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 but when the Federation dissolved in 1962 the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.

Geographic coordinates: 19 30 N 80 30 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 262 km²
Land: 262 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 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
Extremes 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)

Geography
Note: important location between Cuba and Central America

Population
Note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 2.496% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Caymanian
Adjective: Caymanian

Ethnic groups: mixed 40% white 20% black 20% expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%

Languages: English

Religions: United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational) Anglican Baptist Church of God other Protestant Roman Catholic

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.3% (male 4,746/female 4,730)
15-64 years: 71% (male 16,135/female 16,964)
65 years and over: 8.6% (male 1,892/female 2,133) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 37.5 years
Male: 37.1 years
Female: 37.9 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.496% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 12.6 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 4.98 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate
Note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2005 est.)

Environment
Current issues: no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.003 male/female
15-64 years: 0.951 male/female
65 years and over: 0.887 male/female
Total population: 0.956 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.8 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 8.94 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.65 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.2 years
Male: 77.57 years
Female: 82.87 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

Government type: British crown colony

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

Executive branch
Cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor, four members elected by the Legislative Assembly)
Elections: none; 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 Leader of Government Business

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1

Judicial branch: Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS]; note - no national teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections

International organization participation: Caricom (associate) CDB Interpol (subbureau) IOC UNESCO (associate) UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1.939 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 0.9% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $43,800 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.4%
Industry: 3.2%
Services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables fruit; livestock; turtle farming

Industries: tourism banking insurance and finance construction construction materials furniture

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 23,450 (2004)
By occupation agriculture: 1.4%
By occupation industry: 12.6%
By occupation services: 86% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2004)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $423.8 million
Expenditures: $392.6 million (2004)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.4% (2004)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $130 million (2005)

Exports: $2.52 million (2004)
Commodities: turtle products manufactured consumer goods
Partners: mostly US (2005)

Imports: $866.9 million (2004)
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactured goods
Partners: US Netherlands Antilles Japan (2005)

Debt external: $70 million (1996)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.8496 (2005)

Electricity
Production: 400 million kWh (2005)
Consumption: 372 million kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2005 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 38,000 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 17,000 (2002)

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) (2005)

Internet
Country code: .ky
Hosts: 4,888 (2005)
Users: 9,909 (2003)

Airports: 3 (2005)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2005)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways
Total: 785 km
Paved: 785 km (2002)

Merchant marine
Total: 124 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,953,923 GRT/4,597,716 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 33, cargo 11, chemical tanker 41, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 13, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 4
Foreign owned: 122 (Denmark 3, Germany 17, Greece 23, Italy 10, Japan 6, Norway 2, Singapore 10, Sweden 1, UK 9, US 41) (2005)

Ports and terminals: Cayman Brac George Town

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe