| Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands |
| Government type: |
British crown colony |
| Capital: |
name: George Town (on Grand Cayman)
geographic coordinates: 19 18 N, 81 23 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: |
8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western |
| Independence: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| National holiday: |
Constitution Day, first Monday in July |
| Constitution: |
1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994 |
| Legal system: |
British common law and local statutes |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Stuart JACK (since 23 November 2005)
head of government: Leader of Government Business Kurt TIBBETTS (since 18 May 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council (three members appointed by the governor, four members elected by the Legislative Assembly)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or coalition is appointed by the governor Leader of Government Business |
| Legislative branch: |
unicameral Legislative Assembly (18 seats; 3 appointed members from the Executive Council and 15 elected by popular vote; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 11 May 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PPM 9, UDP 5, independent 1 |
| Judicial branch: |
Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal |
| Political parties and leaders: |
United Democratic Party or UDP [McKeeva BUSH]; People's Progressive Movement or PPM [Kurt TIBBETTS]; note - no national teams (loose groupings of political organizations) were formed for the 2000 elections |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International organization participation: |
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Flag description: |
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Caymanian coat of arms 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 |
