ventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)

Languages: English (official)

Literacy: age 15 and over has ever attended school (1970)
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 98%

Labor force: NA
by occupation: majority engaged in fishing and tourist industries;
some subsistence agriculture

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Digraph: TK

Type: dependent territory of the UK

Capital: Grand Turk

Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Constitution: introduced 30 August 1976, suspended in 1986, restored
and revised 5 March 1988

Legal system: based on laws of England and Wales with a small number
adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),
represented by Governor Martin BOURKE (since NA February 1993)
head of government: Chief Minister Derek H. TAYLOR (since 31 January
1995)
cabinet: Executive Council; consists of three ex-officio members and
five appointed by the governor from the Legislative Council

Legislative branch: unicameral
Legislative Council: elections last held 31 January 1995 (next to be
held by NA 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (20
total, 13 elected) PDM 8, PNP 4, independent (Norman SAUNDERS) 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: Progressive National Party (PNP),
Washington MISSICK; People's Democratic Movement (PDM), Derek H.
TAYLOR; National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Ariel MISSICK

Member of: CARICOM (associate), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau)

Diplomatic representation in US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

US diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

@Turks And Caicos Islands:Economy

Overview: The economy is based on fishing, tourism, and offshore
banking. Only subsistence farming - corn, cassava, citrus, and beans -
exists on the Caicos Islands, so that most foods, as well as nonfood
products, must be imported.

National product: G