CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Cayman Islands


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!| 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 0 sq km land: 262 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: The Bluff 43 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Geography - note:
 * Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras
 * 19 30 N, 80 30 W
 * Central America and the Caribbean
 * total: 262 sq km
 * 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
 * 0 km
 * 160 km
 * territorial sea: 12 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
 * fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
 * arable land: 3.85%
 * NA sq km
 * 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
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 70.6% (male 14,858; female 15,593) 65 years and over: 8% (male 1,607; female 1,821) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 36.2 years female: 36.8 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2004 est.) !| Sex ratio: 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.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 7.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 9.64 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 77.21 years female: 82.45 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Caymanian !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.)
 * 43,103 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 4,608; female 4,616)
 * total: 36.5 years
 * 2.71% (2004 est.)
 * 13.11 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 4.76 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 18.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population
 * at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
 * total: 8.41 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 79.81 years
 * 1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * NA
 * NA
 * NA
 * noun: Caymanian(s)
 * 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
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Cayman Islands !| Dependency status: !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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: elections: last held 8 November 2000 (next to be held 17 November 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: !| Diplomatic representation from the US: !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * overseas territory of the UK
 * British crown colony
 * George Town
 * 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 1972 and 1992
 * British common law and local statutes
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Governor Bruce DINWIDDY (since 29 May 2002)
 * unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: NA !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $1.27 billion (2002 est.)
 * 1.7% (2002 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $35,000 (2002 est.)
 * agriculture: 1.4%
 * NA (2002 est.)
 * lowest 10%: NA
 * 2.8% (2002)
 * 19,820 (1995)
 * agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995)
 * 4.1% (1997)
 * revenues: $265.2 million
 * vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming
 * tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture
 * NA
 * 381.9 million kWh (2001)
 * 355.2 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 2,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $1.2 million (1999)
 * turtle products, manufactured consumer goods
 * mostly US
 * $457.4 million (1999)
 * foodstuffs, manufactured goods
 * US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan
 * $70 million (1996)
 * NA (1999)
 * 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
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: NA international: country code - 1-345; 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 38,000 (2002)
 * 17,000 (2002)
 * general assessment: NA
 * AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
 * 36,000 (1997)
 * 1 with cable system
 * 7,000 (1997)
 * .ky
 * 16 (2000)
 * NA
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!| Highways: paved: 785 km (2000) !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.) 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 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 !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
 * total: 785 km
 * Cayman Brac, George Town
 * total: 137 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,827,837 GRT/4,555,974 DWT
 * 3 (2003 est.)
 * total: 2
 * total: 1
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!| Military branches: !| Military - note:
 * no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force
 * defense is the responsibility of the UK
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