People

Population: 16,863 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32% (male 2,777; female 2,697)
15-64 years: 63% (male 5,619; female 5,085)
65 years and over: 5% (male 305; female 380) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.65% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 26.39 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 21.11 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.35 years
male: 70.4 years
female: 74.4 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.28 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none

Ethnic groups: black

Religions: Baptist 41.2%, Methodist 18.9%, Anglican 18.3%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 1.7%, other 19.9% (1980)

Languages: English (official)

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

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Data code: TK

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK

Government type: NA

Capital: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence: none (overseas 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 John KELLY (since NA September 1996)
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 among the members of the
Legislative Council
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: unicameral Legisl