| Country
Fact Sheet |
|
Location
|
Caribbean, two island groups in the North
Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas,
north of Haiti
|
|
Capital
|
Grand
Turk
|
|
Surface
|
28,748 sq km
|
|
Population
|
3,581,656 people
|
|
Currency
|
US dollar (USD)
|
|
GDP
|
Purchasing
power parity - $216 million (2002 est.)
|
|
GDP/capita
|
Purchasing
power parity - $11,500 (2002 est.)
|
|
Language
|
English (official)
|
|
Religion
|
Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%,
Church of God 12%, other 14%
|
|
Government
|
Head
of State Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth
II, Governor Cockburn Town, Chief Minister
Michael Misick
|
|
Time
Zone
|
GMT -5 hours
|
|
Telecom
Code
|
+649
|
|
Airport
|
4 Airports, Jags Mccartney INTL, North Caicos,
Prividen Ciales, South Caicos
|
|
Driving
|
On left hand side of the road, license required
|
|
Electrical
|
110V
|
|
Political
climate
|
Stable country
|
|
| |
| Local
Business & Service Providers |
|
Financial
services
Legal and fiduciary
Financial
Technology
Business travel
Image identity Consultancy
Corporate incentives
Automotive services
Accommodations
Lifestyle |
| |
| History |
|
| The
Turks and Caicos Islands are named after the indigenous
Turk's Head "fez" cactus, and the Lucayan
term "caya hico," meaning string of islands.
Columbus was said to have discovered the islands
in 1492, but some still argue that Ponce de Leon
arrived first. Whichever it was, the first people
to truly discover the islands were the Taino Indians,
who unfortunately left little behind but ancient
utensils. The Tainos were eventually replaced by
another Indian people, the Lucayans; but by the
middle of the 16th Century they too had disappeared,
victims of Spanish enslavement and imported disease.
The
17th century saw the arrival of settlers from
Bermuda, who established themselves on Grand Turk,
Salt Cay and South Caicos. They used slaves to
rake salt for British colonies in America, and
were later joined by British Loyalists fleeing
the American Revolution. The economy of the island
revolved around the rich cotton and sisal plantations,
their harvests sold in London and New York. Due
to competition and the thin soil, however, the
cotton plantations slowly deteriorated, most of
them finally perishing in a hurricane in 1813.
Solar salt became the main economy of the islands.
In
1776, after being controlled by the Spanish, French
and British, Turks and Caicos became part of the
Bahamas colony, but attempts to integrate failed
and were abandoned in 1848. London - Kingston
boats frequently visited Turks and Caicos, so
links with Jamaica were well developed. Turks
and Caicos became a British Crown Colony in 1962
and links were maintained to the Bahamas through
the Anglican Church.
The
1976 elections were won by the PDM, the People's
Democratic Movement, who were then to negotiate
independence if they won the next elections in
1980. But the other main political party, the
Progressive National Party (PNP), won the 1980
elections and plans for independence have for
now been set aside.
|
| |
| Local
Radio |
|
|
FM
Radio |
AM
Radio |
|
|
107.7
FM Providenciales |
|
|
|
103.9
FM North & Middle Ciales |
|
|
|
101.9
FM Grand Turks, Salt Cay And South Caicos |
|
|
|
