Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | Cayman Islands (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
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) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 3 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
total: 262 sq km
land: 262 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. | 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. |
Birth rate | NA | 12.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $423.8 million
expenditures: $392.6 million (2004) |
Capital | name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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) |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) |
Coastline | 26 km | 160 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | 1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994 |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 4.98 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $70 million (1996) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $390,000 (2004) |
Economy - overview | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 372 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 400 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff (Cayman Brac) 43 m |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.8496 (2006) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005)
head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS (since 18 May 2005) 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 |
Exports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | copra | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | mostly US (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 0.9% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 19 30 N, 80 30 W |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | important location between Cuba and Central America |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe |
Imports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | foodstuffs, manufactured goods |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | US, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2006) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | copra products and tourism | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 4.4% (2004) |
International organization participation | none | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU |
Irrigated land | NA | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal |
Labor force | NA | 23,450 (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 12.6% services: 86% (1995) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 3.85%
permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2005) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | English |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | British common law and local statutes |
Legislative branch | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) |
unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats; 3 appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; to serve four-year terms)
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 80.2 years
male: 77.57 years female: 82.87 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Caribbean, three island (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) group in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Constitution Day, first Monday in July |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
noun: Caymanian(s)
adjective: Caymanian |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | hurricanes (July to November) |
Natural resources | fish | fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism |
Net migration rate | NA | 17.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | 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 |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | 46,600
note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | 2.496% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.003 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.887 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | NA | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station |
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) (2007) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | 38,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | 17,000 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 4 with cable system (2004) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs |
Total fertility rate | NA | 1.89 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | 4.4% (2004) |