Cayman Islands 1 Cayman Islands Cayman Islands Overseas territory of the United Kingdom Flag Coat of arms Motto: "He hath founded it upon the seas" Anthem: God Save the Queen (official) National song: Beloved Isle Cayman Capital George Town [1] and largest city 19°20′N 81°24′W Official languages English Ethnic groups (2011) • 40% Afro-European • 20% European • 20% African • 20% other Demonym Caymanian Government British Overseas Territorya - Monarch Elizabeth II - Governor Helen Kilpatrick Cayman Islands 2 - Premier Alden McLaughlin - Responsible Ministerb (UK) Mark Simmonds MP Legislature Legislative Assembly Establishment - British Overseas Territory 1962 - Current constitution 6 November 2009 Area - Total 264 km2 (210th) 102 sq mi - Water (%) 1.6 Population - census 56,732 - Density 212/km2 (59th) 549/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate - Total $3.268 billion - Per capita $43,800 (11th) GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate - Total $3.268 billion (159th) - Per capita $47,000 [2] HDI (2008) 0.983 very high · (4th) Currency Cayman Islands dollar (KYD) Time zone (UTC-5) - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC-5) Drives on the left Calling code +1-345 Internet TLD .ky a. Representative democratic parliamentary dependency under constitutional monarchy. b. For the Overseas Territories. The Cayman Islands (/ˈkeɪmən/ or /keɪˈmæn/) are a British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. The Cayman Islands are considered to be part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone as well as the Greater Antilles. The territory is a major world offshore financial centre. Cayman Islands 3 History Main article: History of the Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands remained largely uninhabited until the 17th century. While there is no archaeological evidence for an indigenous people on the islands, a variety of settlers from various backgrounds made their home on the islands, including pirates, refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, shipwrecked sailors, and deserters from Oliver Cromwell's army in Jamaica.[3] The first recorded permanent inhabitant of the Cayman Islands, Isaac Bodden, was born on Grand Cayman around 1661. He was the grandson of the original settler named Bodden who was probably one of Oliver Cromwell's soldiers at the taking of Jamaica in 1655.[4] England took formal control of the Cayman Islands, along with Jamaica, as a result of the Treaty of Madrid of 1670. Following several unsuccessful attempts at settlement, a permanent English-speaking population in the islands dates from the 1730s. With settlement, after Cayman Islands National Museum, George the first royal land grant by the Governor of Jamaica in 1734, came the Town, Grand Cayman perceived need for slaves. Many were brought to the islands from Africa; this is evident today with the majority of native Caymanians being of African and English descent. The results of the first census taken in the islands in 1802 showed the population on Grand Cayman to be 933 with 545 of those inhabitants being slaves. Slavery was abolished in the Cayman Islands in 1834. At the time of abolition, there were over 950 slaves owned by 116 Caymanian families.[5] The islands continued to be governed as part of the Colony of Jamaica until 1962, when they became a separate Crown colony while Jamaica became an independent Commonwealth realm.[6] The Cayman Islands historically have been a tax-exempt destination. On 8 February 1794, the Caymanians rescued the crews of a group of ten merchant ships, including HMS Convert, an incident that has since become known as the Wreck of the Ten Sail. The ships had struck a reef and run aground during rough seas.[7] Legend has it that King George III rewarded the island with a promise never to introduce taxes as compensation for their generosity, as one of the ships carried a member of the King's own family, his son Prince William, Duke of The Heroes Square in the centre of George Town, Clarence and St Andrews. While this remains a popular legend, the which commemorates Cayman Islands' war dead. story is not true. The Legislative Assembly building is at the left. However, whatever the history, in practice the government of the Cayman Islands has always relied on indirect and not direct taxes. The islands have never levied income tax, capital gains tax, or any wealth tax, making them a popular tax haven.[8] On 11–12 September 2004 the island of Grand Cayman, which lies largely unprotected at sea level, was hit by Hurricane Ivan, creating an 8-ft storm surge which flooded many areas of Grand Cayman. An estimated 83% of the dwellings on the island were damaged including 4% requiring complete reconstruction. A reported 70% of all dwellings suffered severe damage from flooding or wind. Another 26% sustained minor damage from partial roof removal, low levels of flooding, or impact with floating or wind driven hurricane debris. Power, water and communications were disrupted for months in some areas, as Ivan was the worst hurricane to hit the islands in 86 years.[9] Grand Cayman began a major rebuilding process and within two years, its infrastructure was nearly returned to pre-hurricane status. Due to the tropical location of the islands, more hurricane or tropical systems have affected the Cayman Islands than any other region in the Atlantic basin; it has been brushed or directly hit, on average, every 2.23 years. Cayman Islands 4 Geography Main article: Geography of the Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands are in the western Caribbean Sea and are the peaks of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Ridge (or Cayman Rise). This ridge flanks the Cayman Trough, 6,000 m (20,000 ft) deep[10] which lies 6 km (3.7 mi) to the south.[11] The islands lie in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea, east of Quintana Roo, Mexico and the Yucatan Map of the Cayman Islands, showing the three main islands about 120 Mexico, south of Cuba and west of Jamaica. They kilometres (75 miles) apart are situated about 700 km (430 mi) south of Miami, 366 km (227 mi) south of Cuba, and about 500 km (310 mi) northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is by far the biggest, with an area of 197 km2 (76 sq mi).[12] Grand Cayman's two "Sister Islands", Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are about 120 km (75 mi) east north-east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 38 and 28.5 km2 (14.7 and 11.0 sq mi) respectively. All three islands were formed by large coral heads covering submerged ice age peaks of western extensions of the Cuban Sierra Maestra range and are mostly flat. One notable exception to this is The Bluff on Cayman Brac's eastern part, which rises to 43 m (141 ft) above sea level, the highest point on the islands. Terrain is mostly a low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs. Fauna George Town waterfront Further information: List of mammals of the Cayman Islands The mammalian species in the islands include the introduced Central American agouti and eight species of bats. At least three now extinct native rodent species were present up until the discovery of the islands by Europeans. A number of cetaceans are found in offshore waters. Cayman avian fauna includes two endemic subspecies of Amazona parrots: Amazona leucocephala hesterna, or Cayman Brac parrot, native only to Cayman Brac, and Amazona leucocephala caymanensis or Grand Cayman parrot, which is native to the Cayman Islands, forested areas of Cuba, and the Isla de la Juventud. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are also home to Red-footed and Brown Booby birds.[13][14] Among other notable fauna is the endangered blue iguana, which is endemic to Grand Cayman.[15] Cayman Islands 5 Climate Main article: Climate of the Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands have a tropical marine climate, with a wet season of warm, rainy summers (May to October) and a dry season of relatively cool winters (November to April).Wikipedia:Citation needed A major natural hazard is the tropical cyclones that form during the Atlantic hurricane season from June to November. On 11 and 12 September 2004, Hurricane Ivan struck the Cayman Islands. The storm resulted in two deaths, and caused great damage to the infrastructure on the islands. The total economic impact of the Signs at Rum Point commemorating landed and [16] near-miss hurricanes storms was estimated to be $3.4 billion. Demographics Main article: Demographics of the Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands have more registered businesses than people. In mid-2011 the Cayman Islands had an estimated population of about 56,000, representing a mix of more than 100 nationalities. Out of that number, about half are of Caymanian descent. About 60% of the population is of mixed race (mostly mixed African-Caucasian). The islands are almost exclusively Christian, with large numbers of Presbyterians and Catholics. The vast majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman, followed by Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, respectively. The population is projected to rise to 60,000 by 2020. The capital of the Cayman Islands is George Town, on the southwest coast of Grand Cayman. District populations According to the Cayman Islands 2010 census the estimated resident population is 54,878 people, broken down as follows: • George Town: 27,704 • West Bay: 11,269 • Bodden Town: 10,341 • North Side: 1,437 • East End: 1,369 • Cayman Brac and Little Cayman (Sister Islands): 2,277 Traditional Caymanian home at East End, Grand Cayman Cayman Islands 6 Economy Main article: Economy of the Cayman Islands With an average income of around KYD$47,000, Caymanians have the highest standard of living in the Caribbean.