*Cayman Islands, Economy
Overview:
The economy depends heavily on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of export
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):
8% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7% (1992)
Budget:
revenues $141.5 million; expenditures $160.7 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
$1.5 million (f.o.b., 1987 est.)
commodities:
turtle products, manufactured consumer goods
partners:
mostly US
Imports:
$136 million (c.i.f., 1987 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:
74,000 kW capacity; 256 million kWh produced, 8,780 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, building materials,
furniture making
Agriculture:
minor production of vegetables, fruit, livestock; turtle farming
Economic aid:
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 - 1.20 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
*Cayman Islands, Communications
Highways:
160 km of main roads
Ports:
George Town, Cayman Brac
Merchant marine:
29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 307,738 GRT/468,659 DWT; includes 1
passenger-cargo, 8 cargo, 8 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 oil tanker, 2 chemical
tanker, 1 liquefied gas carrier, 4 bulk, 2 combination bulk; 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
*Cayman Islands, Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF)
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
*Central African Republic, Geography
Location:
Central Africa, between Chad and Zaire
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
622,980 km2
land area:
622,980 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,203 km, Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165
km, Zaire 1,577 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Terrain:
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and
southwest
Natural resources:
diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
5%
forest and woodland:
64%
other:
28%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; poaching has
diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
Note:
landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
*Central African Republic, People
Population:
3,073,979 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.23% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
42.77 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
20.49 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
138.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
42.94 years
male:
41.46 years
female:
44.45 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.47 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Central African(s)
adjective:
Central African
Ethnic divisions:
Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%, Europeans
6,500 (including 3,600 French)
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 24%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%,
other 11%
note:
animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Languages:
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), Arabic,
Hunsa, Swahili
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
27%
male:
33%
female:
15%
Labor force:
775,413 (1986 est.)
by occupation:
agriculture 85%, commerce and services 9%, industry 3%, government 3%
note:
about 64,000 salaried workers; 55% of population of working age (1985)