Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic southeast of the Bahamas. The capital is Cockburn Town.

Find Turks and Caicos Islands

● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.

At a glance

Capital: Cockburn Town
Languages: English
Currency: United States dollar (USD)
Population: 46,8552025 · World Bank
Area: 948 km²366.02 square miles
Separate territory: 1962British Overseas Territory.

Turks and Caicos Islands in context

North America and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Cockburn Town; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.

Natural Earth · locator map

Geography & languages

Physical geography

Low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps.

Languages

Languages used in public life include English.

Location

two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti; note - although the Turks and Caicos Islands do not border the Caribbean Sea, geopolitically they are often designated as being Caribbean.

Flag

Blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the right half of the flag; the shield is yellow and displays a conch shell, a spiny lobster, and Turk's cap cactus

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

History & status

The Turks and Caicos Islands were administered with Jamaica before becoming a separate British colony in 1962. They later had their own governor and expanded local institutions. They remain a British Overseas Territory with elected government for domestic affairs.

1962
Separate British colony status begins
1973
A separate governor is appointed
2012
Elected government resumes under a new constitution

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Economy

Main activities

Tourism, real estate, construction and related services dominate activity. Fishing also contributes, and many goods are imported. Most visitor development is on Providenciales, while Cockburn Town on Grand Turk is the capital.

Industry and production

Accommodation, restaurants, construction, real estate and fishing are notable activities.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Population & economic trends

Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.

Population, 1970–2025

Thousands of people

46.92025 · thousands of people

Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.

Sources: World Bank · Population

View data table

Population: source values and plotted units
Year	People	Thousands of people
1970	5,667	5.667
1980	7,564	7.564
1990	11,688	11.688
2000	18,730	18.730
2010	29,739	29.739
2020	44,386	44.386
2025	46,855	46.855

Real GDP, 2007–2024

Billions of constant 2015 US dollars

2.72024 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars

Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.

Sources: World Bank · Real GDP

View data table

Real GDP: source values and plotted units
Year	Constant 2015 US$	Billions of constant 2015 US dollars
2007	984,236,608	0.984
2008	1,065,651,608	1.066
2009	857,314,089	0.857
2010	865,757,989	0.866
2011	905,760,327	0.906
2012	881,607,725	0.882
2013	891,048,690	0.891
2014	968,670,577	0.969
2015	1,078,274,000	1.078
2016	1,156,461,656	1.156
2017	2,019,043,138	2.019
2018	2,155,382,024	2.155
2019	2,262,756,808	2.263
2020	1,497,558,136	1.498
2021	1,941,275,299	1.941
2022	2,214,745,146	2.215
2023	2,518,855,083	2.519
2024	2,660,838,540	2.661

Government

A British Overseas Territory with an elected legislature and a Premier leading the government. A Governor represents the monarch; the UK retains responsibilities including defence and external affairs.

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Knowledge check

Three questions about Turks and Caicos Islands.

QUESTION 1 OF 3

Which currency is listed for the Turks and Caicos Islands?

Sources & notes

Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile

Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.

Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.