CIA - The World Factbook -- Cayman Islands

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Cayman Islands

Introduction

Cayman Islands

Background: The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during

the 18th and 19th centuries, and were administered by Jamaica after 1863. In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies, but when the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.
Geography Cayman Islands

Location: Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little

Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica
Geographic 19 30 N, 80 30 W coordinates: Map references: Central America and the Caribbean Area: total: 262 sq km

land: 262 sq km water: 0 sq km

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Area - 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC comparative: Land 0 km boundaries: Coastline: 160 km Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 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 lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m extremes: highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m Natural fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism resources: Land use: arable land: 3.85%

permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2005)

Irrigated land: NA Natural hurricanes (July to November) hazards: Environment - no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by current issues: rainwater catchments Geography - important location between Cuba and Central America note: People Cayman Islands

Population: 47,862

note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2008 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 19.9% (male 4,774/female 4,759)

15-64 years: 71.1% (male 16,594/female 17,434) 65 years and over: 9% (male 2,022/female 2,279) (2008 est.)
Median age: total: 37.8 years

male: 37.4 years female: 38.2 years (2008 est.)

Population 2.449% (2008 est.) growth rate: Birth rate: 12.43 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) Death rate: 4.83 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) Net migration 16.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population

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rate: note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2008 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality total: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births rate: male: 8.16 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 6.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy total population: 80.32 years at birth: male: 77.68 years

female: 83 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility 1.89 children born/woman (2008 est.) rate: HIV/AIDS - adult NA prevalence rate: HIV/AIDS - NA people living with HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS - NA deaths: Nationality: noun: Caymanian(s)

adjective: Caymanian
Ethnic groups: mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups

20%
Religions: Church of God 26%, United Church 11.8% (Presbyterian and

Congregational), Roman Catholic 11%, Baptist 8.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.2%, Anglican 5.7%, Pentacostal 5.3%, other Christian 2.7%, non-denominational 5.8%, other 3.8%, none 9.8%, unspecified 1.1% (1999 census)
Languages: English 95%, Spanish 3.2%, other 1.8% (1999 census) Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school

total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.)

School life total: 13 years expectancy male: 12 years (primary to female: 13 years (2001) tertiary education): Education 2.8% of GDP (2005) expenditures:

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Government

Cayman Islands

Country name: conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Cayman Islands

Dependency overseas territory of the UK status: Government British crown colony type: Capital: name: George Town (on Grand Cayman)

geographic coordinates: 19 18 N, 81 23 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, divisions: West End, Western Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK) National Constitution Day, first Monday in July holiday: Constitution: 1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994 Legal system: British common law and local statutes Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); branch: represented by Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005)

head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS (since 18 May 2005) cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor, four members elected by the Legislative Assembly) elections: the monarch is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or coalition is appointed by the governor Leader of Government Business
Legislative unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats; 3 appointed members from branch: the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; to serve four-year

terms) elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1
Judicial branch: Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal Political parties United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH]; People's and leaders: Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS]; note - no national

teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections
Political National Trust pressure other: environmentalists

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groups and leaders: International Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO organization (associate), UPU participation: Diplomatic none (overseas territory of the UK) representation in the US: Diplomatic none (overseas territory of the UK) representation from the US: Flag blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the description: Caymanian coat of arms 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 Cayman Islands

Economy - With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial overview: center. More than 68,000 companies were registered in the Cayman

Islands as of 2003, including almost 500 banks, 800 insurers, and 5,000 mutual funds. 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 2.1 million in 2003, with about half from the US. 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 $1.939 billion (2004 est.) (purchasing power parity): GDP (official $NA exchange rate): GDP - real 0.9% (2004 est.) growth rate: GDP - per capita $43,800 (2004 est.) (PPP): GDP - agriculture: 1.4% composition by industry: 3.2% sector: services: 95.4% (1994 est.) Labor force: 23,450 (2004) Labor force - by agriculture: 1.4% occupation: industry: 12.6%

services: 86% (1995)

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Unemployment 4.4% (2004) rate: Population NA% below poverty line: Household lowest 10%: NA% income or highest 10%: NA% consumption by percentage share: Inflation rate 4.4% (2004) (consumer prices): Budget: revenues: $423.8 million

expenditures: $392.6 million (2004)

Agriculture - vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming products: Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction

materials, furniture
Industrial NA% production growth rate: Electricity - 400 million kWh (2005) production: Electricity - fossil fuel: 100% production by hydro: 0% source: nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 372 million kWh (2005) consumption: Electricity - 0 kWh (2005) exports: Electricity - 0 kWh (2005) imports: Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2005) Oil - 2,700 bbl/day (2005 est.) consumption: Oil - exports: 0 bbl/day (2004) Oil - imports: 2,698 bbl/day (2004) Oil - proved 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) reserves: Natural gas - 0 cu m (2005 est.)

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production: Natural gas - 0 cu m (2005 est.) consumption: Natural gas - 0 cu m (2005 est.) exports: Natural gas - 0 cu m (2005) imports: Natural gas - 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) proved reserves: Exports: $2.52 million (2004) Exports - turtle products, manufactured consumer goods commodities: Exports - mostly US (2006) partners: Imports: $866.9 million (2004) Imports - foodstuffs, manufactured goods commodities: Imports - US, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2006) partners: Economic aid - $390,000 (2004) recipient: Debt - external: $70 million (1996) Stock of direct $NA foreign investment - at home: Stock of direct $NA foreign investment abroad: Market value of $130 million (2005) publicly traded shares: Currency Caymanian dollar (KYD) (code): Currency code: KYD Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.8496 (2006) Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March Communications Cayman Islands

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Telephones - 38,000 (2002) main lines in use: Telephones - 33,800 (2004) mobile cellular: Telephone general assessment: reasonably good system system: domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003; introduction of

competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004 international: country code - 1-345; landing point for the MAYA-1 submarine telephone cable network that provides links to the US and parts of Central and South America; submarine cable provides connectivity to Jamaica; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Radio AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004) broadcast stations: Radios: 36,000 (1997) Television 4 with cable system (2004) broadcast stations: Televisions: 7,000 (1997) Internet country .ky code: Internet hosts: 4,888 (2007) Internet Service 16 (2000) Providers (ISPs): Internet users: 22,000 (2007) Transportation Cayman Islands Airports: 3 (2007) Airports - with total: 2 paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007) Airports - with total: 1 unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) runways: Roadways: total: 785 km

paved: 785 km (2007)

Merchant total: 113 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,834,190 GRT/4,299,409 DWT marine: by type: bulk carrier 32, cargo 4, chemical tanker 42, liquefied gas 1,

passenger 1, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 110 (Denmark 3, Germany 15, Greece 18, Italy 5, Japan

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12, Norway 1, Singapore 10, UK 4, US 42) (2008)

Ports and Cayman Brac, George Town terminals: Military Cayman Islands

Military no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (2007) branches: Manpower males age 16-49: 11,790 (2008 est.) available for military service: Manpower fit for males age 16-49: 9,577 (2008 est.) military service: Manpower male: 336 reaching female: 336 (2008 est.) militarily significant age annually: Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK Transnational Cayman Islands Issues Disputes - none international: Illicit drugs: offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and

Europe
This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008

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