Service Providers (ISPs):
14 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Turks and Caicos Islands

Highways:
total: 121 km
paved: 24 km
unpaved: 97 km (2000)

Ports and harbors:
Grand Turk, Providenciales

Airports:
8 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Turks and Caicos Islands

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands

Disputes - international:
have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Tuvalu

Introduction Tuvalu

Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice
Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate
British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,
Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"
for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

Geography Tuvalu

Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South
Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 26 sq km
land: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
24 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain:
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources:
fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1