Legend:  Definition
 Field
Listing  Rank
Order
|
Background:
|
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. |
|
Population:
|
41,934 (July 2003 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 21.6% (male 4,525; female 4,541)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 14,463; female 15,157)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 1,515; female 1,733) (2003
est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 36.1 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 36.4 years (2002) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
2.79% (2003 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
13.33 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
19.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the
US (2003 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: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 8.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 9.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 79.67 years
male: 77.08 years
female: 82.3 years (2003 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.91 children born/woman (2003 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:
|
United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist,
Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
|
Languages:
|
English |
|
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 |
|
Capital:
|
George Town |
|
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 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) |
|
Legislative branch:
|
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 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 [leader NA]; Democratic
Alliance [leader NA]; Team Cayman [leader NA]; United Democratic
Party [leader NA] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
Caricom (associate), 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 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 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. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
1.7% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $35,000 (2002 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):
|
2.8% (2002) |
|
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:
|
381.9 million kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
355.2 million kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA (2001) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA (2001) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming |
|
Exports:
|
$1.2 million (1999) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
turtle products, manufactured consumer goods |
|
Exports - partners:
|
mostly US |
|
Imports:
|
$457.4 million (1999) |
|
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) |
|
Currency code:
|
KYD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3
November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 April - 31 March
|
|
Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total: 785 km
paved: 785 km (2000) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Cayman Brac, George Town |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 123 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,402,058 GRT/3,792,094
DWT
ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 5, chemical tanker 31, container
2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 35,
roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Bahrain 2, China 1, Germany 4, Greece 27,
Hong Kong 3, Italy 2, Japan 1, Norway 14, Sweden 13, United Kingdom
15, United States 35 (2002 est.) |
|
Airports:
|
3 (2002) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
|
This page was last updated on 18 December,
2003
|
