The Caymans consist of three islands—Grand Cayman (76 sq mi; 197 sq km), Cayman Brac (22 sq mi; 57 sq km), and Little Cayman (20 sq mi; 52 sq km)—situated about 180 mi (290 km) northwest of Jamaica. They were dependencies of Jamaica until 1959, when they became a unit territory within the Federation of the West Indies. In 1962, upon the dissolution of the federation, the Cayman Islands became a British dependency, and a new constitution approved in 1972 provided for a greater degree of autonomy. Tourism and finance are the Cayman Islands' major industries.
Facts and Figures
Status: Overseas territory
Governor: Stuart Jack (2005)
Total area: 101 sq mi (262 sq km)
Population (2008 est.): 47,762 (growth rate: 2.4%); birth rate: 12.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 7.6/1000; life expectancy: 80.3; density per sq mi: 182
Capital (2003 est.): George Town (on Grand Cayman), 29,400
Monetary unit: Cayman Islands dollar
Literacy rate: 98% (1970 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $1.391 billion; per capita $32,300. Real growth rate: 1.7% (2002 est.). Inflation: 2.8% (2002). Unemployment: 4.1% (1997). Arable land: 4%. Agriculture: vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming. Labor force: 19,820 (1995); agriculture 1.4%, industry 12.6%, services 86% (1995). Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture. Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism. Exports: $1.2 million (1999): turtle products, manufactured consumer goods. Imports: $457.4 million (1999): foodstuffs, manufactured goods. Major trading partners: U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2004).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 19,000 (1995); mobile cellular: 2,534 (1995). Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 36,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: n.a. Televisions: 7,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 16 (2000). Internet users: n.a.
Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 785 km; paved: 785 km (2000). Ports and harbors: Cayman Brac, George Town. Airports: 3 (2002).
International disputes: none.
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