Political system
The Cayman Islands are a British Colony, having ceased to be a dependency of Jamaica in 1959. The present constitution was adopted in 1972 and provides for the Cayman Islands as a British Dependent Overseas Territory.
The Legislative Assembly is made up of 15 elected members, representing six districts, and three senior civil servants appointed by the Governor as official members. Day-to-day government is in the hands of the Executive Council, which is made up of the three official members and five of the elected members and is presided over by the Governor.
The Governor is appointed by the Queen; he must consult with the Executive Council in the exercise of his powers. The Governor is responsible for the appointment of some of the members of the judiciary and oversees the civil service.
Elections are held every four years. The political climate is stable. The country is presently undergoing a constitutional review, which may result in some changes in the administration of the political system.
Economic environment
The main industries of the Cayman Islands are financial services, tourism and real estate sales and development. There are also significant hotel and restaurant operations, retail stores, scuba diving and boat rentals.
Grand Cayman is visited daily by cruise ships during the peak tourist season (November to April). As many as six cruise ship may visit on any one day, with over 10,000 passengers disembarking.
