Primary education is free and universal and the illiteracy rate is virtually non-existent. All 14 primary schools and one secondary school are directly maintained by the Government. There are also nine private schools. In 1971 a total of 2,156 pupils were enrolled in all schools. Secondary schools provide education to G.C.E. Ordinary level standard and several scholarships tenable at universities in the U.S.A., Canada and in Puerto Rico and the University of the West Indies are awarded. There is a library at Road Town and library deposit stations in the out-islands. There are four direct steamship services, one from the United Kingdom, one from Holland and two from the United States. A launch maintains a daily passenger and mail service with St Thomas (United States Virgin Islands). An external telephone service links Tortola with Bermuda and the rest of the world, and cable communications also exist to all parts of the world. There are airports suitable for small aircraft on Beef Island, Virgin Gorda, and Anegada. The main airport at Beef Island accommodates aircraft as large as the AVro 748 carrying 50 passengers. Two scheduled air services operated by PRINAIR and LIAT provide direct daily communication with Puerto Rico and the Eastern Caribbean. The territory possesses approximately 40 miles of roads, but no railways. Although the territory is not served by a television network, a radio broadcasting station is located at Baugher's Bay, Tortola, and its transmissions reach the United States Virgin Islands and the northern Leeward Islands. A television licence has been issued to a private company and TV broadcasts will commence in due course. The main crops are bananas, vegetables and coconuts, although livestock and fish are most important exports. In 1970 exports of livestock were valued at US$5,805, whilst the other principal exports were fish, including turtles and shellfish, US$27,530; fruit US$7,766; and vegetables US$760. Exports are almost entirely confined to the United States Virgin Islands and the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Industry is extremely limited and consists of a rum distillery on Tortola, 15 plants making hollow concrete blocks, a mineral water factory, and three stone-crushing plants and one paint factory opened in 1969. Two printeries are in operation and a joinery works has been built. The chief imports are timber, foodstuffs, machinery, motor cars and alcoholic beverages. The income tax law has been amended to provide generous family allowances of up to $7,000 with medical and schooling deductions of up to $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. Taxable income bears income tax at a flat 12%. Gross income is taxed at 3% under a separate law. Companies pay a flat rate of 12 cents in the Dollar. In 1971 recurrent Government revenue was U.S. $3.05 million. The six-year development plan for 1966-71 envisages a total expenditure of almost US$18 million of which US$5.6 million would be in the public sectors: of the latter, nearly half is allocated to communications including the extension and improvement of the airport at Beef Island and improvement of the territory's road system and port facilities. HISTORY The Virgin Islands were discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus who named them Las Virgenes in honour of St Ursula and her companions. In the early years of European settlement in the West Indies, the group appears to have been a haunt of buccaneers and pirates. In 1672 the Governor of the Leeward Islands, Colonel Stapleton, formally annexed the island of Tortola, demolished the fort and forced the inhabitants to move to St Kitts. In 1680 a few planters moved with their families from Anguilla in the Leewards to Virgin Gorda, starting a stream which by 1717 had raised the European population of that island to 317 and that of Tortola to 159. In 1773, on their second petition, the planters were granted civil government and constitutional courts with a completely elected House of Assembly (12 members) and a partly elected and partly nominated Legislative Council or 'Board' which met for the first time on 1st February 1774. The islands became part of the Colony of the Leeward Islands in 1872 and continued as such with various constitutions until 1st July 1956 when the Leeward Islands were defederated and the presidencies of Antigua, St Kitts, Montserrat and the Virgin Islands became separate colonies. The island continued to be administered by the Governor of the Leeward Islands until January 1960 when this office was abolished and the Administrator of the Virgin Islands became directly responsible to the Colonial Office. In August 1971, by Order in Council, the title of Administrator was changed to Governor. The territory did not, unlike the other former Leeward Islands, become part of the West Indies Federation which was dissolved in 1962. CONSTITUTION The new constitution, which came into effect in April 1967, provides for the first time for a ministerial system. The Governor remains responsible for defence and internal security, external affairs, the civil service, the administration of the courts and finance, and continues to have reserved legislative powers necessary in the exercise of his special responsibilities, but on other matters is normally bound to act in accordance with the advice of the Executive Council. The Executive Council is comprised of the Governor as Chairman, two exofficio members (the Attorney-General and Financial Secretary), the Chief Minister appointed by the Governor as the elected member who appears best able to command a majority and has two other ministers appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Legislative Council consists of a Speaker chosen from outside the Council, two ex-officio members (the Attorney-General and Financial Secretary), one nominated member appointed by the Governor after consultation with the Chief Minister and seven elected members returned from seven one-member electoral districts. Justice was formerly administered in the territory by the Supreme Court of the Windward and Leeward Islands, the Court of Summary Jurisdiction and the Magistrate's Court and a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court visited the islands twice a year. With the replacement of the Supreme Court by the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court arrangements have been made for this Court to serve the Virgin Islands. LAND POLICY British subjects who are not Virgin Islanders and all aliens are required to obtain a licence before they may acquire land. Applications are however readily granted, usually on condition that the applicant undertakes appropriate development within a certain period. Most of the land is in private ownership but Crown lands are estimated at 15,121 acres and are normally leased for a period not exceeding 99 years. Rental is based either on tender or on 5 per cent of the unimproved value of the land which is reviewed at intervals of 10 years. GOVERNMENT A General Election was held on 2nd June 1971. The Democratic Party secured three seats, the Virgin Islands Party two seats, the United Party one seat and there was one independent elected. Governor: D. G. Cudmore, CBE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL The Governor (Chairman) Attorney-General (ex-officio): (vacant) Financial Secretary (ex-officio): Hon. C. B. Romney Minister for Natural Resources: Hon. Conrad Maduro LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Speaker: Hon. H. R. Penn, OBE Nominated Member: Hon. I. Dawson Elected Members: Hon. Willard Wheatley, MBE; Dr. the Hon. Q. W. Osborne; READING LIST British Virgin Islands Report for 1965-69. HMSO, London, SBN 11 Report of the Development Advisory Committee for the period 1966-71 Report of the Fiscal Review Committee 1967-68. DOOKHAN, ISAAC: A History of the British Virgin Islands, 1968. T CAYMAN ISLANDS HE Cayman Islands consist of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman and they lie in the Caribbean Sea between latitudes 19° 15′ and 19° 45′ North and longitudes 79° 44′ and 81° 27′ West. Their total area is about 100 square miles. All the islands are low lying and do not reach a height of more than 60 feet above sea level except in Cayman Brac where the ǝastern end rises to 140 feet. The principal island-Grand Cayman-is about 180 miles west-north-west of Jamaica, it is about 22 miles in length with a breadth varying from 4 to 8 miles: very low lying, it is difficult to sight from the sea. Most of the west end of the island is taken up by North Sound, a shallow bay, 36 square miles in area, protected by a reef. North Sound provides a safe haven for small craft and a convenient area for turtle ‘crawls' (corrals). Little Cayman has a similar geographical formation to Grand Cayman. Cayman Brac is distinguished from the other islands by a central limestone bluff. The coasts are for the most part rockbound, protected by coral reefs enclosing a few fair harbours. Grand Cayman has a magnificient seven-mile beach. There are no rivers in any of the islands. There are quite a few species of birds found, none of which appear to be indigenous to the Caymans. Grand Cayman is divided into six districts: George Town with a population of 3,975, West Bay with a population of 2,725, Prospect (the population figure is included with George Town), Bodden Town with a population of 980 and North Side and East End with populations of 515 and 737 respectively. Cayman Brac is divided into four districts, Stake Bay, West End, Creek and Spot Bay. The total population of these is 1,297. Little Cayman is divided into two districts, South Town with a population of 20 and Jacksons which has no inhabitants. An estimated 700 men are at sea at any one time. The Caymans are cool from November to March, the prevailing winds being from the north and temperatures range from 65° to 75°F but have dropped to 54°F. From May to October the range of temperature is some 10° higher and has risen to 91°. At certain periods mosquitoes abound but are decreasing R* through the effort of the Mosquito Research and Control Unit set up in late 1965. The rainfall at George Town averages 56 inches a year. The hurricane season lasts from July to November and the islands have occasionally been hit, e.g. 1876, 1903, 1909, 1917, 1932 and 1944. In October 1952 they narrowly escaped severe damage, catching the edge of a hurricane whose centre passed only 40 miles to the West of Grand Cayman. ‘Camille' in 1969 and 'Celia' in 1970 both spawned near to the islands but caused little local damage. 'Laura' in November 1971 caused extensive flooding. The last population census in the Cayman Islands was carried out in 1970 and gave the following figures: Grand Cayman 8,932; Cayman Brac 1,297; Little Cayman 20. In 1971 209 births and 62 deaths were registered. Since 1891 a census has been taken six times at intervals which varied from 9 to 20 years. The official and spoken language of the Cayman Islands is English. A local currency issue to replace Jamaican currency was introduced on 1st May 1972. The new Cayman Islands currency consists of four notes CI$1, CI$5, CI$10 and CI$25 and four coins 25c, 10c, 5c and 1c. Education is compulsory for children between the ages of five and fifteen. It is provided free in nine Government primary schools and there are five churchsponsored primary schools in which fees are charged. There are two Government secondary schools (one comprehensive and one Junior High) and two private secondary schools. Enrolment in all schools in 1971 was 2,975, of whom 930 were receiving post-primary education. Recurrent expenditure in 1971 was J$276,794. The Medical Department consists of a Government hospital and dental clinic in George Town and six district clinics. Four of these are in outlying districts of Grand Cayman and two in Cayman Brac. Expenditure on medical and health services during 1971 was J$292,485. The hospital has accommodation for 36 patients. The Government Medical Officers now number five. All these doctors were appointed direct by the Grand Cayman Government on recommendation from the Overseas Development Administration in Great Britain. The District Medical Officer died but one of the G.M.Os, after completing 3 years on contract, has now opened a Private Clinic and is in private practice in Grand Cayman. The Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac was completed and opened in Cayman Brac during 1971. It was built largely by voluntary contributions and has been taken over by the Government for an experimental period of five years. In George Town there is a dentist engaged in private practice. Tropical diseases are virtually absent from the Caymans. Tourism is now the main economy and chief industry of the island, the catching and exporting of turtle and the making and exporting of thatch rope both having totally ceased during 1970. Some of the inhabitants engage in other fishing pursuits and in agriculture, but the main source of income is from seamen. Caymanians, who are first-class seamen, readily find employment with overseas shipping companies. Remittances to their families enable a higher standard of living to be maintained than the resources of the islands could justify. Despite the incentives offered by the Pioneer Industries (Encouragement) Law 1950 (discontinued from 31st December 1971) very few light industries have been established in the islands. Trade union legislation is in existence and two unions, the Global Seaman's Union and the Cayman Islands Taxi-Cab Association have been registered. The Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce was set up in 1965 in Grand Cayman. |