| Background: |
The Cayman
Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during
the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica from
1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the
former became independent. |
| Location: |
Caribbean, island
group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba
to Honduras |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
19 30 N, 80 30 W |
| Map
references: |
Central America
and the Caribbean |
| Area: |
total:
259 sq km
land: 259 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
1.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive
fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
tropical marine;
warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively
dry winters (November to April) |
| Terrain: |
low-lying
limestone base surrounded by coral reefs |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff 43 m |
| Natural
resources: |
fish, climate and
beaches that foster tourism |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 23%
other: 69% (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
hurricanes (July
to November) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
no natural fresh
water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by
rainwater catchment |
| Geography
- note: |
important
location between Cuba and Central America |
| Population: |
35,527 (July 2001
est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
22.21% (male 3,807; female 4,084)
15-64 years: 69.74% (male 12,102; female
12,676)
65 years and over: 8.05% (male 1,318; female
1,540) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.12% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
13.79
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
5.15 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
12.58 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.)
note: major destination for Cubans trying to
migrate to the US |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
0.86 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
10.16
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 79.03 years
male: 76.24 years
female: 81.43 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.04 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
mixed 40%, white
20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% |
| Religions: |
United Church
(Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman
Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1970 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
| Dependency
status: |
overseas
territory of the UK |
| Government
type: |
British crown
colony |
| Administrative
divisions: |
8 districts;
Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay,
West End, Western |
| Independence: |
none (overseas
territory of the UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Constitution Day,
first Monday in July |
| Constitution: |
1959, revised
1972 and 1992 |
| Legal
system: |
British common
law and local statutes |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Governor and President of the Executive Council Peter SMITH
(since 5 May 1999)
head of government: Kurt TIBBETTS (since
November 2000)
cabinet: Executive Council (three members
appointed by the governor, four members elected by the
Legislative Assembly)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the
governor is appointed by the monarch |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members and
15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 2000 (next to
be held NA November 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats
- NA |
| Judicial
branch: |
Summary Court;
Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
there are no
formal political parties but the following loose groupings
act as political organizations; National Team; Democratic
Alliance; Team Cayman |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
Caricom
(observer), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO
(associate) |
| 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
Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk centered on the outer
half of the flag; the coat of arms includes a pineapple and
turtle above a shield with three stars (representing the
three islands) and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto
HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS |
| Economy
- overview: |
With no direct
taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial
center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the
Cayman Islands as of 1997, including almost 600 banks and
trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. A stock
exchange was opened in 1997. Tourism is also a mainstay,
accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency
earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market
and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total
tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million visitors in 1997.
About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be
imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs
per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the
world. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $930 million (1997 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4.9% (1999 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $24,500 (1997 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
1.4%
industry: 3.2%
services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3% (1998) |
| Labor
force: |
19,820 (1995) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 1.4%,
industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
4.1% (1997) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$265.2 million
expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1997) |
| Industries: |
tourism, banking,
insurance and finance, construction, construction materials,
furniture |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
330 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
306.9 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
vegetables,
fruit; livestock, turtle farming |
| Exports: |
$1.5 million
(1998) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
turtle products,
manufactured consumer goods |
| Exports
- partners: |
mostly US |
| Imports: |
$507.6 million
(1998) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs,
manufactured goods |
| Imports
- partners: |
US, Trinidad and
Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan |
| Debt
- external: |
$70 million
(1996) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
Caymanian dollar
(KYD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Caymanian dollars
per US dollar - 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November
1993) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31
March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
19,000 (1995) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
2,534 (1995) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 1 submarine coaxial cable;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 5,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
NA |
| Televisions: |
7,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.ky |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
16 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
406 km
paved: 304 km
unpaved: 102 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Cayman Brac,
George Town |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
106 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,656,452 GRT/2,643,036
DWT
ships by type: bulk 21, cargo 5, chemical
tanker 27, container 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker
13, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 4, specialized
tanker 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships
registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 2, Denmark
2, Finland 1, Greece 11, Norway 3, UK 3, US 3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Royal Cayman
Islands Police Force (RCIPF) |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
vulnerable to
drug money laundering and drug transshipment to the US and
Europe |
|
