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
Land: 264 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 160 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: The Bluff on Cayman Brac 43 m

Natural resources: fish climate and beaches that foster tourism

Land use
Permanent crops: 2.08%
Other: 97.08% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to November)

Geography
Note: important location between Cuba and Central America

Population: 54,914 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 207
Growth rate: 2.14% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 45
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Caymanian

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

Languages: English (official) 90.9% Spanish 4% Filipino 3.3% other 1.7% unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.)

Religions: Protestant 67.8% (includes Church of God 22.6% Seventh Day Adventist 9.4% Presbyterian/United Church 8.6% Baptist 8.3%Pentecostal 7.1% non-denominational 5.3% Anglican 4.1% Wesleyan Holiness 2.4%) Roman Catholic 14.1% Jehovah's Witness 1.1% other 7% none 9.3% unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 12.9% (male 3,505/female 3,579)
25-54 years: 44% (male 11,771/female 12,384)
55-64 years: 13.6% (male 3,549/female 3,922)
65 years and over: 10.7% (male 2,870/female 3,219) (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 38.8 years
Female: 40.1 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.14% (2014 est.)
Rank: 45

Birth rate: 12.13 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 164

Death rate: 5.41 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 177

Net migration rate: 14.71 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 7

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.82% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: GEORGE TOWN (capital) 28,000 (2011)

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

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 167
Male: 7.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.31 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 24
Male: 78.33 years
Female: 83.76 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 144

Drinking water source:

Sanitation facility access:

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

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 98.9%
Male: 98.7%
Female: 99% (2007 est.)

Country name
Conventional short form: Cayman Islands

Government type: parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 19 18 N 81 23 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 6 districts; Bodden Town Cayman Brac and Little Cayman East End George Town North Side West Bay

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Constitution Day first Monday in July

Constitution: several previous; latest approved 10 June 2009 entered into force 6 November 2009 (The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009) (2013)

Legal system: English common law and local statutes

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Premier Alden MCLAUGHLIN (since 29 May 2013)
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)
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 (21 seats; 18 members elected by popular vote Speaker and 2 ex officio members - Deputy Governor and Attorney General; to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 22 May 2013 (next to be held in 2017)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PPM 36.1% UDP 27.8% C4C 18.6% independents 11.9% PNA 5.7%; seats by party - PPM 9 UDP 3 C4C 3 independent 2 PNA 1

Judicial branch: note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Grand Court judges appointed by the governor on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission an 8-member independent body consisting of governor appointees Court of Appeal president and attorneys; Court of Appeal judges' tenure based on their individual instruments of appointment; Grand Court judges normally appointed until retirement at age 65 but can be extended until age 70
Subordinate courts: Summary Court

Political parties and leaders:

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

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Leila E. ROSS

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: 172

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

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 14.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 22.3%
Exports of goods and services: 57.4%
Imports of goods and services: -57.1%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 27.4%
Services: 72.3% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables fruit; livestock; turtle farming

Industries: tourism banking insurance and finance construction construction materials furniture

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (2013 est.)
Rank: 134

Labor force: 39,000
Rank: 198
By occupation industry: 19.1%
By occupation services: 79% (2008 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2004)
Rank: 31

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Expenditures: $757.5 million (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 102

Taxes and other revenues: 31.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 86

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.2% (2012 est.)
Rank: 57

Stock of narrow money: $334.3 million (31 December 2008)
Rank: 168

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

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 106

Exports: $15 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 208
Commodities: turtle products manufactured consumer goods

Imports: $698.1 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 187
Commodities: foodstuffs manufactured goods fuels

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

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 594 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 159
Consumption: 552 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 169
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 119
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 127
Installed generating capacity: 151,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 163
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 11
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 65
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 163
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 167

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 160
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 97
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 172
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 116

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 131
Products consumption: 3,141 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 180
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 165
Products imports: 3,754 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 163

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 115
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 132
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 80
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 175
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 123

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 592,800 Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 37,400 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 171
Mobile cellular: 96,300 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 194

Telephone system
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)

Internet
Country code: .ky
Hosts: 23,472 (2012)
Hosts rank: 114
Users: 23,000 (2008)
Users rank: 189

Airports: 3 (2013)
Rank: 196
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2012)

Roadways
Rank: 188
Paved: 785 km (2007)

Merchant marine
Rank: 46
By type: bulk carrier 19 cargo 3 chemical tanker 61 liquefied gas 1 passenger 1 petroleum tanker 5 refrigerated cargo 10 vehicle carrier 16
Foreign owned: 102 (Germany 3 Greece 9 Italy 7 Japan 23 Switzerland 1 UK 2 US 57) (2010)

Disputes international: none

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