Part 770

Environment: current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater natural hazards: frequent hurricanes international agreements: NA

Geographic note: 30 islands (eight inhabited)

People ------

Population: 14,302 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 2.14% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 12.85 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 13.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: NA male(s)/female under 15 years: NA male(s)/female 15-64 years: NA male(s)/female 65 years and over: NA male(s)/female all ages: NA male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 12.57 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.4 years male: 73.46 years female: 77.07 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: none adjective: none

Ethnic divisions: African

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

Languages: English (official)

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

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Data code: TK

Type of government: 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