Turks and Caicos Islands

Two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti; note - although the Turks and Caicos Islands do not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically they are often designated as being Caribbean

21 45 N, 71 35 W

Central America and the Caribbean

948 sq km

948 sq km

0 sq km

2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C.

0 km

389 km

12 nm

200 nm

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

Low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Blue Hill on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos 48 m

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Spiny lobster, conch

1.1% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 1.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

11.1% (2023 est.)

87.9% (2023 est.)

0 sq km (2022)

Eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk

Frequent hurricanes

Include eight large islands and numerous smaller cays, islets, and reefs; only two of the Caicos Islands and six of the Turks group are inhabited

60,439 (2024 est.)

30,389

30,050

None

None

Black 87.6%, White 7.9%, mixed 2.5%, East Indian 1.3%, other 0.7% (2006 est.)

English (official)

Protestant 72.8% (Baptist 35.8%, Church of God 11.7%, Anglican 10%, Methodist 9.3%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Jehovah's Witness 1.8%, other 14% (2006 est.)

20.4% (male 6,288/female 6,056)

73.2% (male 22,232/female 22,011)

6.4% (2024 est.) (male 1,869/female 1,983)

36.6 (2024 est.)

27.9 (2024 est.)

8.7 (2024 est.)

11.5 (2024 est.)

36.6 years (2025 est.)

36.5 years

36.1 years

1.73% (2025 est.)

12.73 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

3.59 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

8.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk

94.2% of total population (2023)

1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

5,000 GRAND TURK (capital) (2018)

1.05 male(s)/female

1.04 male(s)/female

1.01 male(s)/female

0.94 male(s)/female

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

13.9 deaths/1,000 live births

8.1 deaths/1,000 live births

81.3 years (2024 est.)

78.5 years

84.1 years

1.7 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.83 (2025 est.)

Urban: 99.2% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 91.8% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 0.8% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 8.2% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 98.8% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 97.7% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 98.7% of population (2022 est.)

Urban: 1.2% of population (2022 est.)

Rural: 2.3% of population (2022 est.)

Total: 1.3% of population (2022 est.)

0.4% (2020 est.)

59.3% (2020 est.)

0% (2020)

23.3% (2020)

5.1% (2020)

2.9% of GDP (2024 est.)

9.8% national budget (2025 est.)

14 years (2023 est.)

15 years (2023 est.)

14 years (2023 est.)

Destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Bahamas and the US

Limited natural freshwater resources

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

1.1% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 1.1% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)

11.1% (2023 est.)

87.9% (2023 est.)

94.2% of total population (2023)

1.46% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

447,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

447,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

None

Turks and Caicos Islands

TCA

The Turks Islands are named after the Turk's cap cactus, which is native to the islands and appears on the flag and coat of arms; the name Caicos may derive from caya hico, a phrase meaning “string of islands” in the Lucayan (Arawak) language, or from the Spanish word cayo, meaning "rock"

Parliamentary democracy

Overseas territory of the UK

Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)

21 28 N, 71 08 W

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Named after Sir Francis COCKBURN, who served as governor of the Bahamas from 1837 to 1844

Mixed system of English common law and civil law

Several previous; latest signed 7 August 2012, effective 15 October 2012 (The Turks and Caicos Constitution Order 2011)

See United Kingdom

18 years of age; universal

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Dileeni Daniel-SELVARATNAM (since 29 June 2023)

Premier Washington MISICK (since 19 February 2021)

Cabinet appointed by the governor from among members of the House of Assembly

The monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the governor appoints the leader of the majority party as the premier

House of Assembly

Unicameral

21 (directly elected or appointed)

Mixed

Full renewal

4 years

2/07/2025

PNP (16); PDM (2); independents (1)

27.3%

2029

Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and other judges, as determined by the governor); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices)

Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges appointed by the governor in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body of high-level judicial officials; Supreme Court judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65, but terms can be extended to age 70; Appeals Court judge tenure determined by individual terms of appointment

Magistrates' courts

People's Democratic Movement or PDM Progressive National Party or PNP

None (overseas territory of the UK)

None (overseas territory of the UK)

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU

None (overseas territory of the UK)

Description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the right half of the flag; the shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turk's cap cactus

Conch shell, Turk's cap cactus

"God Save the King"

Unknown

Official anthem, as a UK overseas territory

British Caribbean island territorial economy; GDP and its tourism industry hit hard by COVID-19 disruptions; major biodiversity locale; US dollar user; fossil fuel dependent; negative trade balance; increasing unemployment

$1.554 billion (2024 est.)

$1.471 billion (2023 est.)

$1.293 billion (2022 est.)

5.6% (2024 est.)

13.7% (2023 est.)

14.1% (2022 est.)

$33,400 (2024 est.)

$31,800 (2023 est.)

$28,200 (2022 est.)

$1.745 billion (2024 est.)

8.5% (2022 est.)

5% (2021 est.)

2.3% (2020 est.)

0.4% (2024 est.)

9.3% (2024 est.)

72.6% (2024 est.)

Corn, beans, cassava (manioc, tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Tourism, offshore financial services

9% (2024 est.)

0% of GDP (2023 est.)

0% of GDP (2022 est.)

0% of GDP (2021 est.)

$247.3 million (2017 est.)

$224.3 million (2017 est.)

$172.709 million (2018 est.)

$35.016 million (2017 est.)

$247.081 million (2016 est.)

$826.824 million (2018 est.)

$602.581 million (2017 est.)

$741.173 million (2016 est.)

Gabon 27%, USA 25%, Zimbabwe 17%, Czechia 8%, UAE 3% (2023)

Plastics, shellfish, carbonates, tobacco, garments (2023)

$544.219 million (2018 est.)

$484.842 million (2017 est.)

$438.041 million (2016 est.)

USA 73%, Dominican Republic 4%, Italy 3%, Japan 3%, China 2% (2023)

Refined petroleum, cars, aluminum structures, furniture, plastic products (2023)

The US dollar is used

99.9% (2022 est.)

100%

100%

94,000 kW (2023 est.)

252.088 million kWh (2023 est.)

12.912 million kWh (2023 est.)

98.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

1.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

3,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

4,000 (2021 est.)

9 (2022 est.)

25,085 (2004 est.)

110 (2004 est.)

No local terrestrial TV stations; broadcasts from the Bahamas, multi-channel cable, and satellite TV available; state-run radio network operates alongside private broadcasters, with a total of about 15 stations

.tc

93.5% (2022)

VQ-T

9 (2025)

3 (2023)

General cargo 1, other 2

3 (2024)

0

0

0

2

1

1

Cockburn Harbor, Grand Turk, Providenciales

Defense is the responsibility of the UK

8 (2024 est.)