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.

Caribbean, three island (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) group in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica

19 30 N, 80 30 W

Central America and the Caribbean

total: 262 sq km
land: 262 sq km
water: 0 sq km

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

0 km

160 km

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)

low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m

fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

arable land: 3.85%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 96.15% (2005)

NA

hurricanes (July to November)

no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments

important location between Cuba and Central America

45,436
note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 20.7% (male 4,708/female 4,700)
15-64 years: 70.9% (male 15,707/female 16,504)
65 years and over: 8.4% (male 1,793/female 2,024) (2006 est.)

total: 37.2 years
male: 36.8 years
female: 37.5 years (2006 est.)

2.56% (2006 est.)

12.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

4.89 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

17.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2006 est.)

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 (2006 est.)

total: 8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 80.07 years
male: 77.45 years
female: 82.74 years (2006 est.)

1.9 children born/woman (2006 est.)

NA

NA

NA

noun: Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian

mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%

United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

English

definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 98% (1970 est.)

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands

overseas territory of the UK

British crown colony

George Town (Grand Cayman)

8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Constitution Day, first Monday in July

1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994

British common law and local statutes

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); 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: none; 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

unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, 3 appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members 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

Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal

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]

NA

Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU

none (overseas territory of the UK)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the 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

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.

$1.391 billion (2004 est.)

NA

1.7% (2002 est.)

$32,300 (2004 est.)

agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 3.2%
services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

19,820 (1995)

agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 12.6%
services: 86% (1995)

4.1% (1997)

NA%

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

2.8% (2002)

revenues: $265.2 million
expenditures: $248.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)

vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming

tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture

NA%

441.9 million kWh (2003)

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

411 million kWh (2003)

0 kWh (2003)

0 kWh (2003)

0 bbl/day (2003)

2,450 bbl/day (2003 est.)

NA bbl/day

NA bbl/day

0 cu m (2003 est.)

0 cu m (2003 est.)

$1.2 million (1999)

turtle products, manufactured consumer goods

mostly US (2004)

$457.4 million (1999)

foodstuffs, manufactured goods

US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2004)

$70 million (1996)

$NA

Caymanian dollar (KYD)

KYD

Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993)

1 April - 31 March

38,000 (2002)

17,000 (2002)

general assessment: reasonably good system
domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003 reflected in falling prices and improving services
international: country code - 1-345; 2 submarine fiber optic cables (Maya-1, Cayman-Jamaica); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004)

36,000 (1997)

4 with cable system (2004)

7,000 (1997)

.ky

5,069 (2005)

16 (2000)

9,909 (2003)

3 (2005)

total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2005)

total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)

total: 785 km
paved: 785 km (2002)

total: 132 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,667,086 GRT/4,255,739 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 14, chemical tanker 38, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 26, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 130 (Bermuda 2, Denmark 13, Germany 14, Greece 22, Italy 11, Malaysia 1, Norway 2, Philippines 1, Poland 1, Sweden 12, UK 9, US 42) (2005)

Cayman Brac, George Town

no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force

males age 18-49: 10,703 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 8,600 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49: 257 (2005 est.)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

none

offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe