Cayman Islands (2001) | Mauritius (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western | 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne |
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.) |
0-14 years:
25.53% (male 153,691; female 150,094) 15-64 years: 68.24% (male 404,940; female 407,056) 65 years and over: 6.23% (male 29,588; female 44,456) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming | sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish |
Airports | 3 (2000 est.) | 5 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total:
2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
259 sq km land: 259 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
1,860 sq km land: 1,850 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues |
Area - comparative | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC | almost 11 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. | Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. |
Birth rate | 13.79 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 16.5 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$265.2 million expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
revenues:
$1.1 billion expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
Capital | George Town | Port Louis |
Climate | tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) | tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) |
Coastline | 160 km | 177 km |
Constitution | 1959, revised 1972 and 1992 | 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
conventional long form:
Republic of Mauritius conventional short form: Mauritius |
Currency | Caymanian dollar (KYD) | Mauritian rupee (MUR) |
Death rate | 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.82 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $70 million (1996) | $1.9 billion (1998 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Mark W. ERWIN embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 208-2347, 208-2354, 208-9763 through 9767 FAX: [230] 208-9534 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission:
Ambassador Usha JEETAH chancery: Suite 441, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983 |
Disputes - international | none | claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory); claims French-administered Tromelin Island |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $42 million (1997) |
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. | Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Economic performance since 1991 has continued strong with solid growth and low unemployment. |
Electricity - consumption | 306.9 million kWh (1999) | 1.172 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 330 million kWh (1999) | 1.26 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
91.27% hydro: 8.73% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff 43 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Piton 828 m |
Environment - current issues | no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchment | water pollution, degradation of coral reefs |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% | Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% |
Exchange rates | Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) | Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 27.900 (January 2001), 26.250 (2000), 25.186 (1999), 22.993 (1998), 21.057 (1997), 17.948 (1996) |
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:
President Cassam UTEEM (since 1 July 1992) and Vice President Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR (since 28 June 1997) head of government: Prime Minister Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 17 September 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 17 September 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 28 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president and are responsible to the National Assembly election results: Cassam UTEEM reelected president and Angidi Verriah CHETTIAR elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA% |
Exports | $1.5 million (1998) | $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods | clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses |
Exports - partners | mostly US | UK 32%, France 19%, US 15%, Germany 6%, Italy 4% (1999 est.) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $930 million (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
agriculture:
10% industry: 29% services: 61% (1996) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $24,500 (1997 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10,400 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.9% (1999 est.) | 7.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 19 30 N, 80 30 W | 20 17 S, 57 33 E |
Geography - note | important location between Cuba and Central America | - |
Highways | total:
406 km paved: 304 km unpaved: 102 km |
total:
1,910 km paved: 1,834 km (including 36 km of expressways) unpaved: 76 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | vulnerable to drug money laundering and drug transshipment to the US and Europe | minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally |
Imports | $507.6 million (1998) | $2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, manufactured goods | manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals (1996) |
Imports - partners | US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan | France 14%, South Africa 11%, India 8%, UK 5% (1999 est.) |
Independence | none (overseas territory of the UK) | 12 March 1968 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 8% (2000 est.) |
Industries | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture | food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 10.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (1998) | 5.3% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | Caricom (observer), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate) | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 16 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 170 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal | Supreme Court |
Labor force | 19,820 (1995) | 514,000 (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995) | construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 23% other: 69% (1993 est.) |
arable land:
49% permanent crops: 3% permanent pastures: 3% forests and woodland: 22% other: 23% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English | English (official), Creole, French, Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bojpoori |
Legal system | British common law and local statutes | based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas |
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 |
unicameral National Assembly (66 seats - 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.03 years male: 76.24 years female: 81.43 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
71.25 years male: 67.26 years female: 75.31 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.9% male: 87.1% female: 78.8% (1995 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | World |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic 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.) |
total:
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 61,909 GRT/87,313 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, combination bulk 2, container 2, liquefied gas 1, refrigerated cargo 2 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: India 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF) | National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $11 million (FY97/98) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.3% (FY97/98) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
339,473 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
171,206 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Constitution Day, first Monday in July | Independence Day, 12 March (1968) |
Nationality | noun:
Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian |
noun:
Mauritian(s) adjective: Mauritian |
Natural hazards | hurricanes (July to November) | cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards |
Natural resources | fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism | arable land, fish |
Net migration rate | 12.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US |
-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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 | Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Militant Renaissance or MMR [Dr. Paramhansa NABABSING]; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or OPR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | various labor unions |
Population | 35,527 (July 2001 est.) | 1,189,825 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 10.6% (1992 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.12% (2001 est.) | 0.88% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Cayman Brac, George Town | Port Louis |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | 36,000 (1997) | 420,000 (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
Religions | United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant | Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1% |
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.) |
at birth:
1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
small system with good service domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries |
Telephones - main lines in use | 19,000 (1995) | 223,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,534 (1995) | 37,000 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 2 (plus 11 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs | small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 2.04 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 2.01 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 4.1% (1997) | 6.4% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |