Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 provided courtesy of
the libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
======================================================
National Trade Data Bank
ITEM ID     : CI WOFACT WO0047
DATE        : Oct 28, 1994
 
AGENCY      : CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
PROGRAM     : WORLD FACTBOOK
TITLE       : World Factbook: Cayman Islands
 
Source key      : CI 
Program key     : CI WOFACT 
Update sched.   : Annually         
Data type       : TEXT 
End year        : 1994
Date of record  : 19941020
Keywords 3      :  
Keywords 3      : | Cayman Islands 
 
 
                              Cayman Islands
 
 
                                  Header
 
Affiliation:
     (dependent territory of the UK)
 
                                 Geography
 
Location:
     Caribbean, in the northwestern Caribbean Sea, nearly halfway between
     Cuba and Honduras
Map references:
     Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
     260 sq km
land area:
     260 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
     0 km
Coastline:
     160 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
     200 nm
territorial sea:
     3 nm
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool,
     relatively dry winters (November to April)
Terrain:
     low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Natural resources:
     fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Land use:
arable land:
     0%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     8%
forest and woodland:
     23%
other:
     69%
Irrigated land:
     NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
     NA
 
 
natural hazards:
     subject to hurricanes
international agreements:
     NA
Note:
     important location between Cuba and Central America
 
                                  People
 
Population:
     31,790 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     4.33% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     15.06 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     4.98 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     33.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     77.1 years
male:
     75.37 years
female:
     78.81 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     1.46 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Caymanian(s)
adjective:
     Caymanian
Ethnic divisions:
     mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups
     20%
Religions:
     United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist,
     Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant denominations
Languages:
     English
Literacy:
     age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
total population:
     98%
male:
     98%
female:
     98%
Labor force:
     8,061
 
 
by occupation:
     service workers 18.7%, clerical 18.6%, construction 12.5%, finance and
     investment 6.7%, directors and business managers 5.9% (1979)
 
                                Government
 
Names:
conventional long form:
     none
conventional short form:
Digraph:
     CJ
Type:
     dependent territory of the UK
Capital:
     George Town
Administrative divisions:
     8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay,
     West End, Western
Independence:
     none (dependent territory of the UK)
National holiday:
     Constitution Day (first Monday in July)
Constitution:
     1959, revised 1972 and 1992
Legal system:
     British common law and local statutes
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government:
     Governor and President of the Executive Council Michael GORE (since 15
     September 1992)
cabinet:
     Executive Council; 3 members are appointed by the governor, 4 members
     elected by the Legislative Assembly
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Legislative Assembly:
     election last held November 1992 (next to be held November 1996);
     results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total, 12 elected)
Judicial branch:
     Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
     no formal political parties
Member of:
     CARICOM (observer), CDB, INTERPOL (subbureau), IOC
Diplomatic representation in US:
     none (dependent territory of the UK)
US diplomatic representation:
     none (dependent territory of the UK)
 
 
Flag:
     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
 
                                  Economy
 
Overview:
     The economy depends heavily on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of foreign
     currency earnings) and offshore financial services, with the tourist
     industry aimed at the luxury market and catering mainly to visitors
     from North America. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods
     needs must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest
     standards of living in the region.
National product:
     GDP - exchange rate conversion - $670 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     4.4% (1991)
National product per capita:
     $23,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     1.5% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     7% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
     $141.5 million
expenditures:
     $160.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
     $2.6 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
     turtle products, manufactured consumer goods
partners:
     mostly US
Imports:
     $262.2 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
     foodstuffs, manufactured goods
partners:
     US, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan
External debt:
     $15 million (1986)
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     74,000 kW
production:
     256 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     8,780 kWh (1992)
 
 
Industries:
     tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, building
     materials, furniture making
Agriculture:
     minor production of vegetables, fruit, livestock; turtle farming
Illicit drugs:
     a major money-laundering center for illicit drug profits;
     transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and
     Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
     US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $26.7 million; Western
     (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),  $35
     million
Currency:
     1 Caymanian dollar (CI$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
     Caymanian dollars (CI$) per US$1 - 0.85 (22 November 1993)
Fiscal year:
     1 April - 31 March
 
                              Communications
 
Highways:
total:
     160 km (main roads)
paved:
     NA
unpaved:
     NA
Ports:
     George Town, Cayman Brac
Merchant marine:
     30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 368,037 GRT/581,060 DWT, bulk 9,
     cargo 8, chemical tanker 2, oil tanker 3, passenger-cargo 1,
     roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
note:
     a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
total:
     3
usable:
     3
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     2
Telecommunications:
     35,000 telephones; telephone system uses 1 submarine coaxial cable and
     1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station to link islands and access
     international services; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, no TV
 
 
 
                              Defense Forces
 
Branches:
     Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF)
Note:
     defense is the responsibility of the UK
 
 
 
===========================================================================
This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1994 produced by the United States
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce
Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK (NTDB) CD-ROM,
November, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/11/v.1-2 / Presented by Raleigh Muns,
(srcmuns@umslvma.umsl.edu) University of Missouri-St. Louis Libraries.