Turks & Caicos

Territory: Turks and Caicos Islands

Status: British overseas territory

Population: 30,600 (via UN, 2006)

Area: 430 sq km (166 sq miles)

Capital: Cockburn Town, on Grand Turk

Major language: English

Major religion: Christianity

Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 76 years (women)

Monetary unit: US dollar = 100 cents

Main exports: Lobster, conch

GNI per capita: US$10,346 (2002)

Internet domain: .tc

International dialling code: +1 649

The Turks and Caicos Islands, a British overseas territory, enjoys one of the more dynamic economies in the West Indies.

Tourism and offshore finance have replaced salt production as the main sources of prosperity for the low-lying islands and cays.

However, the British government imposed direct rule in August 2009 after a commission of enquiry found evidence of widespread corruption among the ruling elite.

Upmarket tourism is centred on Providenciales, or Provo. Coral reefs and 200 miles of beaches draw holidaymakers and divers, mostly from the US and Canada. But over-development is a concern; some fragile eco-systems, including wetlands and lagoons, are designated as protected areas.

Independence moves in the 1980s ended when a pro-dependency government was elected. Islanders have British citizenship. The territory enjoys strong links with Canada and politicians have occasionally mooted a political and economic union.

Once a dependency of Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos Islands became a crown colony upon Jamaican independence in 1962. The original inhabitants were Taino indians; later arrivals included slaves, brought from Africa to work on cotton plantations. Their descendants make up a majority of the population.

Wealthy retirees are among the more recent settlers. At the other end of the economic scale, migrants come from impoverished Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In turn, thousands of Turks and Caicos citizens take advantage of job prospects in the neighbouring Bahamas.

information provided by www.bbcnews.co.uk