Cayman Islands Population: 49,035
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| 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. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. |
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| Geography | |
| Important location between Cuba and Central America | |
| 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 coordinates: | 19 30 N, 80 30 W |
| Area: |
total: 264 sq km
land:
264 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Size comparison: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 160 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm 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 extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m |
| Natural resources: | fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism |
| Land use: | arable land: 3.85% permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | NA |
| Natural hazards: | hurricanes (July to November) |
| Current Environment Issues: | no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments |
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| People | |
| Population: | 49,035 country comparison to the world: 207 note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2009 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 19.6% (male 4,824/female 4,783) 15-64 years: 71.1% (male 16,994/female 17,884) 65 years and over: 9.3% (male 2,139/female 2,411) (2009 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 38.1 years male: 37.7 years female: 38.6 years (2009 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.394% (2009 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 12.36 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Death rate: | 4.89 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 16.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2009 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 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 (2009 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 80.44 years male: 77.8 years female: 83.14 years (2009 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.88 children born/woman (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| 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%, Pentecostal 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.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy |
| 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 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: | The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009, 6 November 2009 |
| 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); represented by Governor Duncan TAYLOR (since 15 January 2010) head of government: Premier McKeeva BUSH (since 6 November 2009) cabinet: The Cabinet (six members appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier, selected from among the elected members of 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 as premier |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; 18 elected by popular vote and 2 ex officio members from The Cabinet; to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 20 May 2009 (next to be held not later than May 2013) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UDP 9, PPM 5, independent 1 |
| Judicial branch: | Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal; Summary Court |
| Political parties and leaders: | United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | National Trust other: environmentalists |
| International organization participation: | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WFTU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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| Economy | |
| With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 93,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2008, including almost 300 banks, 800 insurers, and 10,000 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 1.9 million in 2008, 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 (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.939 billion (2004 est.) $1.922 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $2.25 billion (2008 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.9% (2004 est.); 0.9% (2004 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $43,800 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
| Labor force: | 39,000 note: nearly 55% are non-nationals (2007) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 1.9% industry: 19.1% services: 79% (2008) |
| Unemployment rate: | 4.4% (2004 est.); NA% |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2004 est.) 4.4% (2004) |
| Budget: | revenues: $423.8 million expenditures: $392.6 million (2004) |
| Agriculture - products: | vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming |
| Industries: | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture |
| Industrial production growth rate: | NA% |
| Electricity - production: | 546 million kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 507.8 million kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2008 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2008 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 3,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 3,294 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2008 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $2.52 million (2004 est.) $2.52 million (2004) |
| Exports - commodities: | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods |
| Imports: | $866.9 million (2004 est.) $866.9 million (2004) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels |
| Debt - external: | $70 million (1996 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $NA |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $NA |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA (31 December 2008) $183.5 million (31 December 2007) $188.4 million (31 December 2006) |
| Exchange rates: | Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 0.8496 (2006) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 38,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 172 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 33,800 (2004) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: reasonably good 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 broadcast stations: | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 4 with cable system (2004) |
| Internet country code: | .ky |
| Internet hosts: | 21,428 (2009) |
| Internet users: | 23,000 (2008) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 3 (2009) country comparison to the world: 196 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2009) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009) |
| Roadways: | total: 785 km paved: 785 km (2007) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 109 by type: bulk carrier 30, cargo 2, chemical tanker 42, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 7 foreign-owned: 107 (Denmark 3, Germany 15, Greece 16, Italy 4, Japan 13, Norway 1, Singapore 10, UK 3, US 42) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Cayman Brac, George Town |
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| Military | |
| Defense is the responsibility of the UK | |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (2008) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 11,790 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 9,735 females age 16-49: 10,145 (2009 est.) |
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