Cayman Islands

One of the world's largest financial centres and a well-known tax haven, this British overseas territory in the Caribbean has more registered businesses than it has people.

Grand Cayman and its sister islands Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have natural attractions too. Beaches, coral reefs and abundant marine life make them a popular haunt for the wealthier visitor.

Once a dependency of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands came under direct British rule after Jamaica declared independence in 1962. Granted greater autonomy under a 1972 constitution, the islands are largely self-governing and economically self-sufficient.

Tourism, banking and property are big money earners, having overtaken the traditional trades of fishing, turtle hunting and shipbuilding.

More than 9,000 mutual funds, some 260 banks and 80,000 companies operate through the islands. The industry has come under scrutiny and the government has enforced stricter banking regulation to counter money laundering.

Hurricane Ivan

Hurricanes are a natural hazard in the low-lying islands. In September 2004 Hurricane Ivan pounded the main island with winds of up to 200 mph. A national disaster was declared.

The offshore finance industry quickly resumed operations. But the rebuilding of homes and other buildings - 70% of which were damaged - took longer.

Christopher Columbus discovered the islands in 1503 and named them Las Tortugas, after the giant turtles that he sighted in the surrounding seas. The islands were later renamed Caymanas, from the Carib indian word for a crocodile.

Once threatened with extinction from over-hunting, turtles are now bred - mainly for domestic consumption - at the Cayman Turtle Farm. The farm releases hundreds of turtles into the wild every year.

Territory: Cayman IslandsStatus: British overseas territoryPopulation: 47,900 (UN, 2008) Capital: George Town, on Grand Cayman Area: 260 sq km (100 sq miles) Major language: English Major religions: Christianity Life expectancy: n/a Currency: Cayman Island dollar Main exports: Fish, cut flowers GNI per capita: n/a Internet domain: .ky International dialling code: +345

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor

Leader of government business: McKeeva Bush

McKeeva Bush was sworn in as Leader of Government Business on 27 May 2009, following the victory of his opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) in general elections.

He previously held the post between November 2001 and May 2005. A member of the legislative assembly representing West Bay, he also holds the post of minister of finance, tourism and development.

The constitution provides for direct government, with a governor, a cabinet and a legislative assembly. A new constitution was agreed in February 2009, following a constitutional review which began in 2001. The new constitution, which for the first time includes a Bill of Rights, was accepted in a referendum held on 20 May 2009.

As a British Overseas Territory, the Cayman Islands is largely self-governing, but it needs permission from Britain to borrow beyond its statutory debt limit of 80% of annual revenue. In September 2009 Britain refused to allow the territory to take out loans to cover a budget deficit, suggesting instead that the Cayman Islands deal with the financial crisis by developing a plan to curb expenditure and widen the tax base.

Four TV stations are on the air in the Caymans, two of them run by religious organisations. Cable and satellite offer a variety of US and international stations.

Private FM radio stations operate alongside government-owned Radio Cayman.

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British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands, or BVI, comprise more than 40 Caribbean islands and islets with subtropical vegetation, white sandy beaches and coral reefs.

The British overseas territory forms part of an island chain, alongside the neighbouring US Virgin Islands. Tortola, the largest of the 16 inhabited islands, is home to more than three quarters of the population.

Tourism and offshore finance dominate the economy. Beef Island airport opened in 1968 and, a year later, the first yacht charter business was established, heralding the growth of a lucrative tourist industry.

With its agreeable climate, tranquil and clear waters, yachting and water sports, it is easy to see why the BVI is a popular destination. The islands are, however, prone to tropical storms and hurricanes.

Financial and business services account for nearly half of the islands' GDP. Legislation adopted in the mid-1980s enabled a rapid expansion of international financial services.

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) removed the territory from its list of uncooperative tax havens in 2002, although a British government commission called on the Islands, along with other Territories and Crown Dependencies, to improve standards of regulation in an October 2009 report.

Named by Christopher Columbus in 1493, the islands were settled by the Dutch until 1666. The main island of Tortola was annexed by the Leeward Islands governor in 1672. The BVI as a whole became part of Britain's Leeward Islands colony in 1872.

The Leewards were administered under a federal system until 1956. After the Leewards had been de-federated, the BVI were granted separate colony status in 1960 and were awarded a limited degree of self-rule in 1967. Subsequent legislative amendments over the next few decades gradually extended the islands' autonomy.

In 2002 the British Overseas Territories Act granted British citizenship to the islanders, who can hold British passports and may work in the UK and EU. The territory has tightened its immigration regulations; illegal migrants have used the islands as a springboard to the US.

A new constitution adopted in 2007 established a greater degree of self-government. Under this constitution, the post of premier replaced that of chief minister as head of government.

Territory: British Virgin IslandsStatus: British overseas territoryPopulation: 22,200 (via UN, 2006) Capital: Road Town, Tortola Area: 153 sq km (59 sq miles) Major language: English Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: n/a Monetary unit: US dollar Main exports: Rum, fruit, livestock, sand and gravel GNI per capita: n/a Internet domain: .vg International dialling code: +1 284

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor. The governor is responsible for external affairs, defence, internal security, public services and the administration of the courts.

Premier: Ralph O'Neal

Ralph O'Neal became premier of the British Virgin Islands following his party's election victory in August 2007. The premier is appointed by the governor.

Having served as chief minister in the past, he is the first leader to receive the title of premier since the change was ushered in by the new 2007 constitution.

He concurrently holds the posts of minister of tourism and finance.

The territory has a ministerial system of government. Elections to the 15-member Legislative Council are held every four years.

There are no public broadcasters based in the BVI; the TV station and radio stations are operated by private concerns.

Multichannel and international TV services are widely available via cable and satellite.

Newspapers are free to criticise the government and its policies.

The press:

Television:

Virgin Islands TV Network (VITV) - private

Radio:

ZBVI- private, mediumwave (AM) ZROD- private, FM Z-Wave - private, FM Z-Hit - private, FM Z-Gold - private, FM

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Falkland Islands

The isolated and sparsely-populated Falkland Islands, a British overseas territory in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain the subject of a sovereignty dispute between Britain and Argentina, who waged a brief but bitter war over the territory in 1982.

Argentine forces, who had landed on the Falklands to stake a territorial claim, were ejected by a British military task force.

Argentina says it has a right to the islands, which it calls the Malvinas, because it inherited them from the Spanish crown in the early 1800s. It has also based its claim on the islands' proximity to the South American mainland. But it has stressed that its claim to the territory is nowadays entirely peaceful.

Britain rests its case on its long-term administration of the Falklands and on the principle of self-determination for the islanders, who are almost all of British descent.

British forces remain stationed in the Falklands

The windswept and almost-treeless territory is made up of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, as well as hundreds of smaller islands and islets.

The islands are said to have been sighted in the 1500s. An English captain made the first recorded landing in 1690 and France, Spain and Britain subsequently established settlements.

In 1820, newly-independent Argentina claimed sovereignty, and later founded a settlement. Britain claimed sovereignty in 1833 and expelled the remaining Argentine settlers. The Britons who settled thereafter made up the islands' first permanent population.

Argentina continued to press its claim to the islands, which intensified in the 1960s. In 1965 the UN designated the territory as a "colonial problem" and called on both countries to negotiate a solution.

Talks, held on and off for more than 17 years, failed to resolve the issue. After months of sabre-rattling, Argentine troops set foot on the islands on 2 April 1982.

The islands are a breeding ground for millions of penguins

Britain dispatched a military force to eject them. The Argentine garrison commander in Port Stanley surrendered on 14 June. The fighting cost the lives of 655 Argentine and 255 British servicemen.

London and Buenos Aires restored diplomatic relations in 1990, but the status of the Falklands remains a sore point, with disagreements over flights to the islands and fishing rights.

The dispute again came to the fore in 2009. In May, Britain rejected a request by Argentina for talks on the future sovereignty over the islands.

In December, the Argentine parliament passed a law laying claim to the Falklands, along with nearby South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, in a move rejected by the UK.

In February 2010, tensions rose further when a British company began exploring for oil near the Falklands' waters.

Earlier in the month, Argentina had responded to the drilling plans by introducing new rules requiring all ships travelling to the Falklands through its waters to have a permit.

Fishing and sheep farming are the main economic activities. The territory has a small tourist industry; one of the main draws is the islands' wildlife, including the penguins that breed there in their millions.

The seabed around the islands is thought to contain substantial oil reserves. They have yet to be exploited.

Territory: Falkland Islands. Also called Las Malvinas by ArgentinaStatus: British overseas territory, claimed by ArgentinaPopulation: 2,379 (census, 2001) Capital: Stanley Area: 12,173 sq km (4,700 sq miles) Major language: English Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: n/a Monetary unit: Falkland Islands pound (equal in value to British pound) Main export: Fish Internet domain: .fk International dialling code: +500

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor

Chief executive: Dr Tim Thorogood

The islands are self-governing, although foreign affairs and defence matters are handled by the British government.

There is no party-political activity on the islands.

A new constitution intended to enhance the powers of the Executive Council came into force on 1 January 2009.

Penguin News: The local weekly

Coverage of local affairs is provided by a radio station and by the territory's sole newspaper.

The BBC's "Calling the Falklands" radio programme served listeners on the islands between 1944 and 2006.

The corporation provides technical backup for the public broadcaster, the Falkland Islands Radio Service.

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Turks & Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands, a British overseas territory, enjoys one of the more dynamic economies in the West Indies.

Tourism and offshore finance have replaced salt production as the main sources of prosperity for the low-lying islands and cays.

However, the British government imposed direct rule in August 2009 after a commission of enquiry found evidence of widespread corruption among the ruling elite.

Thousands of overseas companies are registered in the islands. In 2002 Turks and Caicos was removed from a list of countries and territories considered to be uncooperative tax havens by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which seeks to end harmful tax practices around the globe.

However, by 2009 it remained on the OECD's grey list of those who say they will comply with rules on sharing tax information but have yet to act.

Watery attractions: Diving and big-game fishing are popular

Upmarket tourism is centred on Providenciales, or Provo. Coral reefs and 200 miles of beaches draw holidaymakers and divers, mostly from the US and Canada. But over-development is a concern; some fragile eco-systems, including wetlands and lagoons, are designated as protected areas.

There is little agriculture, though the territory is home to the world's only conch farm. The molluscs are exported.

Independence moves in the 1980s ended when a pro-dependency government was elected. Islanders have British citizenship. The territory enjoys strong links with Canada and politicians have occasionally mooted a political and economic union.

Once a dependency of Jamaica, the Turks and Caicos Islands became a crown colony upon Jamaican independence in 1962. The original inhabitants were Taino indians; later arrivals included slaves, brought from Africa to work on cotton plantations. Their descendants make up a majority of the population.

Wealthy retirees are among the more recent settlers. At the other end of the economic scale, migrants come from impoverished Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In turn, thousands of Turks and Caicos citizens take advantage of job prospects in the neighbouring Bahamas.

Territory: Turks and Caicos IslandsStatus: British overseas territoryPopulation: 30,600 (via UN, 2006) Area: 430 sq km (166 sq miles) Capital: Cockburn Town, on Grand Turk Major language: English Major religion: Christianity Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 76 years (women) Monetary unit: US dollar = 100 cents Main exports: Lobster, conch GNI per capita: US$10,346 (2002) Internet domain: .tc International dialling code: +1 649

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor Gordon Wetherell

Government and elected assembly suspended.

Premier: Galmore Williams (suspended)

Galmore Williams assumed office in March 2009 when his predecessor, Michael Misick, resigned as the British government moved to restore direct rule.

The British government has put its governor in control after a commission of enquiry set up by the Foreign Office in London said it found evidence pointing towards corruption or serious dishonesty in the islands' administration.

Former premier Michael Misick stepped down in March 2009

Critics of Mr Misick say he ran the islands like a personal fiefdom, and politicians on the islands are accused of making money from the sale of government-owned crown land.

Mr Misick has denied claims of selling crown land for personal gain, and has said he has attracted valuable foreign investments to the island territory. His term of office was accompanied by a resort-building boom.

Normally the territory is internally self-governing; the governor oversees foreign affairs, defence and offshore finance. Power is exercised by an elected legislative council and an appointed executive council.

Local news and information is available via cable TV. Broadcasters from the Bahamas can be picked up.

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