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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cayman Islands
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK
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Government type:
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British crown colony
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Capital:
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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)
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Administrative divisions:
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8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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National holiday:
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Constitution Day, first Monday in July
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Constitution:
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1959; revised 1962, 1972, and 1994
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Legal system:
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British common law and local statutes
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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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: 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
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Legislative branch:
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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
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Judicial branch:
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Summary Court; Grand Court; Cayman Islands Court of Appeal
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Political parties and leaders:
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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
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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National Trust
other: environmentalists
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International organization participation:
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Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UNESCO (associate), UPU, WFTU
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Flag description:
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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
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