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

Geographic coordinates: 19 30 N 80 30 W

Area
Rank: 211
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 160 km

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

Natural resources: fish climate and beaches that foster tourism

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to November)

Geography
Note: important location between Cuba and Central America

Population: 52,560 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 207
Growth rate: 2.239% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 40
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Languages: English (official) 95% Spanish 3.2% other 1.8% (1999 census)

Religions: Protestant 67.7% (Church of God 25.5% Presbyterian/United Church 9.2% Seventh-Day Adventist 8.4% Baptist 8.3% Pentecostal 6.7% Anglican 3.9% non-denominational 5.7%) Roman Catholic 12.6% other religions 4% other 6.5% none 6.1% unspecified 3.2% (2007)

Population growth rate: 2.239% (2010 est.)
Rank: 40

Birth rate: 12.21 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 164

Death rate: 5.19 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 180

Net migration rate: 15.37 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 7

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

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 166

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 23

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 146

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

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

Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 145

Government type: parliamentary democracy

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: The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 6 November 2009

Legal system: English common law and local statutes

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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)

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

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
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
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

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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $2.23 billion (2003 est.)
Rank: 189

Real gdp growth rate: 0.9% (2004 est.)
Rank: 160

Real gdp per capita: $43,800 (2004 est.)
Rank: 17

Agriculture products: vegetables fruit; livestock; turtle farming

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 39,000
Rank: 198

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2004)
Rank: 33

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -0.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 57

Taxes and other revenues: 32.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 87

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.9% (2010 est.)
Rank: 16

Stock of narrow money: $334.3 million (31 December 2008)
Rank: 169

Stock of broad money: $5.564 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 126

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 114

Exports: $40.5 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 199
Commodities: turtle products manufactured consumer goods

Imports: $851.7 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 182
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactured goods fuels

Debt external: $70 million (1996)
Rank: 192

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

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 593.5 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 159
Consumption: 555.6 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 167
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 178
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 170
Installed generating capacity: 152,600 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 158
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 12
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 66
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 164
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 121

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 119
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 95
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 171
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 117

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 134
Products consumption: 3,141 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products consumption rank: 182
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 165
Products imports: 4,491 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 162

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 114
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 131
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 177
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 176
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 123

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 273,500 Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 193

Telephones
Main lines in use: 37,200 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 170
Mobile cellular: 95,100 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 193

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)

Internet
Country code: .ky
Hosts: 23,472 (2010)
Hosts rank: 114
Users: 23,000 (2008)
Users rank: 190

Airports: 3 (2010)
Rank: 196

Roadways
Rank: 187

Merchant marine
Rank: 46

Ports and terminals: Cayman Brac George Town

Disputes international: none

Illicit drugs: major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe (2008)