Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Cayman Islands
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
@Cayman Islands, 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
@Cayman Islands, 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
@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 sq km
land area:
622,980 sq km
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 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife
refuges; desertification
natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Law of the Sea
Note:
landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Population:
3,142,182 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.16% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
42.3 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
20.69 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
137.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
42.54 years
male:
41.07 years
female:
44.06 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.42 children born/woman (1994 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 est.)
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)
@Central African Republic, Government