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Background:
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 The
Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British
during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica
since 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when
the former became independent. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island
group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba
to Honduras |
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Map references:
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Central
America and the Caribbean |
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Area:
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total: 262
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 262 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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1.5 times the
size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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160 km |
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Climate:
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tropical marine;
warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry
winters (November to April) |
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Terrain:
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low-lying
limestone base surrounded by coral reefs |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff 43 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, climate and
beaches that foster tourism |
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Land use:
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arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (July
to November) |
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Environment - current issues:
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no natural fresh
water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by
rainwater catchments |
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Geography - note:
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important
location between Cuba and Central America |
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Population:
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43,103 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
21.4% (male 4,608; female 4,616)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 14,858; female 15,593)
65 years and over: 8% (male 1,607; female 1,821) (2004
est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
36.5 years
male: 36.2 years
female: 36.8 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.71% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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13.11
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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4.76 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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18.75 migrant(s)/1,000
population
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to
the US (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
8.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 9.64 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 79.81 years
male: 77.21 years
female: 82.45 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian |
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Ethnic groups:
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mixed 40%, white
20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% |
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Religions:
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United Church
(Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church
of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
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Languages:
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English |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1970 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
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Dependency status:
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overseas
territory of the UK |
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Government type:
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British
crown colony |
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Capital:
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George
Town |
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Administrative divisions:
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8
districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay,
Stake Bay, West End, Western |
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Independence:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday:
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Constitution
Day, first Monday in July |
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Constitution:
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1959,
revised 1972 and 1992 |
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Legal system:
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British
common law and local statutes |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Governor Bruce DINWIDDY (since 29 May 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the
governor is appointed by the monarch; the chief secretary is
appointed by the governor
head of government: Chief Secretary W. McKeeva BUSH
(since NA December 2001)
cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by
the governor, four members elected by the Legislative
Assembly) |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members from
the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 2000 (next to be held
17 November 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA |
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Judicial branch:
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Summary
Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal |
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Political parties and leaders:
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no
national teams (loose groupings of political organizations)
were formed for the 2000 elections; United Democratic Party or
UDP [leader McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or
PPM [leader Kurt TIBBETTS] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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Caricom
(associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO
(associate) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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Economy - overview:
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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 1998, 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 in 1997, with 600,000
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. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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1.7% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $35,000 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
1.4%
industry: 3.2%
services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% (2002 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.8% (2002) |
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Labor force:
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19,820 (1995) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 1.4%,
industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995) |
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Unemployment rate:
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4.1% (1997) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$265.2 million
expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1997) |
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Industries:
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tourism, banking,
insurance and finance, construction, construction materials,
furniture |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity - production:
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381.9 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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355.2 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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2,400 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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vegetables,
fruit; livestock, turtle farming |
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Exports:
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$1.2 million
(1999) |
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Exports - commodities:
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turtle products,
manufactured consumer goods |
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Exports - partners:
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mostly US |
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Imports:
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$457.4 million
(1999) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs,
manufactured goods |
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Imports - partners:
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US, Trinidad and
Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan |
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Debt - external:
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$70 million
(1996) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA (1999) |
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Currency:
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Caymanian dollar
(KYD) |
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Currency code:
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KYD |
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Exchange rates:
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Caymanian dollars
per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November
1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31
March |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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38,000 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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17,000 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-345; 1 submarine
coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 5,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 with cable
system |
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Internet country code:
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.ky |
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Highways:
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total: 785
km
paved: 785 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Cayman Brac,
George Town |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 137
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,827,837 GRT/4,555,974 DWT
by type: bulk 27, cargo 7, chemical tanker 36,
container 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 25,
refrigerated cargo 33, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea/passenger
1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Germany 9, Greece 25, Hong Kong 3, Italy
14, Norway 4, Singapore 1, Spain 11, Sweden 13, Switzerland 1,
United Kingdom 18, United States 43
registered in other countries: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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3 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no regular
military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force |
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Military - note:
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defense is the
responsibility of the UK |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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offshore
financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US
and Europe |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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