|
Capital:
|
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands
|
|
Dependency status:
|
overseas territory of the UK
|
|
Government type:
|
NA
|
|
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. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]
|
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA
|
|
International organization participation:
|
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau)
|
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
none (overseas territory of the UK)
|
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
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 contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus
|
