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A Turks & Caicos Islands is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, southeast of the Bahamas, at . A xxx islands number 166 sq. mi. (430 km²), primarily of sale, flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps. A weather condition is ordinarily sunny & comparatively dry, however suffers frequent hurricanes. A islands keep around limited natural fresh water resources; private cisterns collect rain for sucking down. A primary natural resources come spiny lobster and conch. A United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes a Turks & Caicos Islands on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

|- |align="center" colspan=Deuce style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;"|National motto:
Each Endeavouring, A lot Achieving
|- | align=center colspan=Deuce | |- |width="115px"|Official language||English |- |Political status || Non-sovereign, Overseas territory of the U.K |- |Capital ||Cockburn Town |- |Governor||Richard Tauwhare |- |Chief Minister ||Michael Misick |- |Area
 - Total
 - % water||Ranked n/a
430 km²
Negligible |- |Population
 - Total (2003)
 - Density||Ranked n/a
19,500
45/km² |- |Currency ||U.S dollar |- |Time zone ||UTC -5 |- |National anthem ||None |- |Internet TLD||.tc |- |Calling Code||1-649 |}

Government
A capital of the Turks & Caicos Islands is Cockburn Town on Grand Turk. A islands were under Jamaican jurisdiction until 1962, when it assumed the status of a crown colony. A governor of the Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. By owning Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor within 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed & the islands come presently a British overseas territory. the islands adopted a constitutiin on August 30, 1976, which is Constitution Day, the national holiday. A constitution was suspended inside 1986, but restored & revised March 5, 1988. A territory's legal rules is according to English common law, with the little total of laws adopted from either Jamaica and the Bahamas. Right to vote is universal for people assibilate Xviii years aged. English is the official language.

As a British territory, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is the sovereign, represented by the governor. A head of government is the primary minister. A Executive Council consists of deuce-ace ex officio members & 5 appointed per governor from either among a members of the Legislative Council. There come no elections are held; a monarch is hereditary, a governor appointed per monarch, & a primary minister appointed per governor.

A unicameral Legislative Council consists of Xix seats, Xiii popularly elective; members help quartet-season terms. Elections were held March 4, 1999, and once againside in 2003. A Progressive National Person, led by Hon. Dr. Michael Misick holds eight seats, & a Humans's Democratic Movement, led by Derek H. Taylor, holds 5 seats. the United Democratic Person, led by Wendal Swann, received the little fraction of the popular vote, but not sufficiency to earn a seat.

the judicial branch of government is headed by a Supreme Court.

Turks & Caicos participates in the Caribbean Development Bank, is an associate in Caricom, and maintains an International Criminal Police Organization - Interpol sub-bureau. Defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. Within December of 2004 the Turks and Caicos Islands sought to turn into the newly associate member to the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) [http://www.caribbeaninvestor.com/article.shtml?browser_query=varticle&field=3864 article].

Demographics

Eight of the 30 islands around the territory come inhabited, using the number people in mid-2000 of about 17,500. Of these-third of the people is under 15 years old, & just 4% come 65 or even older. Within 2000 the population was growing at the rate of Three.55% by the month, by having Fourteen.46 migrator by the 1,000 people & Xxv.65 births by the 1,000 people, offset by Quadruplet.57 deaths by the 1,000 people. A infant mortality rate was 18.66 deaths by a 1,000 survive births & the life expectancy at birth was 73.28 years (71.Fifteen years for males, 75.51 years for females). A aggregate birthrate was Triad.Twenty-five youngsters born by the woman. Ethnically, a immense majority of dweller come black. 2-fifths of the babies come Baptist, one-fifth Methodist, one-fifth Anglican, and to a lesser degree 2% Seventh-day Adventist.

History
Independent Article History of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Economy
Map of Turks and Caicos Islands

A economy of the Turks & Caicos is according to touristry, camping, & offshore fiscal services. Virtually all capital goods & food for farm consumption come imported. A United States was the leading source of tourer around 1996, accounting for more than half of the 87,000 visitant; an additional major source of holidaymaker is Canada. Holidaymaker arrivals got risen to 93,000 by 1998. Major sources of government income include fees from either offshore fiscal activities & customs receipts. A territory's gross domestic product was about $117 million (by the capita $7700) inside 1997, with the very rate of growth of just all about 4% & an rate of inflation of about 4%. A labour inflict totalled 4848 workers around 1990, of these-third of whom function witharound government & one-fifth part of whom operate around agriculture & camping; a rest come listed in touristry, fiscal, & more services. A unemployment rate is just about 10%. A territory requires inside revenues of $47 million against expenditures of $33.6 million & receives aid, $5.7 million around 1995. A territory's currency is the United States dollar.

A primary agrarian products include maize, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits, and fish. around 1993 the territory exported some $4.7 million (1993) of lobster, dried and freshly conch, and conch husks, primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom. A territory is an significant trans-shipment point for South U.s. narcotics destined for the United States.

A islands import food & drink, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, & construction materials, primarily from either the United States and the United Kingdom. Imports totalled $46.6 million around 1993.

Communications
A islands develop & consume astir Fin GWh of electricity, totally from either fossil fuel. A territory got astir 3000 telephone lines witharound utilise in 1994, with wandering GSM 85& TDMA service. the rules is attached to the mainl& by deuce undersea cables and a Intelsat globe station. There were ternary AM radio stations (a single inactive) & sextuplet FM stations (there are no shortwave) around 1998. All over 8000 radios come owned through a territory. No television broadcast stations; broadcasts from either a Bahamas can be received and cable television is available. A territory has of these Internet service provider and its country code top level domain (ccTLD) is ".TC".

Transportation
A islands use at times there are no important railways, & 121 kilometres of main road, Twenty-four klick paved & 97 kilometre unpaved. A territory's ports & harbours get on Grand Turk and Providenciales. A islands use at times sevener drome. 4 use at times paved runways, leash of which are then about 2000 meters yearn & a single about Chiliad meters yearn. 3 own unpaved runways, 2 of which are then in Gr& meters hanker and 1 significantly shorter.

Issues
A great numbers of of a holidaymaker world health organization visit the islands come American. Owing to this, a islands' status as a British colony, & historic trade links, a bit of politicians within Canada & the Turks and Caicos stand suggested a select few form of union between them countries.

Within 1973, American New Democratic Party Member of Parliament Max Saltsman introduced a number one failing attempt at consolidating the islands.

A idea was brought higher once more within 1986 by Progressive Conservative MP Dan McKenzie, but it was rejected by his person's caucus committee around external affairs in 1987. A committee, chaired by MP David Daubney, looked at immigration, banking, health care, & touristry issues within making its guide.

Within 2004, Conservative MP Peter Goldring visited a Turks & Caicos to choose the possibility once again.

For a islands to join Canada as a to the full province would involve amending the Canadian constitution, a step which is considered extremely unconvincing. A endure newly province, Newfoundland and Labrador, was brought into the united states within 1949 by an act of British Parliament. Joining when a territory would exist as gentler, as territories may be created by an work of federal law. Additionally, its humans of to a lesser degree 20,000 people is considered deficient for provincial status. Notwithstanding, this attitude will vary should a territories of Yukon or Nunavut - both by using all about 30,000 humans both - ever be provinces.

Within 2004, a province of Nova Scotia voted to invite Turks and Caicos to join a province, should a islands ever get section of Canada. This would bypass a problems by using admitting Turks & Caicos as a separate province.

Miscellaneous topics
Religion in the Turks and Caicos Islands

Canada and the Turks & Caicos: The Full Story
Article by Ian Stuart of the Turks and Caicos Development Organization of Canada. Published in the 1988 Canadian Parliamentary Review.

Peter Goldring in Turks and Caicos
Article by the Conservative Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre-East advocating the annexation of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Canadian tropical island debate heats up again
News article by Karie Dufour.

Turks and Caicos joining Canada
Looking at advantages and drawbacks at bringing these Caribbean islands into Canada Confederation.

Canadians for a Tropical Province
Working on the possibility of welcoming a willing tropical island into the Canadian fold to become the 11th province. Includes a petition, forum, mission statement, and a survey.

A Place in the Sun
An article summarizing the discussion of connecting Canada with the Turks and Caicos.

CBC News - Indepth Backgrounder: Turks and Caicos
Article and other information on the Turks and Caicos and the possibility of the islands joining Canada.


Regional: Caribbean: Turks and Caicos






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