1959, revised 1972
_#_National holiday: Constitution Day (first Monday in July), 1 July 1991
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet)
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
_#_Judicial branch: Grand Court, Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
_#_Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Alan James SCOTT (since NA 1987);
Head of Government—Governor and President of the Executive Council
Alan James SCOTT (since NA 1987)
_#_Political parties and leaders: no formal political parties
_#_Suffrage: universal at age 18
_#_Elections:
Legislative Assembly—last held NA November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(15 total, 12 elected)
_#_Communists: none
_#_Member of: CDB, IOC
_#_Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK, Caymanian interests in the US are represented by the UK;
US—none
_#_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
_*Economy #_Overview: The economy depends heavily on tourism (70% of GDP and 75% of export 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.
_#_GDP: $342 million, per capita $13,670 (1989); real growth rate 15% (1988)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.2% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $76 million; expenditures $56 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988)
_#_Exports: $1.5 million (f.o.b., 1987 est.);
commodities—turtle products, manufactured consumer goods;
partners—mostly US
_#_Imports: $136 million (c.i.f., 1987 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: 74,000 kW capacity; 256 million kWh produced, 9,710 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, building materials, furniture making
_#_Agriculture: minor production of vegetables, fruit, livestock; turtle farming
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70–87), $26.7 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–88), $35.0 million
_#_Currency: Caymanian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Caymanian dollar (CI$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: Caymanian dollars (CI$) per US$1—1.20 (fixed rate)
_#_Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
_*Communications #_Highways: 160 km of main roads
_#_Ports: George Town, Cayman Brac
_#_Merchant marine: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 372,732 GRT/604,395 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 6 cargo, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 specialized tanker, 1 liquefied gas carrier, 9 bulk; note—a flag of convenience registry
_#_Airports: 3 total; 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220–2,439 m
_#_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; stations—2 AM, 1 FM, no TV
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Royal Cayman Islands Police Force (RCIPF)
_#Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK % @Central African Republic *Geography #_Total area: 622,980 km2; land area: 622,980 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,203 km total; Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km, Zaire 1,577 km
_#_Coastline: none—landlocked
_#_Maritime claims: none—landlocked
_#_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 NEGL%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 64%; other 28%
_#_Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; poaching has diminished reputation as one of last great wildlife refuges; desertification
_#_Note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
_*People #_Population: 2,952,382 (July 1991), growth rate 2.6% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 44 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 49 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Central African(s); adjective—Central African
_#_Ethnic divisions: about 80 ethnic groups, the majority of which have related ethnic and linguistic characteristics; Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%; 6,500 Europeans, of whom
