A British territory located on the islands of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac in the Caribbean Sea, northwest of Jamaica, between Central and South America. Area - 262 km². The administrative center is George Town (13,000) on Grand Cayman; other towns include West Bay (3,900) and Bodden Town (1,600). Population - 44,200 (2005). About 35% of the population are immigrants, and 80% of Caymanians are Black and Mulatto. The official language is English. Religion: the majority of believers are Protestants (Presbyterians, Baptists). Currency - Cayman Islands dollar = 100 cents.
National holiday - July 1-2, Constitution Day.
The current constitution was adopted in 1972. The islands are governed by a governor appointed by the Queen of the United Kingdom. The governor's responsibilities (since 2002 - B. Dinwiddie) include relations with foreign states, defense, internal security, and civil services. The head of government is W. Bush (since 2001). The Legislative Assembly consists of a speaker, 3 members appointed by the governor, and 15 members elected by the population for a term of 4 years.
There are no political parties.
In 1503, the islands were reached by Columbus's expedition. In 1670, Spain ceded them to England. The islands were primarily settled by immigrants from Jamaica, with permanent settlements on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac appearing only in 1833. From 1863 to 1962, they were administratively part of Jamaica.
The GDP of the Cayman Islands is $784 million (27,480 dollars per capita). The economy is primarily based on servicing foreign tourists (more than 1,500 people are employed in this sector). The islands are visited by about 1 million people annually (most from the USA).
In recent years, the islands (thanks to policies that exempt foreign companies from direct taxes and the absence of currency control) have become the 5th most important financial center in the world. More than 600 foreign banks and financial organizations from many countries and over 30,000 companies are registered.
Agricultural opportunities are limited due to poor soil and water shortages. Bananas, tomatoes, mangoes, and citrus fruits are grown for domestic consumption. There is a small herd of cattle and pigs. Agricultural production does not meet the population's needs, with 90% of food imported from abroad. Fishing is developing.
The annual fish catch is 6,000 tons. A traditional occupation of the islanders was the farming of turtles on the only commercially significant farm in the world. Recently, production has sharply declined due to a ban on the import of turtle meat imposed by the US administration in 1979. The island administration is making efforts to save the industry by acquiring the farm and seeking to penetrate the markets of the USA and other countries.
Industry is represented by small enterprises producing building materials, processing agricultural raw materials, and manufacturing goods aimed at foreign tourists. The installed capacity of power plants is 60,000 kW. There is a transit oil terminal on Little Cayman.
In 1999, exports amounted to $1.9 million, and imports totaled $457 million. The main export items are seafood, while food products are the main imports. About 75% of trade turnover is with the USA. Other trading partners include the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Costa Rica.
The inflation rate at the end of the 1990s was 4.7%, and unemployment was 4.1%.
The main ports are George Town and Cayman Brac; there are 2 international airports.
The Cayman Islands International College operates. The newspaper "Daily Caymanian" is published. There are 4 cable television stations.
