| Country name | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI etymology: the Turks Islands are named after the Turk's cap cactus (native to the islands and appearing on the flag and coat of arms), while the Caicos Islands derive from the native term "caya hico" meaning "string of islands" |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy |
| Capital | name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town) geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: named after Sir Francis Cockburn, who served as governor of the Bahamas from 1837 to 1844 |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National holiday | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest signed 7 August 2012, effective 15 October 2012 (The Turks and Caicos Constitution Order 2011) amendments: NA |
| Legal system | mixed legal system of English common law and civil law |
| Citizenship | see United Kingdom |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Nigel DAKIN (since 15 July 2019) head of government: Premier Washington MISICK (since 19 February 2021) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor from among members of the House of Assembly elections/appointments: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats; 15 members in multi-seat constituencies and a single all-islands constituency directly elected by simple majority vote, 1 member nominated by the premier and appointed by the governor, 1 nominated by the opposition party leader and appointed by the governor, and 2 from the Turks and Caicos Islands Civic Society directly appointed by the governor, and 2 ex-officio members; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 19 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025) election results: percent of vote (preliminary) - PNP 56.2%, PDM 39%, other 4.8%; seats by party - PNP 14, PDM 1; composition (of elected members) - men 12, women 3; percent of women 20% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and other judges, as determined by the governor); Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 2 justices); note - appeals beyond the Supreme Court are referred to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges appointed by the governor in accordance with the Judicial Service Commission, a 3-member body of high-level judicial officials; Supreme Court judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65, but terms can be extended to age 70; Appeals Court judge tenure determined by individual terms of appointment subordinate courts: magistrates' courts |
| Political parties and leaders | People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Sean ASTWOOD] Progressive National Party or PNP [Washington MISICK] |
| International organization participation | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Flag description | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turk's cap cactus - three common elements of the islands' biota |
| National symbol(s) | conch shell, Turk's cap cactus |
| National anthem | name: This Land of Ours lyrics/music: Conrad HOWELL note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is the official anthem (see United Kingdom) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
