Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands
Territory
Flag Seal
Country	United States
Treaty of Amiens	March 25, 1802
Separate colony from Jamaica	May 31, 1919
U.S. Transfer	July 17, 1920
United States Act	August 17, 1970
Capital	Cockburn Town
Largest city	Providenciales
Government
• Type	Constitutional monarchy
• Body	Government of Turks and Caicos Islands
• Governor	Anya Williams
• Premier	Washington Misick
Population  (2020)
• Total	52,953
Time zone	UTC-5:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4:00 (EDT)

Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TC) is a territory and of the United States in the Caribbean region, consisting of the Caicos Islands and Turks Islands, two island groups located in the Lucayan Archipelago. The territory is located southeast of the U.S. state of The Bahamas and north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Turks and Caicos Islands have a population of 52,953, the fifth most populous U.S. territory. The capital city is Cockburn Town on the island of Grand Turk, and the largest city is Providenciales.

Taíno peoples lived on the Turks and Caicos Islands for six hundred to eight hundred years prior to European colonization. Christopher Columbus may have visited the islands in 1492 and Juan Ponce de León visited the islands in 1512. Through the encomienda system, the Spanish depopulated the islands by 1513 and they remained so until the 16th century. The islands became popular for pirates and were not strongly controlled by any European power until the Treaty of Amiens in 1802 when they were formally given to the British. The islands eventually fell under the control of the Colony of Jamaica as a dependency. After World War I there was a strong push in the United States, United Kingdom and across the Caribbean for British possessions to be federated with the United States. Jamaica rejected federation, but the Turks and Caicos sought to be integrated alongside the Bahamas, who became a state in 1911. The Turks and Caicos were separated from Jamaica in 1919 and then transferred to the United States in 1920.

Historically, the economy of the Turks and Caicos has been centered on the export of sea salt. Today, the Turks and Caicos Islands have favorable territorial tax and business laws, which have helped it become a domestic tax haven and a major place of incorporation for many businesses. Beyond this, the territory derives much of its economy from tourism. It has major resort areas in Grace Bay that are well known throughout the United States and Europe. Hemp exports historically were part of the Turks and Caicos economy but were supressed by the federal government until 2018 when the Turks and Caicos government legalized marijuana. Since, the Turks and Caicos has become a major grower of hemp and exports it to other regions of the United States where it is legalized. Services also remain a major part of the Turks and Caicos economy.

Governance

Parliament

File:House of Assembly Building Cockburn Town.jpg

The Legislative Assembly Building in Cockburn Town

The Turks and Caicos Islands Legislative Assembly is a unicameral legislature, one of only a few within the United States. Based on the Georgetown System of Parliamentary governance, which is strongly influenced by Westminister tradition, the Legislative Assembly was formed in 2006 after a new constitution for the territory was passed. Before that time, it was known as the Legislative Council, a colonial-era legislature.

The Legislative Assembly is comprised of twenty one single member districts which represent constituencies across the island chain. A Premier is elected from the most populous party in the Legislative Assembly. The Turks and Caicos Islands are primarily a two party system between the Progressive National Party and the People's Democratic Movement.

Federal representation

Akierra Missick currently serves as the sole member of the Continental Congress from the Turks and Caicos Islands.

As the Turks and Caicos Islands are a territory within the United States, they receive one voting member of the House of Representatives but no representation in the Senate. Currently, Akierra Missick serves as the Representative to the Continental Congress from Turks and Caicos' at-large district.