Turks and Caicos Islands

There are eight major islands in the Turks and Caicos chain. The Turks Islands are Grand Turk (the capital) and Salt Cay. The Caicos Islands are West Caicos, Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, and South Caicos. The population of the TCI in 2000 was 17,502 (U. S. Census Bureau). The o1cial language of the TCI is English. Most of the population is concentrated on Providenciales (Provo) and Grand Turk. Provo, a popular tourist destination, has several large resorts (Club Med, Sandals) and a population of approxi- mately 7,000 (1990 Census Data). Grand Turk, the seat of government, has approximately 4,000 inhabitants (1990 Census Data). The remainder of the population lives in the sparsely populated islands of North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, and Salt Cay. Approximately 90% of the population throughout the islands is black. The white population (approximately 5%) is made up of British civil servants and a handful of North Americans who run local businesses. The literacy rate in the TCI is 86.7% (Meditz & Hanratty 1989). The economy of the TCI is increasingly based on tourism and the oŸshore banking industry (Cutler 2003, p. 52).