Compare Southern Ocean (2005) - Cayman Islands (2005)

Compare Southern Ocean (2005) z Cayman Islands (2005)

	Southern Ocean (2005)	Cayman Islands (2005)

Administrative divisions	-	8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 21.1% (male 4,658/female 4,662) 15-64 years: 70.8% (male 15,284/female 16,050) 65 years and over: 8.2% (male 1,699/female 1,917) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming
Airports	-	3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 20.327 million sq km note: includes Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, part of the Drake Passage, Ross Sea, a small part of the Scotia Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies	total: 262 sq km land: 262 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly more than twice the size of the US	1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	A decision by the International Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 delimited a fifth world ocean - the Southern Ocean - from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude, which coincides with the Antarctic Treaty Limit. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).	The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica since 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent.
Birth rate	-	12.92 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $265.2 million expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997)
Capital	-	George Town
Climate	sea temperatures vary from about 10 degrees Celsius to -2 degrees Celsius; cyclonic storms travel eastward around the continent and frequently are intense because of the temperature contrast between ice and open ocean; the ocean area from about latitude 40 south to the Antarctic Circle has the strongest average winds found anywhere on Earth; in winter the ocean freezes outward to 65 degrees south latitude in the Pacific sector and 55 degrees south latitude in the Atlantic sector, lowering surface temperatures well below 0 degrees Celsius; at some coastal points intense persistent drainage winds from the interior keep the shoreline ice-free throughout the winter	tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Coastline	17,968 km	160 km
Constitution	-	1959; revised 1972 and 1992
Country name	-	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cayman Islands
Death rate	-	4.81 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	-	$70 million (1996)
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctica entry), but Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and UK assert claims (some overlapping), including the continental shelf in the Southern Ocean; several states have expressed an interest in extending those continental shelf claims under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to include undersea ridges; the US and most other states do not recognize the land or maritime claims of other states and have made no claims themselves (the US and Russia have reserved the right to do so); no formal claims exist in the waters in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	NA
Economy - overview	Fisheries in 2000-01 (1 July to 30 June) landed 112,934 metric tons, of which 87% was krill and 11% Patagonian toothfish. International agreements were adopted in late 1999 to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which in the 2000-01 season landed, by one estimate, 8,376 metric tons of Patagonian and antarctic toothfish. In the 2000-01 antarctic summer 12,248 tourists, most of them seaborne, visited the Southern Ocean and Antarctica, compared to 14,762 the previous year.	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 1998, 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 in 1997, with 600,000 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	-	382.1 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	-	410.8 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: -7,235 m at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench highest point: sea level 0 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff 43 m
Environment - current issues	increased solar ultraviolet radiation resulting from the Antarctic ozone hole in recent years, reducing marine primary productivity (phytoplankton) by as much as 15% and damaging the DNA of some fish; illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in recent years, especially the landing of an estimated five to six times more Patagonian toothfish than the regulated fishery, which is likely to affect the sustainability of the stock; large amount of incidental mortality of seabirds resulting from long-line fishing for toothfish note: the now-protected fur seal population is making a strong comeback after severe overexploitation in the 18th and 19th centuries	no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments
Environment - international agreements	the Southern Ocean is subject to all international agreements regarding the world's oceans; in addition, it is subject to these agreements specific to the Antarctic region: International Whaling Commission (prohibits commercial whaling south of 40 degrees south [south of 60 degrees south between 50 degrees and 130 degrees west]); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (limits sealing); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (regulates fishing) note: many nations (including the US) prohibit mineral resource exploration and exploitation south of the fluctuating Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) which is in the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and serves as the dividing line between the very cold polar surface waters to the south and the warmer waters to the north	-
Ethnic groups	-	mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%
Exchange rates	-	Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.82 (29 October 2001), 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993)
Executive branch	-	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Governor Bruce DINWIDDY (since 29 May 2002) 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
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 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 - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $32,300 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	1.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	65 00 S, 0 00 E (nominally), but the Southern Ocean has the unique distinction of being a large circumpolar body of water totally encircling the continent of Antarctica; this ring of water lies between 60 degrees south latitude and the coast of Antarctica and encompasses 360 degrees of longitude	19 30 N, 80 30 W
Geography - note	the major chokepoint is the Drake Passage between South America and Antarctica; the Polar Front (Antarctic Convergence) is the best natural definition of the northern extent of the Southern Ocean; it is a distinct region at the middle of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that separates the very cold polar surface waters to the south from the warmer waters to the north; the Front and the Current extend entirely around Antarctica, reaching south of 60 degrees south near New Zealand and near 48 degrees south in the far South Atlantic coinciding with the path of the maximum westerly winds	important location between Cuba and Central America
Highways	-	total: 785 km paved: 785 km (2000)
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
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	-	total: 8.19 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2.8% (2002)
International organization participation	-	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU
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
Land use	-	arable land: 3.85% permanent crops: 0% other: 96.15% (2001)
Languages	-	English
Legal system	-	British common law and local statutes
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats, three appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 79.95 years male: 77.33 years female: 82.6 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.)
Location	body of water between 60 degrees south latitude and Antarctica	Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras
Map references	Antarctic Region	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	-	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 129 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,827,837 GRT/4,555,974 DWT by type: bulk carrier 29, cargo 12, chemical tanker 39, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 28, roll on/roll off 3 foreign-owned: 126 (Denmark 1, Germany 14, Greece 20, Italy 12, Norway 1, Philippines 1, Sweden 13, Switzerland 11, United Kingdom 9, United States 44) (2005)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	-	no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force
National holiday	-	Constitution Day, first Monday in July
Nationality	-	noun: Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian
Natural hazards	huge icebergs with drafts up to several hundred meters; smaller bergs and iceberg fragments; sea ice (generally 0.5 to 1 meter thick) with sometimes dynamic short-term variations and with large annual and interannual variations; deep continental shelf floored by glacial deposits varying widely over short distances; high winds and large waves much of the year; ship icing, especially May-October; most of region is remote from sources of search and rescue	hurricanes (July to November)
Natural resources	probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes	fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Net migration rate	-	18.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	no national teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections; United Democratic Party or UDP [leader McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [leader Kurt TIBBETTS]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	-	44,270 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA (2002 est.)
Population growth rate	-	2.64% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	McMurdo, Palmer, and offshore anchorages in Antarctica note: few ports or harbors exist on the southern side of the Southern Ocean; ice conditions limit use of most of them to short periods in midsummer; even then some cannot be entered without icebreaker escort; most antarctic ports are operated by government research stations and, except in an emergency, are not open to commercial or private vessels; vessels in any port south of 60 degrees south are subject to inspection by Antarctic Treaty observers (see Article 7)	Cayman Brac, George Town
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions	-	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 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	-	general assessment: reasonably good system domestic: liberalization of telecom market in 2003 reflected in falling prices and improving services international: country code - 1-345; 2 submarine fiber optic cables (Maya-1, Cayman-Jamaica); satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	-	38,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	17,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	-	4 with cable system (2004)
Terrain	the Southern Ocean is deep, 4,000 to 5,000 meters over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 meters (the global mean is 133 meters); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million square kilometers in March to about 18.8 million square kilometers in September, better than a sixfold increase in area; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (21,000 km in length) moves perpetually eastward; it is the world's largest ocean current, transporting 130 million cubic meters of water per second - 100 times the flow of all the world's rivers	low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Total fertility rate	-	1.9 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Transportation - note	Drake Passage offers alternative to transit through the Panama Canal	-
Unemployment rate	-	4.1% (1997)

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