on Grand Turk Island In addition there are a number of government clinics and private clinics The hospitals opened in 2010 and have been accredited by Accreditation Canada since 2012 70 Economy edit nbsp Cruise terminal at Grand Turk IslandThe economy of Turks and Caicos is dominated by tourism offshore finance and fishing 7 8 The US dollar is the main currency used on the islands Historically the salt industry along with small sponge and hemp exports sustained the Turks and Caicos Islands only barely however there was little population growth and the economy stagnated The economy grew in the 1960s when American investors arrived on the islands and funded the construction of an airstrip on Providenciales and built the archipelago s first hotel The Third Turtle citation needed A small trickle of tourists began to arrive supplementing the salt based economy Club Med set up a resort at Grace Bay soon after citation needed In the 1980s Club Med funded an upgrading of the airstrip to allow for larger aircraft and since then tourism has been gradually on the increase 8 In 2009 GDP contributions were as follows 71 Hotels amp Restaurants 34 67 Financial Services 13 12 Construction 7 83 Transport Storage amp Communication 9 90 and Real Estate Renting amp Business Activities 9 56 clarification needed Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported 7 In 2010 2011 major sources of government revenue included Import Duties 43 31 Stamp Duty on Land Transaction 8 82 Work Permits and Residency Fees 10 03 and Accommodation Tax 24 95 The territory s gross domestic product as of late 2009 is approximately US 795 million per capita 24 273 71 The labour force totalled 27 595 workers in 2008 The labour force distribution in 2006 is as follows Skill level PercentageUnskilled Manual 53 Semi skilled 12 Skilled 20 Professional 15 The unemployment rate in 2008 was 8 3 In 2007 2008 the territory took in revenues of 206 79 million against expenditures of 235 85 million In 1995 the island received economic aid worth 5 7 million The territory s currency is the United States dollar with a few government fines such as airport infractions being payable in pounds sterling Most commemorative coin issues are denominated in crowns 72 The primary agricultural products include limited amounts of maize beans cassava tapioca and citrus fruits Fish and conch are the only significant export with some 169 2 million of lobster dried and fresh conch and conch shells exported in 2000 primarily to the United Kingdom and the United States In recent years however the catch has been declining The territory used to be an important trans shipment point for South American narcotics destined for the United States but due to the ongoing pressure of a combined American Bahamian and Turks and Caicos effort this trade has been greatly reduced citation needed The islands import food and beverages tobacco clothing manufacture and construction materials primarily from the United States and the United Kingdom Imports totalled 581 million in 2007 The islands produce and consume 236 5 GWh of electricity per year all of which comes from fossil fuels 73 Tourism edit Main article Tourism in the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism is one of the largest sources of income for the islands with most visitors coming from America via ship 7 Tourist arrivals had risen to 264 887 in 2007 and to 351 498 by 2009 In 2010 a total of 245 cruise ships arrived at the Grand Turk Cruise Terminal carrying a total of 617 863 visitors 74 nbsp A Turks and Caicos sunset nbsp View of the southwestern beach at Grand Turk IslandThe government is pursuing a two pronged strategy to increase tourism Upmarket resorts are aimed at the wealthy while a large new cruise ship port and recreation centre has been built for the masses visiting Grand Turk Turks and Caicos Islands has one of the longest coral reefs in the world 75 76 and the world s only conch farm 77 The French vacation village company of Club Mediterannee Club Med has an all inclusive adult resort called Turkoise on Providenciales The islands have become popular with various celebrities Several Hollywood stars have owned homes in the Turks and Caicos including Dick Clark 78 and Bruce Willis 79 Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner married on Parrot Cay in 2005 Actress Eva Longoria and her ex husband Tony Parker went to the islands for their honeymoon in July 2007 Musician Nile Rodgers has a vacation home on the island 80 To boost tourism during the Caribbean low season of late summer since 2003 the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board have organised and hosted an annual series of concerts during this season called the Turks amp Caicos Music and Cultural Festival 81 Held in a temporary bandshell at The Turtle Cove Marina in The Bight on Providenciales this festival lasts about a week and has featured several notable international recording artists such as Lionel Richie LL Cool J Anita Baker Billy Ocean Alicia Keys John Legend Kenny Rogers Michael Bolton Ludacris Chaka Khan and Boyz II Men 82 More than 10 000 people attend annually 82 ResortsGrace Bay Club 83 The Somerset on Grace Bay 84 Beaches Resorts Turks amp Caicos 85 Seven Stars Resort 86 Alexandra Resort 87 West Bay Club 88 Transportation editProvidenciales International Airport is the main entry point for the Turks and Caicos Islands with JAGS McCartney International Airport serving the capital Cockburn Town on Grand Turk Island Altogether there are seven airports located on each of the inhabited islands Five have paved runways three of which are approximately 2 000 m 6 600 ft long and one is approximately 1 000 m 3 300 ft long and the remaining two have unpaved runways one of which is approximately 1 000 m 3 300 ft long and the other is significantly shorter 89 unreliable source The islands have 121 kilometres 75 miles of highway 24 km 15 mi paved and 97 km 60 mi unpaved Like the United States Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands the Turks and Caicos Islands drive on the left 90 The territory s main international ports and harbours are on Grand Turk and Providenciales 91 The islands have no significant railways In the early twentieth century East Caicos operated a horse drawn railway to transport sisal from the plantation to the port The 14 kilometre 8 7 mile route was removed after sisal trading ceased 92 Spaceflight edit nbsp Replica of Friendship 7 at Grand Turk AirportFrom 1950 to 1981 the United States had a missile tracking station on Grand Turk In the early days of the American space program NASA used it After his three earth orbits in 1962 American astronaut John Glenn successfully landed in the nearby ocean and was brought back ashore to Grand Turk island 93 94 Postal system editThere is no postal delivery in the Turks and Caicos mail is picked up at one of four post offices on each of the major islands 95 Mail is transported three or seven times a week depending on the destination 96 The Post Office is part of the territory s government and reports to the Minister of Government Support Services 97 Media editMobile phone service is provided by Cable amp Wireless Communications through its Flow brand using GSM 850 and TDMA and Digicel using GSM 900 and 1900 and Islandcom Wireless using 3G 850 Cable amp Wireless provides CDMA mobile phone service in Providenciales and Grand Turk The system is connected to the mainland by two submarine cables and an Intelsat earth station There were three AM radio stations one inactive and six FM stations no shortwave in 1998 The most popular station is Power 92 5 FM which plays Top 100 hits Over 8000 radio receivers are owned across the territory West Indies Video WIV has been the sole cable television provider for the Turks and Caicos Islands for over two decades and WIV4 a subsidiary of WIV has been the only broadcast station in the islands for over 15 years broadcasts from the Bahamas can also be received The territory has two internet service providers and its country code top level domain ccTLD is tc Amateur radio callsigns begin with VP5 and visiting operators frequently work from the islands Turks and Caicos is served by the ARCOS 1 98 submarine cable connecting the territory to the Dominican Republic to the south to the Bahamas to the north and onto the USA and countries in Central America WIV introduced Channel 4 News in 2002 broadcasting local news and infotainment programs across the country Channel 4 was re launched as WIV4 in November 2007 In 2013 4NEWS became the islands first high definition cable news service with television studios in Grace Bay Providenciales DigicelPlay is the local cable provider Turks and Caicos s newspapers include the Turks and Caicos Weekly News the Turks and Caicos Sun 99 and the Turks and Caicos Free Press 100 All three publications are weekly The Weekly News and the Sun both have supplement magazines Other local magazines Times of the Islands 101 s3 Magazine 102 Real Life Magazine Baller Magazine and Unleashed Magazine Sports editCricket is the islands national sport 103 The national team takes part in regional tournaments in the ICC Americas Championship 104 as well as having played one Twenty20 match as part of the 2008 Standford 20 20 105 Two domestic leagues exist one on Grand Turk with three teams and another on Providenciales 103 As of December 2020 the Turks and Caicos Islands football team is ranked 203rd out of 210 teams in the FIFA World Rankings Its highest ever ranking was 158th achieved in 2008 106 Because the territory is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee Turks and Caicos Islanders compete for Great Britain at the Olympic Games 107 Notable people editPolitics edit Nathaniel Francis 1912 2004 both in the Turks and Caicos Islands was a politician who served as the island territory s acting Chief Minister from 28 March 1985 until 25 July 1986 when he was forced to resign after charges of corruption and patronage were levelled against him Clement Howell 1935 in Blue Hills Providenciales 1987 near Nassau Bahamas was a politician who served on a four member interim Advisory Council beginning in July 1986 James Alexander George Smith McCartney 1945 in Grand Turk 1980 in New Jersey also known as Jags McCartney was a politician who served as the island territory s first Chief Minister from August 1976 until 9 May 1980 when he died in a plane crash over New Jersey Ariel Misick born 1951 is a former minister of development and commerce He served on a four member interim Advisory Council from July 1986 to 3 March 1988 Michael Misick born 1966 in Bottle Creek North Caicos is the former chief minister from 15 August 2003 to 9 August 2006 and was the first Premier from 9 August 2006 to 23 March 2009 He is on trial for conspiracy to receive bribes conspiracy to defraud the government and money laundering Washington Misick born 1950 in the Turks and Caicos Islands is a politician who serves as the current Premier and formerly as the Chief Minister from April 1991 to 31 January 1995 Norman B Saunders born 1943 in the Turks and Caicos Islands is a former politician who served as the island territory s Chief Minister until March 1985 when he was arrested in Miami In July 1985 he was sentenced to eight years in prison on conspiracy charges related to drug smuggling Oswald Skippings born 1953 in the Turks and Caicos Islands is a politician who served as the island territory s Chief Minister from 19 June 1980 to November 1980 and again from 3 March 1988 to April 1991 Sports edit Trevor Ariza born 1985 in Miami is an American professional basketball player He is of Turks amp Caicos Islands and Dominican descent through his parents Lolita Ariza and Trevor Saunders of Grand Turk Christopher Bryan born 1960 in the Turks and Caicos Islands is a former association football player In 2006 he became the President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association Errion Charles born 1965 in Saint Vincent is a sportsman from the Turks and Caicos Islands who has represented his nation at both association football and cricket Billy Forbes born 1990 in Providenciales is an association football player who currently plays for Valour FC He holds the record for the most goals for the national team Gavin Glinton born 1979 in Grand Turk is a footballer who last played for Nam Dinh FC Delano Williams born 1993 in Grand Turk is a British sprinter He trains with the Racers Track Club in JamaicaCelebrities edit LisaRaye McCoy born 1967 in Chicago Illinois is an American actress and former first lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands McCoy married former chief turned premiere Michael Misick back in April 2006 In 2008 LisaRaye released a statement that she and the premiere were divorcing citing his corruption of governmental funds infidelity and bribery The divorce was finalized in 2010 She is also the half sister of hip hop rapper Da Brat See also edit nbsp Caribbean portal nbsp United Kingdom portalIndex of Turks and Caicos Islands related articles Outline of the Turks and Caicos IslandsNotes edit a b Alternative sources give different figures for the area of the Islands The CIA World Factbook gives 430 km2 170 sq mi 7 the European Union says 417 km2 161 sq mi 10 and the Encyclopaedia Britannica says Area at high tide 238 square miles 616 square km at low tide 366 square miles 948 square km 8 A report by the Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Economic Planning and Statistics gives the same numbers as the Encyclopaedia Britannica though its definitions are less clear 11 Area and population data retrieved from the 2012 census References edit Turks and Caicos Islands nationalanthems info May 2013 Archived from the original on 17 March 2017 Retrieved 22 March 2017 a b United Kingdom Overseas Territories Toponymic Information PDF Archived PDF from the original on 11 May 2022 Retrieved 12 April 2022 Statistics Department Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands www gov tc Archived from the original on 27 February 2019 Retrieved 5 March 2022 a b c Year Book of Statistics 2001 2017 Department of Statistics www gov tc Turks amp Caicos Islands Government 2018 p 140 Archived from the original on 6 March 2022 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Vital Statistics Report 2020 Department of Statistics www gov tc Turks amp Caicos Islands Government 2021 p 20 Archived from the original on 6 March 2022 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Turks and Caicos Islands Data World Bank Open Data Archived from the original on 10 August 2021 Retrieved 10 August 2021 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Turks and Caicos Islands The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency Archived from the original on 13 January 2021 Retrieved 5 November 2023 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Ferguson James A Bounds John H Turks and Caicos Islands Encyclopaedia Britannica Archived from the original on 11 October 2008 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Population of the Turks and Caicos Visit Turks and Caicos Islands Retrieved 23 October 2023 EU Relations with Turks and Caicos Islands Archived from the original on 28 September 2008 Retrieved 11 December 2008 a b c Physical Characteristics PDF Department of Statistics Turks amp Caicos Islands Government 25 July 2011 Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 Retrieved 22 March 2017 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link a b Turks and Caicos Islands World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples Minority Rights Group International 2007 Archived from the original on 10 February 2018 via Refworld a b About Turks and Caicos Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Tourist Board Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 Retrieved 4 March 2022 Craton Michael Saunders Gail 1999 1992 Islanders in the Stream A History of the Bahamian People Vol 1 Paperback ed Athens University of Georgia Press ISBN 9780820342733 Archived from the original on 15 January 2023 Retrieved 5 March 2022 via Google Books Granberry Julian Vescelius Gary S 1992 Languages of the Pre Columbian Antilles Tuscaloosa University of Alabama Press ISBN 9780817351236 via Google Books Granberry Julian Vescelius Gary S 2004 Languages of the Pre Columbian Antilles The University of Alabama Press pp 80 86 ISBN 0 8173 5123 X Stone Erin Woodruff May 2014 Indian Harvest The Rise of the Indigenous Slave Trade and Diaspora from Espanola to the Circum Caribbean 1492 1542 PhD Vanderbilt University hdl 1803 10737 OCLC 873593348 Archived from the original on 15 January 2023 Retrieved 4 March 2022 Sauer Carl Ortwin 1966 The Early Spanish Main Berkeley amp Los Angeles University of California Press LCCN 66015004 OCLC 485687 Retrieved 5 March 2022 via the Internet Archive Albury Paul 1975 The Story of the Bahamas Macmillan Caribbean ISBN 9780333171318 Retrieved 5 March 2022 via the Internet Archive Craton Michael 1986 A History of the Bahamas 3rd ed Waterloo ON San Salvador Press ISBN 9780969256809 Retrieved 5 March 2022 via the Internet Archive William F Keegan 1992 The People Who Discovered Columbus The Prehistory of the Bahamas University Press of Florida ISBN 0 8130 1137 X pp 25 48 62 86 170 173 212 213 220 223 a b c Turks amp Caicos History Timeline Turks and Caicos Museum Archived from the original on 11 December 2021 Retrieved 20 July 2019 a b c d e Sadler Nigel 2008 The Sinking of the Slave Ship Trouvadore Linking the Past to the Present In Leshikar Denton Margaret E Erreguerena Pilar Luna eds Underwater and Maritime Archaeology in Latin America and the Caribbean One World Archaeology Vol 56 Walnut Creek CA Left Coast Press pp 209 220 ISBN 9781598742626 a b Sutton Jane 25 November 2008 Trott Bill ed Shipwreck may hold key to Turks and Caicos lineage Reuters Archived from the original on 16 October 2015 Schmid Randolph E 26 November 2008 Researchers find wreck of slave ship Telegram amp Gazette Associated Press Archived from the original on 4 March 2022 Kersell John E 1988 Government administration in a very small microstate Developing the Turks and Caicos Islands Public Administration and Development 8 2 169 181 doi 10 1002 pad 4230080206 Allen Glen 16 February 1974 Carpet baggers ready to pull the rug on paradise An island in search of a place in the sun The Gazette pp 1 amp 3 Archived from the original on 8 March 2021 Retrieved 5 March 2022 via Google News Archive Griffith Ivelaw L Spring 1997 Illicit Arms Trafficking Corruption and Governance in the Caribbean Dickinson Journal of International Law Vol 15 no 3 pp 487 508 Archived from the original on 6 March 2022 Retrieved 6 March 2022 A major step in clean up of public life in Turks and Caicos Foreign Office of the United Kingdom 14 August 2009 Archived from the original on 10 October 2012 Tyson Vivian 2010 Bahamas wants federation talks with TCI Turks and Caicos Sun Archived from the original on 4 October 2011 Clegg Peter 2013 The United Kingdom and its Caribbean overseas territories Present relations and future prospects PDF Caribbean Journal of International Relations amp Diplomacy 1 2 53 64 Archived PDF from the original on 31 January 2017 http suntci com pnp wins seats pdm p435 108 htm permanent dead link Foreign Secretary statement announces elections in the Turks and Caicos Islands Foreign amp Commonwealth Office a b Turks and Caicos Where women hold the top jobs BBC News 29 January 2017 Archived from the original on 8 September 2017 Retrieved 21 July 2018 Rose Olivia 24 February 2021 Charles Washington Misick becomes two time leader Turks and Caicos Weekly News Archived from the original on 15 November 2021 Turks and Caicos In Numbers Beach House TCI Archived from the original on 4 September 2015 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests Caribbean Islands Bahamas World Wildlife Fund 2021 Archived from the original on 27 September 2020 Retrieved 14 November 2021 Dinerstein Eric et al 2017 An Ecoregion Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm BioScience 67 6 534 545 doi 10 1093 biosci bix014 ISSN 0006 3568 PMC 5451287 PMID 28608869 See Supplementary appendix S1 and interactive map at Ecoregions 2017 Archived from the original on 25 October 2021 STS 100 Shuttle Mission Imagery NASA 1 May 2001 Archived from the original on 27 August 2001 Retrieved 31 July 2011 Rudd Murray A 2003 Fisheries landings and trade of the Turks and Caicos Islands Fisheries Centre Research Reports Fisheries Centre University of British Columbia 11 6 149 161 doi 10 14288 1 0074792 ISSN 1198 6727 Clerveaux Wesley Fisher Tatum 2006 Consideration of socio economic and demographic concerns in fisheries and coastal area management and planning in the Turks and Caicos Islands In Tietze Uwe Haughton Milton Siar Susana V eds Socio economic indicators in integrated coastal zone and community based fisheries management Case studies from the Caribbean PDF FAO Fisheries Technical Paper Vol 491 Rome Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations pp 125 139 ISSN 0429 9345 S2CID 126582556 Archived PDF from the original on 4 March 2022 Frequently Asked Questions Aquamarine Concierge Archived from the original on 11 April 2020 Retrieved 11 April 2020 Turks and Caicos Weather Turks and Caicos Tourism Science UK Overseas Territories Turks and Caicos Islands Kew Archived from the original on 8 November 2012 Retrieved 29 December 2012 Science UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Kew Archived from the original on 2 May 2013 Retrieved 29 December 2012 Turks and Caicos Islands UNESCO World Heritage Centre Whc unesco org 27 January 2012 Archived from the original on 18 June 2013 Retrieved 29 December 2012 Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Day National Day www flaginstitute org Archived from the original on 6 August 2018 Retrieved 6 August 2018 Isles Delana 4 April 2020 New chief justice takes the bench Turks and Caicos Weekly News Archived from the original on 16 December 2021 HMS Medway sets sail for the Caribbean Royal Navy 20 January 2020 Archived from the original on 10 May 2022 Retrieved 18 October 2022 Royal Navy Deploys to Help Fight Gang Violence in Turks amp Caicos Archived from the original on 4 November 2022 Retrieved 4 November 2022 TCI to build its own military regiment tcweeklynews com Archived from the original on 16 December 2019 Retrieved 17 December 2019 Arrival Of A Security Assistance Team In TCI From The Uk 23 April 2020 Archived from the original on 8 July 2020 Retrieved 8 August 2020 TCI Regiment gets its first commanding officer tcweeklynews com Archived from the original on 22 August 2020 Retrieved 7 July 2020 Narine Vanessa 6 May 2013 Non Belongers account for 57 5 per cent of adult population Population growth in sync with TCI s development Forbes Turks and Caicos Weekly News Archived from the original on 6 May 2013 UNSD Demographic and Social Statistics unstats un org Retrieved 10 May 2023 Turks and Caicos Creole English Ethnologue Archived from the original on 12 December 2021 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Turks and Caicos Islands Ethnologue Archived from the original on 6 March 2022 Retrieved 5 March 2022 History Roman Catholic Mission Sui Iuris of Turks and Caicos Archived from the original on 12 August 2020 Retrieved 4 March 2022 Rellie Annalisa Hayne Tricia 2008 Turks amp Caicos Islands The Bradt Travel Guide Chalfont St Peter England Bradt Travel Guides ISBN 978 1 84162 268 2 via Google Books The Food and Cuisine of Turks and Caicos Thesandstc com 2 December 2015 Archived from the original on 13 June 2017 Retrieved 22 March 2017 Turks and Caicos Food and Cuisine 11 February 2022 Archived from the original on 13 December 2021 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Hansen Randall 2000 Citizenship and Immigration in Post war Britain The Institutional Origins of a Multicultural Nation Oxford amp New York Oxford University Press ISBN 9780191583018 Archived from the original on 6 March 2022 Retrieved 5 March 2022 a b New Immigration law changes criteria to become a TCI Belonger suntci com Archived from the original on 10 August 2022 Retrieved 10 August 2022 Government Government of the Turks and Caicos Archived from the original on 3 August 2020 Retrieved 19 January 2020 Tyson Vivian 15 September 2014 ASHCROFT SCHOOL IS NOW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE TCI The Sun Archived from the original on 18 January 2020 Retrieved 18 January 2020 Education System www gov tc Archived from the original on 27 October 2020 Retrieved 23 October 2020 Schools Archived from the original on 23 January 2021 Retrieved 23 October 2020 The Open Campus in Turks amp Caicos Open Campus Archived from the original on 12 June 2018 Retrieved 11 June 2018 Organization Pan American Health 2017 Health in the Americas 2017 Edition Summary Regional Outlook and Country Profiles Washington D C Pan American Health Organization ISBN 9789275119662 Archived from the original on 22 January 2022 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a journal ignored help About TCI Hospital TCI Hospital Archived from the original on 22 October 2020 Retrieved 27 December 2020 a b Department of Economic Planning and Statistics Archived from the original on 13 September 2014 Retrieved 13 July 2014 Coins from Turks and Caicos Islands Archived 22 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine Numista en numista com Retrieved on 22 August 2019 U S Department of Energy Turks amp Caicos Energy Snapshot PDF Energy Transition Initiative Archived PDF from the original on 6 July 2022 Retrieved 21 March 2022 Department of Economic Planning and Statistics Archived from the original on 13 November 2009 Retrieved 15 August 2009 The World s Third Largest Coral System Awaits At Turks And Caicos Jupiter Magazine 26 February 2019 Archived from the original on 12 August 2019 Retrieved 12 August 2019 Interesting Facts about the Turks and Caicos Islands Archived from the original on 5 April 2016 Retrieved 14 September 2016 Tourism in Turks amp Caicos Caribbean Days Archived from the original on 21 February 2015 Retrieved 20 February 2015 Celebrities and Famous People in the Turks and Caicos Visit Turks and Caicos Islands Archived from the original on 25 April 2019 Retrieved 10 October 2019 Clarke Katherine August 2019 Bruce Willis Sells Turks and Caicos Compound for 27 Million The Wall Street Journal Archived from the original on 10 October 2019 Retrieved 10 October 2019 Alleyne Mike October 2007 Interview With Nile Rodgers Journal on the Art of Record Production 2 Archived from the original on 8 August 2021 Retrieved 8 August 2021 The Turks and Caicos Music amp Cultural Festival 21 April 2008 Archived from the original on 12 June 2008 Retrieved 7 August 2008 a b The Turks and Caicos Music amp Cultural Festival News Release 21 April 2008 Archived from the original on 4 August 2008 Retrieved 7 August 2008 Grace Bay Club Grace Bay Resorts Archived from the original on 26 January 2022 Retrieved 5 March 2022 The Somerset on Grace Bay www thesomerset com Archived from the original on 4 December 2021 Retrieved 22 March 2017 Beaches Turks amp Caicos Beaches Resorts Archived from the original on 16 February 2022 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Seven Stars Resort amp Spa www sevenstarsgracebay com Archived from the original on 28 February 2022 Retrieved 22 March 2017 Alexandra Resort www alexandraresort com Archived from the original on 30 January 2022 Retrieved 11 June 2015 West Bay Club Grace Bay Resorts Archived from the original on 25 December 2021 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Providenciales International Airport Turks and Caicos Islands United Kingdom airport technology com Archived from the original on 5 July 2014 Retrieved 9 August 2014 Driving in the Turks and Caicos Islands Visit Turks and Caicos Islands 1 January 2022 Archived from the original on 29 October 2021 Turks and Caicos Islands Getting Around frommers com Archived from the original on 10 August 2014 Retrieved 9 August 2014 Railways in the United Kingdom Sinfin net Archived from the original on 2 February 2016 Retrieved 31 July 2011 History of the Turks and Caicos Islands Visit Turks and Caicos Islands Archived from the original on 12 February 2015 Retrieved 20 February 2015 Frasketi Joseph J Jr The Grand Turk Island Connection with the Project Mercury Glenn Flight Joe Frasketi s Space and other Topical Covers Archived from the original on 21 February 2015 Retrieved 20 February 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint unfit URL link Practical Information Know Before You Go Archived from the original on 12 February 2015 Retrieved 11 June 2015 Turks amp Caicos Postal Services Mail post offices TCI Online Archived from the original on 13 June 2015 Retrieved 11 June 2015 Government Turks and Caicos Information TCI Mall Tcimall tc Archived from the original on 30 April 2017 Retrieved 22 March 2017 Submarine Cable Map ARCOS Submarine Cable Map Retrieved 14 July 2023 About Turks and Caicos Sun Turks and Caicos Sun Archived from the original on 15 October 2021 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Archived copy Archived from the original on 11 December 2011 Retrieved 25 November 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Times of the Islands Archived from the original on 5 December 2011 Retrieved 25 November 2011 S3 Magazine s3magazine com Archived from the original on 4 October 2011 Retrieved 25 November 2011 a b ICC Members Turks and Caicos Islands International Cricket Council Archived from the original on 7 November 2012 Retrieved 7 October 2012 Other Matches played by Turks and Caicos Islands CricketArchive Archived from the original on 12 October 2013 Retrieved 7 October 2012 Twenty20 Matches played by Turks and Caicos Islands CricketArchive Archived from the original on 12 October 2013 Retrieved 7 October 2012 The FIFA Coca Cola World Ranking Associations Turks and Caicos Islands FIFA com Archived from the original on 7 December 2020 Retrieved 24 December 2020 About the Turks and Caicos Government Visit Turks and Caicos Islands Archived from the original on 2 February 2017 Retrieved 27 January 2017 Further reading editBoultbee Paul G Turks and Caicos Islands Oxford ABC Clio Press 1991 Correll Donovan Stewart and Helen B Correll Flora of the Bahama Archipelago including the Turks and Caicos Islands Vaduz J Cramer 1982 Keegan William F Bahamian Archaeology Life in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands before Columbus Nassau Media Pub 1997 White Anthony W A Birder s Guide to The Bahama Islands including the Turks and Caicos Islands Colorado Springs American Birding Association 1998 External links editTurks and Caicos Islands at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Definitions from Wiktionary nbsp Media from Commons nbsp News from Wikinews nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Texts from Wikisource nbsp Textbooks from Wikibooks nbsp Resources from Wikiversity nbsp Travel information from Wikivoyage Government edit Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands official website FCO UK and Turks and Caicos IslandsGeneral information edit Visit Turks amp Caicos Turks amp Caicos National Museum Turks and Caicos Islands from UCB Libraries GovPubs archived 7 April 2008 Turks and Caicos Islands at Curlie nbsp Wikimedia Atlas of the Turks and Caicos Islands Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Turks and Caicos Islands amp oldid 1207513147, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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