Cayman Islands (2001) | Akrotiri (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western | - |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
22.21% (male 3,807; female 4,084) 15-64 years: 69.74% (male 12,102; female 12,676) 65 years and over: 8.05% (male 1,318; female 1,540) (2001 est.) |
- |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming | - |
Airports | 3 (2000 est.) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
- |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
259 sq km land: 259 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica from 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent. | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers in total: Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. |
Birth rate | 13.79 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues:
$265.2 million expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
- |
Capital | George Town | Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia |
Climate | tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters |
Coastline | 160 km | 56.3 km |
Constitution | 1959, revised 1972 and 1992 | - |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
Currency | Caymanian dollar (KYD) | - |
Death rate | 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $70 million (1996) | - |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | - |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 40,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 1997, including almost 600 banks and trust companies; banking assets exceed $500 billion. 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 1.2 million visitors in 1997. 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. | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. |
Electricity - consumption | 306.9 million kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production | 330 million kWh (1999) | - |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff 43 m |
- |
Environment - current issues | no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchment | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base |
Ethnic groups | mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% | - |
Exchange rates | Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Governor and President of the Executive Council Peter SMITH (since 5 May 1999) head of government: Kurt TIBBETTS (since November 2000) 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 |
chief of state: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Maj. Gen. Peter Thomas Clayton PEARSON (since 9 May 2003); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
Exports | $1.5 million (1998) | - |
Exports - commodities | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods | - |
Exports - partners | mostly US | - |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | - |
Flag description | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms on a white disk 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 | the flag of the UK is used |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $930 million (1997 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
- |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $24,500 (1997 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.9% (1999 est.) | - |
Geographic coordinates | 19 30 N, 80 30 W | 34 37 N, 32 58 E |
Geography - note | important location between Cuba and Central America | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus |
Highways | total:
406 km paved: 304 km unpaved: 102 km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
- |
Illicit drugs | vulnerable to drug money laundering and drug transshipment to the US and Europe | - |
Imports | $507.6 million (1998) | - |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, manufactured goods | - |
Imports - partners | US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan | - |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | - |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | - |
Industries | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture | - |
Infant mortality rate | 10.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | - |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (1998) | - |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate) | - |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 16 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | - |
Judicial branch | Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal | - |
Labor force | 19,820 (1995) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995) | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 23% other: 69% (1993 est.) |
- |
Languages | English | English, Greek |
Legal system | British common law and local statutes | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA |
- |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.03 years male: 76.24 years female: 81.43 years (2001 est.) |
- |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
- |
Location | Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Middle East |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
- |
Merchant marine | total:
106 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,656,452 GRT/2,643,036 DWT ships by type: bulk 21, cargo 5, chemical tanker 27, container 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 13, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 4, specialized tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Cyprus 2, Denmark 2, Finland 1, Greece 11, Norway 3, UK 3, US 3 (2000 est.) |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit |
Military branches | Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF) | - |
National holiday | Constitution Day, first Monday in July | - |
Nationality | noun:
Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian |
- |
Natural hazards | hurricanes (July to November) | - |
Natural resources | fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism | - |
Net migration rate | 12.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US |
- |
Political parties and leaders | there are no formal political parties but the following loose groupings act as political organizations; National Team; Democratic Alliance; Team Cayman | - |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | - |
Population | 35,527 (July 2001 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 2.12% (2001 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | Cayman Brac, George Town | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | - |
Radios | 36,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant | - |
Sex ratio | at birth:
0.86 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
- |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
- |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1995) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,534 (1995) | - |
Television broadcast stations | NA | - |
Terrain | low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs | - |
Total fertility rate | 2.04 children born/woman (2001 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 4.1% (1997) | - |
Waterways | none | - |