Language: English
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Calling Code: +1-649
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British
overseas territory dependent on the United Kingdom. Until the year
of 1962 they were administered by Jamaica, but upon gaining their
independence, they became dependent on the Governor General of the
Bahamas Islands. When the Bahamas achieved its independence in 1973,
it became a separate territory. Although in the year 1982 the United
Kingdom granted them independence, the islands backed off and
preferred to remain governed as a territory dependent on the British
crown. It is one of the seventeen Non-Self-Governing Territories
under the supervision of the United Nations Decolonization
Committee, in order to eliminate colonialism.
The name "Turks
Islands" is due to the natural abundance, in the archipelago, of a
certain species of cactus whose shape resembles a Turkish fez.
"Caicos" are "Low or large reefs that sometimes come to form
islets". They are located north of the island of Hispaniola, where
Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located, in the waters of the
Atlantic Ocean. It is a common mistake to locate the Bahamas and
these islands in the Caribbean Sea, which is actually south of Cuba
and Hispaniola. The Turks and Caicos Islands are southeast of
Mayaguana in the Bahamas and north of Española Island. Cockburn
Town, the capital, is about 1,042 kilometers (647 miles)
east-southeast of Miami in the US The islands, with 948 km2 of total
land area, are geographically contiguous to the Bahamas, but are
politically an entity separated.
Since October 17, 2016 the
Governor (designated by the Queen) of the islands is John Freeman,
who acts as head of state and oversees the work of a Legislative
Council composed of 17 members (15 elected by universal suffrage) in
the city of Cockburn Town, the capital of the territory. The head of
government is the elected Chief Minister, currently Sharlene
Cartwright-Robinson. His party, the Progressive National Party won
13 of 15 seats in the last elections. The economy of the islands
depends on tourism, the issuing of postage stamps, fishing and
non-taxable foreign investments. The currency of legal tender is the
US dollar and since July 2, 1991 the Turks and Caicos Islands are an
associate member of the Caribbean Community.
Conch Bar Caves on Middle Caicos Island is a splendid underground formation with remains of presence of native Lucayan people
The English toponym "Turks and Caicos Islands" is formed from two parts: "Turk's" with the loss of the possessive apostrophe, which, in turn, was an abbreviation of the name of the cactus "Turk's cap cactus" (Melocactus intortus), which was named after the Turkish fez; and also "Caicos", a modified "caya hico", which is translated from the Indian language of the Lukayans (belonging to the wider Taino group of peoples) meaning "a group of islands". Thus, the literal translation of the name (in isolation from its etymology) from English (using different variants such as "Turkish" or "Turkic") does not make sense.
The territory is located in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the
Bahamas, 144 km north of Haiti.
Consists of 40 large and small
islands, forming two groups - Caicos in the west and Turks in the east.
The total area of the islands is 430 km².
Only six islands have
permanent population: Grand Turk, Salt Cay, North Caicos, Middle Caicos,
South Caicos and Providenciales. Parrot Cay, Ambergris Cay, Water Cay
and Pine Cay are island resorts that do not have a permanent population,
but there are hotels and seasonal households.
The islands are
low-lying, made of limestone. Lots of salt marshes. The highest island
is Providenciales (the highest point is 49 m). The islands are
surrounded by coral reefs.
The climate is tropical, trade wind.
The heat in the hot season (from April to November) is softened by
northeast trade winds. The amount of precipitation is 700-800 mm per
year. Frequent hurricanes.
Vegetation - mangroves on the coast,
there are pine forests. The fauna is represented by waterfowl.
The surrounding waters are rich in fish, lobsters and shellfish.
Climate
The islands have a relatively dry and sunny maritime tropical
climate with relatively constant temperatures throughout the year.
Summer temperatures rarely exceed 33°C, while nighttime temperatures in
winter rarely fall below 18°C.
The islands were inhabited by Lucayans from the Arawak tribe as early
as the 5th century AD. They moved to the archipelago from the Greater
Antilles, presumably from Hispaniola (Haiti) or Cuba.
The islands
were discovered by the Spaniard Juan Ponce de Leon in 1512. There was no
native population on the islands.
Since the 17th century, English
colonists from Bermuda began to come to the islands for salt. Then,
despite the opposition of Spain, the British established plantations
there and brought Negro slaves.
Since 1766, the Turks and Caicos
have officially become a colony of Britain.
In 1848, the Turks
and Caicos Islands were declared a separate colony, but in 1873 they
became part of Jamaica. In 1917, Canadian Prime Minister Robert Borden
proposed to include the islands in his state, but British Prime Minister
Lloyd George rejected this proposal.
In August 1962, Jamaica
gained independence from Great Britain, and the Turks and Caicos Islands
became a crown colony.
Since 1976, the islands have had a local
government and parliament.
In 1979, local authorities entered
into an agreement with London on granting independence to the islands in
1982, but after the next elections, the new composition of the local
authorities of Turks and Caicos decided to abandon state independence
and retain the status of a British overseas territory.
Political
structure
The Territory is governed by an Executive Council, chaired
by the Governor, and consisting of the Prime Minister, six ministers
appointed by the Governor from among the members of Parliament and the
Public Prosecutor.
The House of Assembly (Turks and Caicos)
(local parliament) has 21 members, 15 of whom are elected by popular
vote every 4 years.
Main political parties:
Progressive
National Party
People's Democratic Movement
The legal system is
based on English law and some laws of the Bahamas and Jamaica, modified
locally.
The islands' capital and largest city is Cockburn Town,
located on Grand Turk Island.
Population
Population - 31,458
people (2012 census).
Annual growth - 2.5% (largely from
immigration).
Ethno-racial composition: blacks - about 90%, the
rest - mulattos and whites (mainly British, Americans, Canadians).
Language - English (official).
Literacy - 99%.
Religions:
Baptists - 40%
Anglicans - 18%
Methodists - 16%
Pentecostal Church of God - 12%
others - 14%
The economy of the territory is based on tourism, offshore financial
business and fishing.
Agriculture produces corn, beans, tapioca,
citrus fruits and vegetables.
Lobsters and shellfish are
exported.
In 2008, during a routine review of the administration of the islands
by the British Parliament, reports of corruption among high-level local
government officials were received, as a result of which Governor
Richard Tower appointed a special commission to investigate. That same
year, Prime Minister Michael Misick was accused of raping an American
tourist. As a result, on March 16, 2009, a temporary shutdown of local
government was announced, and on March 18, Elizabeth II issued a royal
decree allowing the new governor, Gordon Weatherell, to repeal parts of
the 2006 constitution and govern the overseas territory himself.
On October 15, 2012, the new constitution, adopted in July 2011, came
into force, ending the three-year direct rule of the interim British
administration.
There are no direct taxes in this jurisdiction, both on the income of
individuals and legal entities, including taxes on inheritance and gift.
Companies pay only annual license fees. Import duties and stamp duties
apply to everyone. Individuals pay the national insurance fee (shared
with employers) as well as taxes related to tourism activities. The
territory's currency is the US dollar. There is no own central bank and
currency control.
The branch line of offshore business in the
Turks and Caicos Islands is the insurance business. Since 1990, the
Financial Services Commission has issued over 2,000 insurance licenses.
This jurisdiction is known for its privacy regime established by the
1979 Confidential Relationship Ordinance of 1979. Under this provision,
the unauthorized release of information by liberal professionals (such
as lawyers) is a crime punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 for an
individual and up to $50,000 for a corporation, and imprisonment for up
to three years ( the imposition of a fine may be combined with
imprisonment).
Two large banks Barclays and Bank of Nova Scotia
have offices in the jurisdiction. It should also be noted that the
United States and Turks and Caicos signed a Mutual Legal Assistance
Treaty (Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty), which allows the Turks and
Caicos courts to request information from local persons at the request
of US authorities in connection with the investigation of crimes in the
field of drug trafficking and money laundering. In addition, there is an
agreement on the exchange of tax information between the United States
and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Also signed in 2009, but similar
agreements with the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands have not yet
entered into force.
Interesting Facts
Grace Bay Beach on the
islands has been named the best beach in the world by TripAdvisor.