Cayman Islands
parliamentary democracyIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Cayman Islands as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 119 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica
17 fieldsLand useshare of 264 sq km
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
Climate
tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Environment - current issues
no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments
People
22 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Religions(1999 census)
Net migration rate
16.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 3 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.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Premier McKeeva BUSH (since 6 November 2009)
19 fieldsLegislative Assembly, 15 seats, elected 20 May 2009one dot, one seat
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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005)
- 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
Political parties and leaders
United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS]
International organization participation
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WFTU
Flag description
a blue field, 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 crest with a pineapple, representing the connection with Jamaica, and a turtle, representing Cayman's seafaring tradition, above a shield bearing a golden lion, symbolizing Great Britain, below which are three green stars (representing the three islands) surmounting white and blue wavy lines representing the sea and a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto HE HATH FOUNDED IT UPON THE SEAS
Economy
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center.
39 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1994 est.)
Electricity
Economy - overview
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 68,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2003, including almost 500 banks, 800 insurers, and 5,000 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 2.1 million in 2003, 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.
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 109 ships by type
Military
No regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (2008)
5 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe (2008)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Cayman Islands.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cayman-islands/2009.