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Turks & Caicos - People

The predominant race is black (90%) and the official language is English. With significant immigration of refugees and job seekers from nearby Haiti and the Dominican Republic, French Creole and Spanish are widely spoken in the territory. The Turks & Caicos Islands are located between Haiti and the Bahamas and have long been a destination and smuggling route for Haitian migrants.

While there are some 40 plus cays that make up the Turks and Caicos Islands, only eight of them are inhabited by people. The Turks and Caicos natives are called “Belongers” or “Turks and Caicos Islanders”, and are either descendants from African slaves who were originally brought over to grow cotton and work in the salt industry, or have immigrated here from the neighboring countries.

The majority of the Turks and Caicos Islanders are black descendants from the early Bermudan, Loyalist and slave settlers and salt-rakers dating back 300 years. The half inch thick telephone directory reflects this heritage, with long listings under the names Astwood, Butterfield, Forbes, Lightbourne, Stubbs, and Williams. The majority of the "Belonger" population are descendents of Africans who were brought to the Caribbean with Bermudians in the 1700's to work on the salt pans and later with Loyalists to work on cotton plantations.

There is also a growing number of "expatriate" residents of North American, European and Asian descent. The local population mixes harmoniously with a large expatriate community of British, American, French, Canadian, Haitians, Dominicans and Scandinavians, giving the islands an international influence and unique culture. The people here – both Expats and Belongers – are relaxed and friendly and generally operate on “island time”, resulting in a low-key, slow-paced environment.

English is the official language in the Turks & Caicos Islands, however, a number of expatriate residents speaks Creole (spoken in the Haitian community), French, and Spanish. The Turks and Caicos immigrant population is a rapidly expanding group of Haitians, Dominicans and Cubans as well as many residents from all over the world. The majority are Canadian and American, but there are also residents from South Africa, Europe, Oceana, South America and Asia.

Local bands play anything from reggae, salsa to rake and scrape, all creating relaxing island vibes. Musicians appear at local restaurants, bars and hotels most evenings. With the increase in residents from throughout the Caribbean, the music is becoming more varied with a strong influence from the Dominican Republic.

Population growth slowed from an average of 13% per annum during 2000–2005 to less than 5% per annum in 2006–2010 (from 33,202 in 2006 to 34,435 in 2010), even showing a negative growth of approximately 2.7% per annum in 2008–2010.

The inward migration of non-nationals to the Turks and Caicos Islands saw the non-national population grow to 67% of the resident population in 2008. The impact of the influx of persons aged 25–44 years (of prime working age and including women of childbearing age) is reflected in that age group of the 2008 pyramid and probably contributed to the dependency ratio decreasing from 48% in 2001 to 32.5% in 2008. However, the relatively small denominators and even smaller numerators make it necessary for changes in demographics to be cautiously interpreted. Overall, life expectancy for males and females increased from 71.2 years and 75.5 years, respectively, in 2001 to 73.1 years and 77.8 years in 2008.