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, but when the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.

The Cayman Islands are located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.

It is a global offshore financial services centre and one of the leading tourist scuba diving destinations in the world.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 46,600 note: most of the population lives on Grand Cayman (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.3% (male 4,746/female 4,730) 15-64 years: 71% (male 16,135/female 16,964) 65 years and over: 8.6% (male 1,892/female 2,133) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 37.5 years male: 37.1 years female: 37.9 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.496% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 12.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 4.98 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 17.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.003 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.887 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 80.2 years male: 77.57 years female: 82.87 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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Nationality: noun: Caymanian(s) adjective: Caymanian

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Ethnic groups: mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%

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Religions: United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

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Languages: English

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1970 est.)

With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 68,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2003, including almost 500 banks, 800 insurers, and 5,000 mutual funds. A stock exchange was opened in 1997. 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 2003, with about half from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.939 billion (2004 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): NA

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GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2004 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $43,800 (2004 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 3.2% services: 95.4% (1994 est.)

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Labor force: 23,450 (2004)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 1.4% industry: 12.6% services: 86% (1995)

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Unemployment rate: 4.4% (2004)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (2004)

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Budget: revenues: $423.8 million expenditures: $392.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2004)

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Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming

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Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture

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Industrial production growth rate: NA%

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Electricity - production: 400 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 372 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - consumption: 2,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Exports: $2.52 million (2004)

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Exports - commodities: turtle products, manufactured consumer goods

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Exports - partners: mostly US (2006)

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Imports: $866.9 million (2004)

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Imports - commodities: foodstuffs, manufactured goods

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Imports - partners: US, Netherlands Antilles, Japan (2006)

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Debt - external: $70 million (1996)

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Economic aid - recipient: $390,000 (2004)

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Currency (code): Caymanian dollar (KYD)

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Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars per US dollar - 0.8496 (2006)

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Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March