Western Sahara (2004) | Cayman Islands (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (under de facto control of Morocco) | 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 |
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 | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) | vegetables, fruit; livestock, turtle farming |
Airports | 11 (2003 est.) | 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
259 sq km land: 259 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Colorado | 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. | 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. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 13.79 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
revenues:
$265.2 million expenditures: $248.9 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
Capital | none | George Town |
Climate | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew | tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April) |
Coastline | 1,110 km | 160 km |
Constitution | - | 1959, revised 1972 and 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
Currency | Moroccan dirham (MAD) | Caymanian dollar (KYD) |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 5.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $70 million (1996) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals | none |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $NA |
Economy - overview | Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 83.7 million kWh (2001) | 306.9 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 90 million kWh (2001) | 330 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: The Bluff 43 m |
Environment - current issues | sparse water and lack of arable land | no natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchment |
Environment - international agreements | party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Arab, Berber | mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% |
Exchange rates | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.574 (2003), 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999) | Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.83 (3 November 1995), 0.85 (22 November 1993) |
Executive branch | none | 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 |
Exports | NA (2001) | $1.5 million (1998) |
Exports - commodities | phosphates 62% | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods |
Exports - partners | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts | mostly US |
Fiscal year | calendar 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - NA | purchasing power parity - $930 million (1997 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: 40% (1996 est.) |
agriculture:
1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - NA | purchasing power parity - $24,500 (1997 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 4.9% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 24 30 N, 13 00 W | 19 30 N, 80 30 W |
Geography - note | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas | important location between Cuba and Central America |
Highways | total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est) |
total:
406 km paved: 304 km unpaved: 102 km |
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 |
Imports | NA (2001) | $507.6 million (1998) |
Imports - commodities | fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs | foodstuffs, manufactured goods |
Imports - partners | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000) | US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | NA% |
Industries | phosphate mining, handicrafts | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
10.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA | 3% (1998) |
International organization participation | none | Caricom (observer), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 16 (2000) |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | - | Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 12,000 | 19,820 (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% | agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995) |
Land boundaries | total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2001) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 8% forests and woodland: 23% other: 69% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic | English |
Legal system | - | British common law and local statutes |
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: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population:
79.03 years male: 76.24 years female: 81.43 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco | Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue | 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 |
Military branches | - | Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | - | Constitution Day, first Monday in July |
Nationality | noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi,Sahrawian, Sahraouian |
noun:
Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian |
Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility | hurricanes (July to November) |
Natural resources | phosphates, iron ore | 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 | none | NA |
Population | 267,405 (July 2004 est.) | 35,527 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | NA | 2.12% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) | Cayman Brac, George Town |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 36,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Muslim | United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant |
Sex ratio | NA | 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 | none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco |
general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: 1 submarine coaxial cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | about 2,000 (1999 est.) | 19,000 (1995) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | 2,534 (1995) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | NA |
Terrain | mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast | low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 2.04 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 4.1% (1997) |
Waterways | - | none |