Cayman Islands-Basic Overview
Flag of Cayman Islands
Official language: English
Capital: Georgetown, located on the west coast of Grand Cayman, is the largest city in the Cayman Islands.
Location of the capital: north latitude 19.20, west longitude 8 1.24.
Head of State: Elizabeth II
Head of Government: Bruce Dinwiddie.
Total area: 260 square kilometers, ranking 22 1.
Water area (%): 1.6%
Total population: 4 1, 934.
Density: 139.5 people/km2, ranking 2 12 (2002).
Per capita GNP (USD): USD 35,000 (2002)
Currency: Cayman dollar
Time zone: UTC-5, daylight saving time: UTC-4.
Founded: 1963, it left Jamaica.
National anthem: "God save the king" (same as Britain)
International domain:. Kentucky
International area code: 1-345[ 1]
Cayman Islands-Physical Geography
Cayman Islands
British possessions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Located in the west of the Greater Antilles, south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. North latitude1915' ~19 45', west longitude 79 44' ~ 8 1 27'. It consists of Grand Cayman, little cayman and Cayman Brac. It covers an area of 259 square kilometers (including 220 square kilometers in Grand Cayman) and has a population of 1.984. White people make up 20%, and the rest are mulatto and black people. 70% is distributed in Grand Cayman. Believe in Christianity more. English is the official language. Geologically speaking, it is the ridge part of Maestra Mountain in Cuba that extends westward and protrudes out of the sea. The average elevation is 200 meters, surrounded by coral reefs. Located in the tropics. The annual average temperature is 24 ~ 30℃, and the annual precipitation is 1200mm. [ 1]
Cayman Islands-Historical Evolution
Cayman Islands
Discovered by Columbus in 1503, the islands have been uninhabited for a long time.
1670 became a British colony with Jamaica. 1962 after Jamaica's independence, the islands became administrative units and were directly under British rule.
According to the Madrid Treaty, the Cayman Islands is governed by Britain. But for more than 280 years before 1959, it was actually under the full jurisdiction of the British colony governor of Jamaica.
1962 After Jamaica's independence, the Cayman Islands became a British crown colony, and the governor appointed by the Queen of England exercised jurisdiction. Governor m gore took office on 1992. [2]
Cayman islands-a long culture
Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands (British) The Cayman Islands consists of three Caribbean islands 480 miles south of Miami, Florida, including Grand Cayman, little cayman and Cayman Brac. /kloc-discovered by Columbus in 0/503, located in the middle of the Mexico-Cuba route, can be used as a stopover for pirates, so it is often used as a base by pirates, especially the notorious Blackbeard-edward teach. 1722 or so, Thomas Amstutz's pirate ship was found by the British when it was sailing near Grand Cayman, and suffered heavy losses, killing and injuring many crew members. At present, the Cayman Islands attracts tourists from all over the world with its long history and culture of piracy. The most famous is the annual Pirate Festival, which is held every September for one week.
Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands on May 1503 during his fourth expedition to the New World. According to historical records, the British navigator Francis Drake arrived at the island on 1586 and named it Cayman Islands. 1670 became a British colony with Jamaica and was under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Jamaica. 1962 After independence, Jamaica became a British colony. On September 12, 2004, Hurricane Ivan, one of the strongest storms in Atlantic history, swept through the Cayman Islands, causing the worst disaster in local history, and almost all local buildings and infrastructure were destroyed. At present, the infrastructure of the Cayman Islands has been basically rebuilt.
Cayman Islands-Economic Overview
Cayman Islands
The economy is dominated by tourism, finance and turtle fishing. Industry and agriculture are underdeveloped, mainly planting coconuts, mangoes and oranges; The only industries are brick, bread and fish processing plants. Grand Cayman 10 km long Xiwan Beach is a tourist attraction. Export turtles, turtle products and ropes. Food and industrial products mainly depend on imports. Georgetown, the capital, is located on the southwest coast of Grand Cayman with a population of 7,600 (1979). It is a natural harbor, a national financial center, and all major banks in the world have branches here. All three islands have airports.
Financial services and tourism are two major economic pillars, and the number of employed people accounts for 10% and 35% of the total labor force respectively.
Gross domestic product (1995): US$ 938 million.
Per capita GDP (1995): $26,800.
GDP growth rate (1997): 5%.
Currency name: Cayman dollar; 1 yuan = 100 integral.
Exchange rate: (1 999165438+10 month)1USD = 0.83ci.
Inflation rate (1998): 3%.
Unemployment rate (1996): 5. 1%.
Industry: Very small. Mainly produces building materials, jewelry, furniture, food and chemical packaging appliances.
Agriculture: Restricted by poor land, little rain, expensive land and high labor cost, agriculture is very underdeveloped, and its output value only accounts for 1% of GDP. The main crops are vegetables and tropical fruits, such as citrus, mango and avocado. More than 90% of the grain is imported.
Service industry: Financial service industry is an important sector of the economy, with revenue of 1997/.1.80 billion US dollars, accounting for 15.5% of the island's GDP. Due to the stable political situation in Cayman, no foreign exchange restrictions, no direct taxes and strict compliance with the financial secrecy law, the islands have become one of the largest overseas financial centers in the world. From 65438 to 0997, the Cayman Islands established a stock market and a monetary authority, further consolidating its position as an overseas financial center. By the end of 1996, there were 379 19 foreign companies registered in Cayman, including 588 banks and trust companies. Of the world's top 50 banks, 47 are registered in Cayman.
Tourism: It is the main economic pillar, accounting for 70% of GDP and about 75% of foreign exchange income, with more than 1500 employees. 1the number of foreign tourists in 1997 124657 1, an increase of 9% compared with11996, and the tourism income was $458 million. 80% tourists come from the United States, and the rest come from Europe, Canada, Jamaica and Japan. Repeat customers account for 40% of tourists.
Cayman Islands-Political Overview
Cayman Islands
Constitution: promulgated in 1959, revised twice in 1972 and 1992. 1993 constitution was further amended, stipulating that the government should adopt a ministerial system. According to the new constitution, the Governor-General represents the Queen of England, is appointed by the Queen, and is responsible for foreign affairs, national defense, internal security and public services, and serves as the chairman of the Executive Committee; The Executive Committee consists of the Chief Secretary, the Deputy Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary, the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General and five people elected by the Legislative Council itself. The Legislative Assembly consists of 15 elected members and 4 official members appointed by the Governor.
Government: It's called the Executive Committee. The current Executive Committee was established in June 1999. Main members: Chairman Petermith, Chief Minister JamesRyan, Minister of Finance GeorgeMcCarthy, Minister of Justice RichardColes, Minister of Agriculture, Communications, Engineering and Natural Resources JohnMclean, Minister of Community, Sports, Youth, Women's Affairs and Culture JuliannaOConnor-Connolly；; Minister of Education, Aviation and Planning TrumanBodden Minister of Health, Social Welfare, Drug Control and Rehabilitation AnthonyEden and Minister of Tourism, Transportation and Engineering ThomasJefferson.
Political Party: Progressive Democratic Party: 199 1 was founded in August by MckeevaBush, a backbencher of the Legislative Council. The party supports maintaining ties with Britain.
Judiciary: There are the Grand Court of the Islands (equivalent to the Supreme Court), the Summary Court, the Juvenile Court and the Court of Appeal (in Jamaica). The Privy Council of the United Kingdom is the highest appellate body in the Cayman Islands. The Grand Court sits six times a year, hearing civil and criminal cases and accepting appeals from summary courts. Chief Justice AnthonySmellie.
Politics:1After party politics stopped in the mid-1960s, there were no official political parties on the island. Legislative Council elections are generally held between several groups and independent candidates. All candidates pledged to further develop Cayman's economy and supported maintaining ties with Britain. 199 1 year, the first new political party, the Progressive Democratic Party, was established. In the election of 1992 1 1 in June, the ethnic group won. 1In February 1995, Gilbert McClane, an independent member of the Legislative Council, established the Cayman Group.1961October, 165438 held general elections, and the ethnic group won again. [2]
Cayman Islands-Transportation
Cayman Islands
The total length of the highway is 406 kilometers, of which 304 kilometers are asphalt roads. Georgetown is a major shipping port. The main international airports are Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman and Gillard Smith Airport in Cayman Brac.
Water transport: There are boats to Florida, Jamaica, Costa Rica and Haiti. The main port is Georgetown. 1990 international freight volume is 1476438+00000 tons.
Air transport: There are regular flights to Houston, Miami and Kingston, Jamaica, Cuba and Honduras. There are two international airports: Owen Roberts and Gerald Smith International Airport. All these airports can take off and land jets, and eight airlines operate here. There are domestic air routes between the islands. From 65438 to 0995,865597 international passengers arrived in Cayman via Owen Roberts Airport. [2]
Cayman Islands-Foreign Trade
Cayman Islands
Finance: Government revenue mainly comes from import tax, stamp duty, registration fee, royalties, property tax and tourism tax. The financial revenue and expenditure in recent years are as follows (unit: millions of Cayman dollars):
Year199719981999
Income 305.4438+0286.2
Expenditure 287.2334279.2
Variance 18.04- 17
Foreign trade: the supply of foreign trade exceeds demand, but the huge trade deficit has been basically offset by tourism, overseas financial income and foreign remittances. The main trading partners are the United States, Britain, Canada and Japan. The main export products are turtle meat, leather and shells; Mainly import machinery, transportation equipment and food. 1997 foreign trade (unit: one million Cayman dollars): export was 65.438+0.8 million yuan, import was 358.6 million yuan, and the difference was-356.8 million yuan.
People's life: children enjoy free medical care. 1994 There are 2 hospitals with 62 beds and 20 doctors. In addition, there are four regional health centers and one clinic. From 65438 to 0994, the government's health expenditure was CI $6 million (accounting for 5.5% of the total expenditure) and social welfare expenditure was CI $8.3 million (accounting for 8.4% of the total expenditure). 1996 has 20228 telephones. 2,900 mobile phones. 1990 has 24,000 radios and 5,000 televisions. [2]
Cayman islands-cultural education
Cayman Islands
Education: Public schools implement free and compulsory education for students aged 5- 15. 1995 the government's education expenditure is1770,000 CI, accounting for 9.9% of the total expenditure.
The school and students of 1995 are as follows:
Students (people) of the project school (college)
Public primary schools 10 172 1
Private primary and secondary schools 6 1320
Public middle schools 3 1626
University 25 19
News and publishing: There are two major newspapers: The Cayman Compass, which is published five times a week with a circulation of 65,438+00,000 copies; Business Association News, circulation 1500. The magazine has a monthly issue of New Star.
Radio Cayman: The government commercial radio station broadcasts in English all day from 1976.
Radio of Cayman International University: founded in 1973, broadcasting cultural and educational programs.
Television: Cayman Islands Television, established in 199 1, broadcasts local and American news and entertainment programs all day. Cayman International Television Network: 1992 was established to broadcast local, Caribbean and international news and American entertainment programs. [2]
British Commonwealth (of Nations)
Sovereign country Antigua and Barbuda Australia Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Brunei Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji Gambia Ghana Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Saint Lucia Maldives Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Swaziland Lan Tanzania Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Uganda UK Vanuatu Zambia Rwanda
Overseas Territories and Dependencies ashmore and Cartier Islands in Australia, Antarctic Territory in Australia, Christmas Island, Corcos Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Hurd and MacDonald Islands, norfolk island.
Niue, Cook Islands, New Zealand ross dependency Tokelau Niue, New Zealand
Akrotiri and Declia Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, british indian ocean territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Heron (including Ascension and Tristan da Cunha), South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.