Cayman Islands
parliamentary democracyIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Cayman Islands as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 135 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 freshwater resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments
People and Society
25 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Religions(2007)
Net migration rate
15.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 7 note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2012 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:
- 0.9 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Premier Juliana O'CONNOR-CONNOLLY (since 19 December 2012) note: Mckeeva BUSH was defeated in a no-confidence vote on 18 December 2012
20 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 Duncan TAYLOR (since 15 January 2010)
- head of government:
- Premier Juliana O'CONNOR-CONNOLLY (since 19 December 2012) note: Mckeeva BUSH was defeated in a no-confidence vote on 18 December 2012
- cabinet:
- The Cabinet (six members are appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier, selected from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly); (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- the monarchy is hereditary;
- the governor appointed by the monarch;
- following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or coalition appointed by the governor as premier
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Assembly (20 seats; 18 members elected by popular vote and 2 ex officio members from The Cabinet; to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 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
People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS]; United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH]
International organization participation
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas territory of the UK); consular services provided through the US Embassy in Jamaica
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
National anthem
- name:
- "Beloved Isle Cayman"
- lyrics/music:
- Leila E. ROSS
note: adopted 1993; served as an unofficial anthem since 1930; as a territory of the United Kingdom, in addition to the local anthem, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center.
29 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2012 est.)
Economy - overview
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. Nearly 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy a standard of living comparable to that of Switzerland.
Exchange rates
Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar - 0.83 (2012 est.) · 0.83 (2011 est.) · 0.83 (2010 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 152,600 kW(2009 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
273,500 Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 193
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- reasonably good overall telephone system with a high fixed-line teledensity
- domestic:
- liberalization of telecom market in 2003; introduction of competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004
- international:
- country code - 1-345;
- landing points for the Maya-1, Eastern Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS), and the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System submarine cables that provide links to the US and parts of Central and South America;
- satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
Broadcast media
- 4 TV stations;
- cable and satellite subscription services offer a variety of international programming;
- government-owned Radio Cayman operates 2 networks broadcasting on 5 stations;
- 10 privately-owned radio stations operate alongside Radio Cayman (2007)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 116 ships by type
Military
No regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (2012)
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 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cayman-islands/2012.