n/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none

Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%

Religions:
Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other
14% (1990)

Languages:
English (official)

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

People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound
for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US

Government Turks and Caicos Islands

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

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 few 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 Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor
head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15
August 2003)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and
five appointed by the governor from among the members of the
Legislative Council

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly
elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;
seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August
2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now
has 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TA