Cayman Islands Population: 59,613
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| History | |
| 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. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency. The territory has transformed itself into a significant offshore financial center. |
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| Geography | |
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| Location: | Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica |
| Geographic coordinates: | 19 30 N, 80 30 W |
| Area: | total: 264 sq km land: 264 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 160 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| 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: | agricultural land: 11.2% (2011 est.) arable land: 0.8% (2011 est.) permanent crops: 2.1% (2011 est.) permanent pasture: 8.3% (2011 est.) forest: 52.9% (2011 est.) other: 35.9% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | n/a |
| Natural hazards: | hurricanes (July to November) |
| Current Environment Issues: | no natural freshwater resources; drinking water supplies are met by reverse osmosis desalination plants and rainwater catchment; trash washing up on the beaches or being deposited there by residents; no recycling or waste treatment facilities; deforestation (trees being cut down to create space for commercial use) |
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| People | |
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| Nationality: | noun: Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian |
| Ethnic groups: | mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20% |
| Languages: | English (official) 90.9%, Spanish 4%, Filipino 3.3%, other 1.7%, unspecified 0.1% (2010 est.) |
| Religions: | Protestant 67.8% (includes Church of God 22.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 9.4%, Presbyterian/United Church 8.6%, Baptist 8.3%, Pentecostal 7.1%, non-denominational 5.3%, Anglican 4.1%, Wesleyan Holiness 2.4%), Roman Catholic 14.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.1%, other 7%, none 9.3%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.) |
| Population: | 59,613 (July 2018 est.) note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 17.91% (male 5,376 /female 5,298) 15-24 years: 12.2% (male 3,609 /female 3,662) 25-54 years: 42.12% (male 12,256 /female 12,855) 55-64 years: 14.64% (male 4,169 /female 4,558) 65 years and over: 13.13% (male 3,627 /female 4,203) (2018 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 40.2 years male: 39.5 years female: 40.9 years (2018 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.96% (2018 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 12 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Death rate: | 5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 13.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 100% of total population (2018) rate of urbanization: 1.27% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) |
| Major urban areas - population: | 35,000 GEORGE TOWN (capital) (2018) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2018 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 5.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 81.4 years male: 78.7 years female: 84.2 years (2018 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.84 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
| Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 97.4% of population rural: n/a total: 97.4% of population unimproved: urban: 2.6% of population total: 2.6% of population (2015 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 95.6% of population (2015 est.) total: 95.6% of population (2015 est.) unimproved: urban: 4.4% of population (2015 est.) total: 4.4% of population (2015 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
| Education expenditures: | n/a |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school (2007 est.) total population: 98.9% male: 98.7% female: 99% (2007 est.) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 13.8% male: 16.4% female: 11.4% (2015 est.) |
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| Government | |
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| Country name: | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cayman Islands etymology: the islands' name comes from the native Carib word "caiman," describing the marine crocodiles living there |
| Government type: | parliamentary democracy (Legislative Assembly); self-governing overseas territory of the UK |
| Capital: | 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) etymology: named after English King George III (1760-1820) |
| Administrative divisions: | 6 districts; Bodden Town, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, East End, George Town, North Side, West Bay |
| Independence: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National holiday: | Constitution Day, first Monday in July (1959) |
| Constitution: | history: several previous; latest approved 10 June 2009, entered into force 6 November 2009 (The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009) amendments: amended several times, last in 2016 (2018) |
| Legal system: | English common law and local statutes |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Martyn ROPER (since 29 October 2018) head of government: Premier Alden MCLAUGHLIN (since 29 May 2013) cabinet: Cabinet selected from the Legislative Assembly and appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition appointed premier by the governor |
| Legislative branch: | description: unicameral Legislative Assembly (21 seats; 19 members directly elected by majority vote and 2 ex officio members - the deputy governor and attorney general - appointed by the governor; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 24 May 2017 (next to be held in 2021) election results: percent of vote by party - independent 44.7%, PPM 31.2%, CDP 24.1%; seats by party - independent 9, PPM 7, CDP 3; composition - men 18, women 3, percent of women 14.3% |
| Judicial branch: | highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); Grand Court (consists of the court president and at least 2 judges); note - appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal and Grand Court judges appointed by the governor on the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, an 8-member independent body consisting of governor appointees, Court of Appeal president, and attorneys; Court of Appeal judges' tenure based on their individual instruments of appointment; Grand Court judges normally appointed until retirement at age 65 but can be extended until age 70 subordinate courts: Summary Court |
| Political parties and leaders: | People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Alden MCLAUGHLIN] Cayman Democratic Party or CDP [McKeeva BUSH] |
| International organization participation: | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU |
| National symbol(s): | green sea turtle |
| National anthem: | name: Beloved Isle Cayman lyrics/music: Leila E. ROSS note: adopted 1993; served as an unofficial anthem since 1930; as a territory of the United Kingdom, in addition to the local anthem, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | none (overseas territory of the UK); consular services provided through the US Embassy in Jamaica |
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| Economy | |
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 65,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2017, including more than 280 banks, 700 insurers, and 10,500 mutual funds. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. Nearly 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy a standard of living comparable to that of Switzerland. 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 2016, with more than three-quarters from the US. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $2.507 billion (2014 est.) $2.465 billion (2013 est.) $2.435 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $2.25 billion (2008 est.) (2008 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.7% (2014 est.) 1.2% (2013 est.) 1.6% (2012 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $43,800 (2004 est.) GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 62.3% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 65.4% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -64.2% (2017 est.) GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.) industry: 7.4% (2017 est.) services: 92.3% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming |
| Industries: | tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 2.2% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force: | 39,000 (2007 est.) note: nearly 55% are non-nationals |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 1.9% industry: 19.1% services: 79% (2008 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 4% (2008) 4.4% (2004) |
| Population below poverty line: | n/a |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: n/a highest 10%: n/a |
| Budget: | revenues: 874.5 million (2017 est.) expenditures: 766.6 million (2017 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues: | 38.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.) Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): 4.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | 1 April - 31 March |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2% (2017 est.) -0.6% (2016 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$492.6 million (2017 est.) -$493.5 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports: | $421.9 million (2017 est.) $47.6 million (2016 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | turtle products, manufactured consumer goods |
| Imports: | $787.3 million (2017 est.) $810.1 million (2016 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | n/a |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | n/a |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $315.6 million (31 December 2015 est.) $183.5 million (31 December 2007) $188.4 million (31 December 2006) |
| Exchange rates: | Caymanian dollars (KYD) per US dollar - 0.82 (2017 est.) 0.82 (2016 est.) 0.82 (2015 est.) 0.82 (2014 est.) 0.83 (2013 est.) |
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| Energy | |
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| Electricity - production: | 650 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 612 million kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity: | 132,000 kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels: | 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels: | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources: | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Crude oil - imports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Crude oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production: | 0 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption: | 4,400 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports: | 4,285 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: | 643,800 Mt (2017 est.) |
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| Communications | |
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| Cellular Phones in use: | total subscriptions: 95,656 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 164 (July 2016 est.) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: reasonably good overall telephone system with a high fixed-line teledensity; given the high dependence of tourism and activities such as fisheries and offshore financial services, the telecom sector provides a relatively high contribution to overall GDP; good competion in all sectors promotes advancement in mobile telephony and data segments (2018) domestic: introduction of competition in the mobile-cellular market in 2004 boosted subscriptions dramatically; 60 per 100 fixed-line, 164 per 100 mobile-cellular (2018) international: country code - 1-345; landing points for the Maya-1, Eastern Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS), and the Cayman-Jamaica Fiber System submarine cables that provide links to the US and parts of Central and South America; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Broadcast media: | 4 TV stations; cable and satellite subscription services offer a variety of international programming; government-owned Radio Cayman operates 2 networks broadcasting on 5 stations; 10 privately owned radio stations operate alongside Radio Cayman |
| Internet country code: | .ky |
| Internet users: | total: 45,242 percent of population: 79% (July 2016 est.) |
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| Transportation | |
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| Airports: | 3 (2013) |
| Airports (paved runways): | total 3 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total 1 (2012) 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total 785 km (2007) paved: 785 km (2007) |
| Merchant marine: | total 165 by type: bulk carrier 31, general cargo 4, oil tanker 19, other 111 (2018) |
| Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Cayman Brac, George Town |
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| Military | |
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| Defense is the responsibility of the UK | |
| Military branches: | no regular military forces; Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (2012) |
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| Transnational Issues | |
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| Disputes - International: | none |
| Illicit drugs: | major offshore financial center; vulnerable to drug transshipment to the US and Europe |
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