British Overseas Territory
Territory under British sovereignty that does not form part of the United Kingdom. It has its own constitution and government; the United Kingdom is responsible for defense and external relations.
Listed by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory.
National Identity
- Official name
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Name etymology
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"
Sources:- 2011 No. 1681 - Caribbean And North Atlantic Territories - The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 ↗ - House of Assembly - Official Portal of Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands Information and Services
- The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Coat of arms
- National flag
- National anthem
- God Save the KingThe national anthem of the United Kingdom.1:03
- Title
- God Save the King
- Lyrics
- English
1God save our gracious King, Long live our noble King, God save the King: Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the King.
2O Lord, our God, arise, Scatter his enemies, And make them fall. Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks, On Thee our hopes we fix, God save us all.
3Thy choicest gifts in store, On him be pleased to pour; Long may he reign: May he defend our laws, And ever give us cause With heart and voice to sing God save the King
Source:
- Official name:2011 No. 1681 - Caribbean And North Atlantic Territories - The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 ↗ - House of Assembly - Official Portal of Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands Information and Services
- Official name:The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Coat of arms:Image credit
- National anthem:nationalanthems.info ↗
Geography
- Total area
- 948 km²
- Land area
- 948 km²
- Water area
- 0.00 km²
- Land borders
- None
- Coastline
- 389 km
- Terrain
Low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps - Highest point
- 48 mBlue Hill on Providenciales and Flamingo Hill on East Caicos
- Lowest point
- 0 mAtlantic Ocean
- Climate
Tropical marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry - Avg. temperature
- 26 °C
- Avg. daily range
- 25.4 to 26.6 °C
- Annual precipitation
- 778 mm
Temperature °CMeanDaily rangePrecipitation mmMonthly climate normals Month Avg. high, °C Mean, °C Avg. low, °C Precipitation, mm January 25 24.4 23.8 40 February 24.8 24.2 23.6 27 March 24.8 24.2 23.6 37 April 25.4 24.8 24.3 39 May 26.4 25.8 25.2 74 June 27.6 27.2 26.5 47 July 28.1 27.6 26.9 55 August 28.4 27.9 27.1 79 September 28.4 27.8 26.9 121 October 27.8 27.2 26.4 115 November 26.7 26.1 25.4 92 December 25.7 25.2 24.6 52 Country-wide averages over 1991–2020.
Sources:- The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Weather
- Loading
- Land use2023
- Arable1.1%Forest11.1%Other87.9%
- Arable land
- 1,000 hectares (1.1%)
- Forest
- 10,520 hectares (11.1%)
- Other land
- 83,480 hectares (87.9%)
Source:
- Location, Land borders, Coastline, Terrain, Highest point, Lowest point, Climate:The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Climate:Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5 reanalysis) ↗ - World Bank
- Land use:FAOSTAT Land Use domain ↗ - FAO
Demographics
- Population change2026
- +0.63% per year+293 people/yearWorld Rank125thof 237
- Birth rate
- 10.2 per 1,000 population
- Death rate
- 7.4 per 1,000 population
- Net migration rate
- +3.2 per 1,000 population
- 2026
- 39.6 yearsWorld Rank67thof 237
- Age structure2026
- 0-14 years16.0%15-64 years71.8%65 years +12.2%
- Share aged 65 and over
- 12.2%
- Share aged under 18
- 19.2%
- Total dependency ratio
- 39
- Youth dependency ratio
- 22
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 17
- Sex ratio
- 1 male / female
MaleAgeFemalePopulation by age group, % of total population Age Male Female 80+ 1.0% 1.4% 70-79 2.3% 2.9% 60-69 5.1% 5.3% 50-59 8.2% 7.2% 40-49 9.5% 8.3% 30-39 7.8% 7.4% 20-29 5.6% 6.6% 10-19 4.9% 5.6% 0-9 5.6% 5.4% - 2026
- 0.67 below the replacement level for the Turks and Caicos Islands ()1.43 births per womanreplacement 2.10123World Rank188thof 237
- 0.69 daughters per woman0.31 below replacement, long-run each generation smaller than the lastreplacement 1.000.511.5
- 2026
- +2.7 per 1,000 populationfor every 1,000 people, 2.7 more births than deaths a year
- 2026
- +3.2 per 1,000 population
- Urbanization2026
- 94.6% live in 44,611 urban residents
- Largest localities2012latest available
- Honda Road, Five Cays, Wheeland, The BightRankLocalityPopulation (2012 census)1Honda Road4,4462Five Cays3,5923Wheeland2,5174The Bight2,2885Discovery Bay1,7016Leeward1,5997Kew Town1,4778Back Salina1,2659Blue Hills1,15610Juba1,067Source:
- Turks and Caicos Statistics (2012 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution
- Eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk.
- Ethnic groups2006
- Black87.6%White7.9%Mixed2.5%East Indian1.3%Other0.7%
- Religions2006
- Protestant72.8%Roman Catholic11.4%Jehovah's Witness1.8%Other14.0%
- Protestant
- 72.8%
- Baptist
- 35.8%
- Church of God
- 11.7%
- Anglican
- 10.0%
- Methodist
- 9.3%
- Seventh Day Adventist
- 6.0%
Source:- The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Languages
- English
- Population, Population change, Median age, Age structure, Total fertility rate, Net reproduction rate, Natural change, Net migration rate:UN World Population Prospects ↗
- Urbanization:UN World Urbanization Prospects ↗
- Largest cities:Turks and Caicos Statistics (2012 census), via City Population by Thomas Brinkhoff ↗
- Population distribution, Ethnic groups, Religions:The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
Government & Administration
- Form of state
- Constitutional monarchyShared with the United Kingdom: the British monarch is head of state.Executive authority is vested in the monarch and exercised by the Governor; the Constitution is an Order in Council under the West Indies Act 1962, and the Crown reserves power to legislate for the Islands (Sch. 2, ss. 30, 42; Order s. 14).
- System of government
- ParliamentaryThe Governor appoints as Premier the elected member with majority support and sits in the Cabinet; the Governor must revoke the Premier's appointment after a majority no-confidence vote and may dissolve the House after consulting the Premier (Sch. 2, ss. 31, 33, 57).
- Official websites
- Capital
- Cockburn Town133 people(2012)
- National holidays
- 15 days in 2026
- ThuJan 1New Year's Day
- MonMar 9Commonwealth Day
- FriApr 3Good Friday
- MonApr 6Easter Monday
- MonMay 25JAGS McCartney Day
- MonJun 8King's Birthday
- SatAug 1Emancipation Day
- MonAug 3Emancipation Day (observed)
- SunAug 30National Day of Thanksgiving
- MonAug 31Constitution Day
- FriSep 25National Youth Day
- MonOct 12National Heritage Day
- FriDec 25Christmas Day
- SatDec 26Boxing Day
- MonDec 28Boxing Day (observed)
Nationwide public holidays only, excluding regional, bank and government-only days.
- Time
- Currency
- US Dollar (USD)
- Entry requirements
- Official visa and entry information
- Calling code
- +1-649
- Internet TLD
- .tc
- ISO 3166-1 codes
- TC, TCA
- Infrastructure
- Aircraft registration prefix
- VQ-T
Source:- The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Form of state, System of government:The Constitution of the Turks & Caicos Islands and Related Legislation, CAP. 1.01, Laws of Turks & Caicos Islands, containing the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011 (S.I. 2011 No. 1681 (U.K.)), as at 31 December 2014 ↗ - Attorney General's Chambers, Turks and Caicos Islands Government
- National holidays:Open World Holidays Framework (vacanza/holidays) ↗
- Infrastructure:The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Infrastructure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Economy
- High income
- 2024
- Services72.6% of GDPIndustry9.3% of GDPAgriculture0.4% of GDPManufacturing0.4%part of industryThe shape of the economySource:
- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade2018latest available
- Goods$5.8 million0.7%
- Services$821 million99.3%
- Total exports
- $826.8 million
- Change from 2017
- up 37.2 percent on the previous year37.2%
Sources:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- Industries
- tourism, offshore financial services
- Income level, GDP by sector, Trade:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Trade, Industries:The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
Cost of Living
Society
- Education expenditure2024
- 2.9% of GDP
- Share of government spending
- 10.7%
Source:- World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted2025
- 8 people
- Refugees from the Turks and Caicos Islands abroad
- 14
Source:- Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists2021latest available
- 405,000 arrivalsdown 17% against 201917% below 2019Official tourism site
- Per resident
- 9 arrivals per resident
- Same-day visitors
- 27,000 arrivals
Overnight arrivals by year2010 to 2021A tourist stays at least one night. Arrivals count trips, not people.
Source:- UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
- Education expenditure:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
- Refugees hosted:Refugee Data Finder ↗ - UN Refugee Agency
- Inbound tourists:UN Tourism Data Dashboard ↗ - UN Tourism
Crime & Safety
- Travel advisory (US)
- Loading
- Homicide rate2024
- 103.1 per 100,000 peopleVery high by global standards
- Crime rates
- 1 offence category
Offence Per 100,000 Count Year Homicide (victims) 103.1 48 2024 A low figure can also mean weak recording.
Source:- UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- Homicide rate, Crime rates:UNODC Data Portal ↗ - UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Health
- Life expectancy2026
- 78.5 years
- Infant mortality2026
- 4.4 per 1,000 live births
- Life expectancy, Infant mortality:UN World Population Prospects ↗
Environment
- CO₂ emissions2024
- 0.23 Mt per yearup 3.5 percent on the previous year3.5% from 2023
- CO₂ per capita
- 5.9 t per personWorld Rank48thof 207
- Share of global CO₂
- < 0.01%
- Methane (CH₄)
- 0 Mt CO₂-eq
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O)
- 0 Mt CO₂-eq
- All greenhouse gases
- 0.24 Mt CO₂-eq
Source:- Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- 2024
- 4.6 µg/m³ of PM2.5Most polluted186thof 236
- WHO guideline
- 5 µg/m³
Source:- Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues
- limited natural freshwater resources
- International agreements
- 0 of 20 landmark treaties in forceParty to 1 multilateral environmental agreements
Treaty Standing Joined Climate Paris Agreement not a party UN Framework Convention on Climate Change not a party Kyoto Protocol not a party Ozone layer Montreal Protocol not a party Vienna Convention (Ozone Layer) not a party Biodiversity Convention on Biological Diversity not a party CITES not a party Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn) not a party Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety not a party Nagoya Protocol not a party Land and heritage Ramsar Convention on Wetlands not a party World Heritage Convention not a party UN Convention to Combat Desertification not a party Chemicals and waste Basel Convention not a party Rotterdam Convention (PIC) not a party Stockholm Convention (POPs) not a party Minamata Convention on Mercury not a party Oceans UN Convention on the Law of the Sea not a party High Seas Treaty (BBNJ) not a party MARPOL 73/78 not a party Source:- International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
- CO₂ emissions:Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) ↗ - European Commission, Joint Research Centre
- Air pollution:Air Quality Life Index ↗ - Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
- Environmental issues:The World Factbook: Turks and Caicos Islands - CIA
- International agreements:International Environmental Agreements Database ↗ - Université Laval
Food & Water
- Underweight children2020
- 0.4% of children under five
- Underweight children:World Development Indicators ↗ - World Bank
Energy
- Energy consumption2024
- Per capita
- 147.6 GJ per person
- Share of world total
- < 0.01%
- Supply
- No meaningful productionproduces under 2% of what it consumes, 2024
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Electricity2024
- No electricity trade0.3 TWh generated per year
- Generation
- 0.3 TWh per year
- Consumption
- 0.3 TWh per year
Source:- International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration
- Oil, gas & coal
- No domestic productionconsumes 3,197 b/d in 2024Consumption20243,197 b/d
Oil imports and exports count crude oil only.
- Energy consumption, Electricity, Oil, gas & coal:International Energy Statistics ↗ - U.S. Energy Information Administration