The Cayman Islands are an island group in the Caribbean Sea, ninety miles south of Cuba. The outstanding coral reefs and outstandingly clear waters have made this island group a favorite destination of divers. Great beaches and fine restaurants and resorts make it an excellent tourist destination as well.

Regions

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Grand Cayman - The largest island and home to most of the population and tourist facilities.

The other two islands are called the Sister Islands by locals and are also tourist destinations. They are:

Little Cayman

Cayman Brac

Cities

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George Town - the capital

Other destinations

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Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman

Pedro St. James national historic site in the eastern district of Savannah on Grand Cayman

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park off of Frank Sound Road on the North Side of Grand Cayman

Rum Point on the North Side of Grand Cayman

Boatswain's Beach - Home of the Cayman Turtle Farm on Grand Cayman

Stingray City in the waters off Grand Cayman

Understand

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The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica from 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent.

In addition to banking (the islands have no direct taxation, making them a popular incorporation site), tourism is a mainstay, aimed at the luxury market and catering mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with 600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world.

Christianity is pervasive here and religion is taken quite seriously.

Climate
Tropical marine. Warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April).
In 2004 the Cayman Islands, and especially Grand Cayman, were hit hard by Hurricane Ivan.

Landscape
Low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs. Highest point: The Bluff on Cayman Brac, at 43 meters (141 ft).

Get in

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By plane

Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) is near George Town on Grand Cayman and is the main airport. Several major carriers, as well as Cayman Airways provide service from the US. It is about a 65 minute flight from Miami, Florida.

Gerrard-Smith International Airport (CYB) is located at the western end of Cayman Brac.

Edward Bodden Airfield (LYB) is a small grass strip located on the southwestern coast of Little Cayman.

Providing air service between the three islands' airports is:

*Cayman Airways, Phone: 345-949-2311, .

Owen Roberts Airport has plenty of taxi availability. Neither of the smaller islands have airport taxi services, however hotels pick travelers up.

There's no ferry service from Grand Cayman to either of the sister islands, but private boat operators will shuttle you between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman for about US$20 (20 minutes).

By boat
George Town on Grand Cayman is a popular port for cruise ships.

Get around

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Car rentals are readily available. You must be 21 years old to rent a car. Driving is on the left hand side of the road and seatbelt use is mandatory. Visitors must get a temporary driver's license from the police station or car rental agency. This is obtained by showing a valid drivers license from their home state, county or parish and paying a US$7.50 fee.

Providing Car Rental service at Owen Roberts International Airport are:

*Coconut Car Rentals, Phone: 1(800) 941-4562, email: coconut@candw.ky.

*Andy's Car Rental, Phone: 345-949-8111, .

Mopeds and scooter rentals are available on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Helmet use is required. Usual daily rate is US$25 for helmet and permit.

Providing air service between the three islands' airports is:

*Cayman Airways, Phone: 345-949-2311, .

Talk

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English is the official language and is spoken by virtually everyone.

Buy

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Most shopping is in George Town and Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman.

Caymanite is the Cayman Islands' own semi-precious stone.

Black Coral is often used in jewelry here.

Rum cake from Tortuga Rum Company is very popular with visitors to Grand Cayman.

There are many tourist shops where you can buy t-shirts, hats, postcards, and much more. Don't buy any seashells though; beachcombing is much more fun and cheaper.

Costs

As most everything must be imported and is subject to a 20% import tax, food and other items are relatively expensive.

US currency is accepted everywhere. Be careful and always know if you're paying in CI or US. The basic conversion is US$1.25 to CI$1.00 ($1.00=CI $0.80).

Eat

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Jamaican and English influences can be seen in Cayman cuisine. Local specialties such as fish, turtle and conch are delicious and may be less expensive as they don't need to be imported. With more than 150 restaurants, unwinding with a good meal in the Cayman Islands can include chic five-star dining as well as a more casual venue under the stars, or even a themed event. From traditional Caymanian seafood to Caribbean and Thai to Italian and New World cuisine, discriminating diners are sure to find something to fit their taste. Other exciting options include dinner cruises on luxury catamarans and even an authentic tall ship. Meal prices may range from $10 to over $30 per person at the high-end restaurants.

Drink

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Alcohol is very expensive on the islands, even from the liquor stores. You can expect to pay approximately twice as much in the liquor stores as you would at stores in the United States, however it is still the cheapest way to purchase alcohol.

Typical drink prices in bars and clubs range from $4-$7 CI ($5-$8.75 US).

Liquor stores close at 7pm, and are closed on Sundays.

Visitors flying into the Cayman Islands are able to bring either 1 bottle of duty free spirits, 4 bottles of wine or champagne, or 1 12 pack of beer per person 18 years of age or older. Exceeding this duty allowance will result in substantial taxation to the excess items.

Sleep

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Accommodations tend to be relatively expensive here, but there are ample accommodations, even on the two smaller islands. There are several luxury resorts with all amenities, as well as other less expensive options. In addition, the cost of food and drink is high in Cayman, but many visitors stay in condominiums with kitchen facilities and take advantage of the first class supermarkets and cook and barbeque on the beach.

Cayman is not known for all inclusive resorts, but there are two smaller Caribbean style properties that do offer this option.

The majority of hotels and resorts are in Grand Cayman, where the main hotel "strip" is Seven Mile Beach, home to several major chain hotels and numerous condominiums.

Off Seven Mile Beach are several dive resorts and, in the Eastern Districts, numerous private homes and villas, as well as several resorts and attractions for those preferring a more tranquil vacation.

Little Cayman focuses on dive vacations and has a unique charm, as well as some of the best diving anywhere.

Cayman Brac also has various accommodation options but a few more options for how to spend your vacation time (from rock climbing to various eco-pursuits).

Camping is illegal on all three islands at all times. There are no campsites on any of the islands.

Work

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Grand Cayman has growing offshore banking and tourism sectors. Tourism represents about 60% of the economy. About 30% of residents are expatriates working on "work permits" and unemployment is very low.

Stay safe

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The Cayman Islands is a very low-crime area.

Hurricanes are possible from June through November.

Stay healthy

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Many locals will eat barracuda. Be aware that it and other reef fish (groupers, amberjack, red snappers, eel, sea bass, and Spanish mackerel) can cause :Wikipedia:ciguatera|ciguatera (fish poisoning).

No natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies are met by desalination plants and rainwater catchments.

Make sure you have sunscreen on if you plan on walking around town. It is sunny all year.

Respect

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Caymanians are very respectful. Greetings and pleasantries are common and expected, even to shopkeepers when entering their stores. Most islanders use titles of respect, such as Mr. and Miss, when addressing other islanders.



The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. It is a global offshore financial services centre and one of the leading tourist scuba diving destinations in the world.

History

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The Cayman Islands – often referred to as "Cayman" by locals – were first sighted by Christopher Columbus on May 10, 1503 during his disastrous fourth and final voyage to the New World, he named them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there. The first recorded English visitor to the islands was Sir Francis Drake, who landed there in 1586 and named them the Cayman Islands after the Neo-Taino nations term (caiman) for crocodile (Zayas, 1914).

The first recorded permanent inhabitant of the Cayman Islands, Isaac Bodden, was born on Grand Cayman around 1700. 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.

The islands, along with nearby Jamaica, were captured, then ceded to England in 1670 under the Treaty of Madrid. They were governed as a single colony with Jamaica until 1962 when they became a separate British Overseas Territory and Jamaica became an independent commonwealth realm.

The island of Grand Cayman was hit by Hurricane Ivan on September 11-12, 2004, which destroyed many buildings and damaged 70% of them. Power, water and communications were all disrupted for a period of time as Ivan was the worst hurricane to hit the islands in 86 years. However, Grand Cayman promptly engaged in a major rebuilding process, and within two years its infrastructure was nearly returned to pre-Ivan levels. The Cayman Islands have the dubious honor of being the most hurricane strikes in history. Due the proximity of the islands more hurricane and tropical systems have effected the Cayman Islands that any other region in the Atlantic basin (brushed or hit every 2.23 year. Source: Hurricanecity.com http://www.hurricanecity.com/city/caymanislands.htm). It's expected the area will be hit again this hurricane season (2007) The Cayman Islands currently enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region, aided by thriving tourism and banking industries.

Geography

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The Cayman Islands are located in the western Caribbean Sea. They are the peaks of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Trench, standing 8000 feet from the sea floor, which barely exceeds the surface. The islands lie in the centre of the Caribbean south of Cuba and West of Jamaica. But even Grand Cayman, the largest of the three islands, is not visible on many maps. They are situated about 480 miles (770 km) south of Miami, 150 miles (240 km) south of Cuba, and 180 miles (290 km) northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is by far the biggest, with an area of 76 square miles (197 km²). The two "Sister Islands" of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are located about 90 miles (145 km) east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 14 square miles (36 km²) and 10 square miles (25.9 km²) 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, which rises to 140 feet (42.6 m) above sea level, the highest point on the island.

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 only to Grand Cayman. Another notable fauna is the endangered Blue Iguana, which is native to Grand Cayman.

Districts

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Administratively, Grand Cayman (the largest island) is divided into five districts:

1. George Town (the present capital)
   
2. East End
   
3. North Side
   
4. West Bay
   
5. Bodden Town (the former capital)
   

Cayman Brac, the second largest island, is divided into six districts:

1. West End
   
2. Stake Bay
   
3. Creek
   
4. The Rock
   
5. Cotton Tree Bay
   
6. Watering Place
   

Little Cayman, the smallest and most sparsely populated island, is marginally bigger than a single district.

Demographics

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The latest population estimate of the Cayman Islands is about 45,436 as of July 2006, 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-European). Of the remaining 40%, about half are Whites and half are of African descent. The islands are almost exclusively Christian, with large number of Presbyterians and Anglicans. Caymanians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the West Indies. The vast majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman. Cayman Brac is the second most populated with about 2,000 residents, followed by Little Cayman with around 200 permanent residents. 

The capital and major city of the Cayman Islands is George Town, which is located on the south west coast of Grand Cayman.

Economy

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The economy of the Cayman Islands was once centered around turtling. However, this industry began to disappear in the twentieth century and tourism and financial services began to become the economic mainstays during the 1970s. The United States is the Cayman Islands' largest trading partner.

With an average income of around $42,000, Caymanians enjoy the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Cayman Islands GDP per capita is the 8th highest in the world. The islands print their own currency, the Cayman Islands Dollar] (KYD), which is pegged to the [[U.S. dollar at a fixed rate of 1 KYD = 1.227 USD. Thus, the C.I. Dollar's rate of exchange with all other world countries is directly tied to the U.S. dollar's rate of exchange with those same countries.

The government's primary source of income is indirect taxation. An import duty of 20% is levied against goods imported into the islands. Few goods are exempt; notable examples include books, cameras and baby formula. Duty on automobiles is charged on a sliding scale with the duty reaching 40% for expensive models. The government charges a flat licensing fee to financial institutions that operate in the islands. A small fee is also charged to each tourist that arrives on the islands.
Tourism

Tourism accounts for 70-75% of the annual GDP of the Cayman Islands. Of the millions of tourists that visit the islands annually, 99% visit Grand Cayman. George Town also serves as a major cruise ship port, which brings in 4,000 to 22,000 tourists a day, five days a week, depending on the number of ships in port.

One of Grand Cayman's (GCM) main attractions is the world-famous Seven Mile Beach on which a number of the island's hotels and resorts are located. Seven Mile Beach is regarded by many as one of the best beaches in the world. Historical sites in GCM such as Pedro St. James Castle in BoddenTown also attract visitors. The Sister Islands - Little Cayman and Cayman Brac - also supply their own unique charm.

The Cayman Islands is regarded as one of the world's best SCUBA diving destinations because of its crystal-clear waters and pristine walls. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are also elite SCUBA dive destinations. There are several snorkeling locations where tourists can swim with stingrays including the popular Stingray City, Grand Cayman. Divers find two shipwrecks off the shores of Cayman Brac particularly interesting including the MV Keith Tibbetts.

Other Grand Cayman tourist attractions include the ironshore landscape of Hell, the 24- acre marine theme park Boatswain's Beach, also home of the Cayman Turtle Farm, the production of gourmet sea salt, and the Mastic Trail, a hiking trail through the forests in the centre of the island. On Cayman Brac, a lighthouse and a few local museums are tourist draws. Little Cayman's wildlife attracts nature lovers, especially bird watchers in search of the island's Red-footed Booby population.

Financial services industry
The Cayman Islands is widely recognized to be one of the world's leading offshore financial centres.

The Cayman Islands financial services industry encompasses banking, mutual funds, captive insurance, vessel registration, companies and partnerships, trusts, structured finance and the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. As of December 2005, just over 70,000 companies were incorporated on the Cayman Islands including 430 banking and trust companies, 720 captive insurance firms and more than 7,000 funds.

A recent report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessing supervision and regulation in the Cayman Islands' banking, insurance and securities industries, as well as its anti-money laundering regime, recognized the jurisdiction's comprehensive regulatory and compliance frameworks. "An extensive program of legislative, rule and guideline development has introduced an increasingly effective system of regulation, both formalising earlier practices and introducing enhanced procedures," noted IMF assessors. The report further stated that "the supervisory system benefits from a well-developed banking infrastructure with an internationally experienced and qualified workforce as well as experienced lawyers, accountants and auditors," adding that, "the overall compliance culture within Cayman is very strong, including the compliance culture related to AML (anti-money laundering) obligations...". The Cayman Islands had previously (briefly) appeared on the FATF Blacklist in 2000, although its listing was thought to be harsh, and was criticised at the time.

Government

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The Cayman Islands are currently a British overseas territory, listed by the UN Special Committee of twenty-four as one of the last non-self governing territories. A fifteen-seat Legislative Assembly is elected by the people every four years to handle domestic affairs. Of the elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), five are chosen to serve as government ministers in a cabinet headed by the governor. The head of government is the Leader of Government Business, which is currently The Honourable Kurt Tibbetts.

A Governor is appointed by the British government to represent the monarch. The governor can exercise complete executive authority if they wish through blanket powers reserved to them in the constitution. They must give royal assent to all legislation, which allows them the power to strike down any law the legislature may see fit for the country. In modern times, the governor usually allows the country to be run by the cabinet, and the civil service to be run by the Chief Secretary, who is the Acting Governor when the Governor is not able to discharge his usual duties for one reason or another. The current governor of the Cayman Islands is Stuart Jack and the current Chief Secretary is The Honourable George McCarthy, OBE, JP.

Following the collapse of the Euro Bank Corporation in 2003, constitutional modernisation has become the predominant issue in the Islands' politics. The prosecution in the related trial was forced to reveal that MI6, on behalf of the British government and with the consent of the Governor, had planted moles (and used wire taps) throughout the Islands' banking industry. This caused the trial's collapse and subsequent release of those charged with wrongdoing. The only mole known at the time was allowed to leave the country, never to answer for what he (or the United Kingdom) had done. This infuriated the elected members of the legislative assembly as they maintained that the governor and the United Kingdom had put into question Cayman's reputation as a tightly regulated offshore jurisdiction. Some saw this as the United Kingdom meddling in the territory's affairs to benefit itself (and the EU), at the expense of the islands' economy.

Constitutional talks however went on hold following Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Subsequently, in May 2005, the ruling UDP was ousted by the PPM, which have slowed the constitutional modernisation process to a standstill. Among the points of contention is whether or not the new constitution should include a bill-of-rights.

Taxation

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Caymanians and Caymanian companies are not subject to any form of direct taxation. However, an import tax of between 5% and 20% is levied on almost all imported goods.

Education

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The Cayman Islands Education Council operates state funded schools on the island, with a Caribbean-oriented education curriculum. Caymanian children are entitled to free primary and secondary education. Various churches and private foundations operate several private schools offering curricula derived from American and UK education systems from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Grand Cayman is also home to St. Matthew's University, which includes a medical school and a school of veterinary medicine.

The Cayman Islands Law School (CILS), a branch of the University of Liverpool in the UK, is also based on Grand Cayman. Situated in George Town, the law school has been in operation since 1982. As taken from the student handbook, "The Law School provides tuition for both full and part-time programmes leading to the Bachelor of Law (Honours) Degree of the University of Liverpool and the qualification of Attorney-at-Law of the Cayman Islands, following successful completion of the postgraduate Professional Practicum Course (PPC)

Grand Cayman is home to University College of the Cayman Islands, the only government run University on the island. (http://www.ccci.edu.ky). The University College is located at 168 Olympic Way in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. The International College of the Cayman Islands http://www.icci.edu.ky/ which is located in Newlands about seven miles east of George Town. The college was established in 1970 and offers Associate's, Bachelor's and Post Graduate degree programs.

Healthcare

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The Cayman Islands have a modern healthcare system. There are two hospitals in George Town, the government run George Town Hospital and the smaller, private Chrissie Tomlinson Memorial Hospital. Additionally, Faith Hospital is a small (eighteen-bed) facility on Cayman Brac. The Government maintains a satellite clinic on Little Cayman.

Health insurance is handled by private insurers and a government-run company (CINICO). There is no universal health coverage as in the UK.

Currently the islands lack facilities for cardiac catheterization, though many feel the population is large enough to support the procedure. Various attempts to establish a cath lab in George Town Hospital have stalled out. Similarly, the Caymans have lacked an MRI since one was destroyed during Hurricane Ivan.

Work permits

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In order to work in the Cayman Islands as a non-citizen, a work permit is required. This involves passing a police background check and a health check. A prospective worker will not be granted a permit if certain medical conditions are present. Nor are work permits issued after age 60.

The Cayman Islands presently imposes a controversial "rollover" policy in relation to expatriate workers who require a work permit. Non-Caymanians are only permitted to reside and work within the Territory for a maximum of seven years (non-renewable) unless they satisfy the criteria of key employees. The policy has been the subject of some controversy within the press, and concerns have been expressed that in the long term, the policy may damage the pre-eminence of the Cayman Islands as an offshore financial centre by making it difficult to recruit and retain experienced staff from onshore financial centres. Government employees are exempt, although this has also been controversial.

This policy is enshrined in the Immigration Law (2003 revision), written by the UDP government, and subsuqently enforced by the PPM government. Both governments agree to the term limits on foreign workers, and the majority of Caymanians also agree it is necessary to protect local culture, and heritage from being eroded by a large number of foreigners gaining residency/citizenshp. 

Military

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The defence of the Cayman Islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. The Islands have their own police force, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, and in 2001 the small Cayman Islands Cadet Corps was formed in the place of a traditional army. Regular off-shore marine patrols are conducted by the RCIP and Grand Cayman is a port of call for the United States Coast Guard. Jamaica is for immediate defence, but the islands do house an airbase for Belize to defend mainland Central America.

Foreign relations

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The foreign relations of the Cayman Islands are largely managed from the United Kingdom, as the islands remain an overseas territory of the UK. However, the Government of the Cayman Islands often resolves important issues with foreign governments alone, without intervention from Britain. Although in its early days, the Cayman Islands' most important relationships were with Britain and Jamaica, in recent years, this has shifted, and they now rely more so on the United States.

Though the Cayman Islands are involved in no major international disputes, they have come under some criticism due to the use of their territory for narcotics trafficking and money laundering. In an attempt to address this, the Government entered into the Narcotics Agreement of 1984 and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty of 1986 with the United States, in order to reduce the use of their facilities associated with these activities. In more recent years, they have stepped up the fight against money laundering, by limiting banking secrecy, introducing requirements for customer identification and record keeping, and requiring banks to cooperate with foreign investigators.

Due to their status as an overseas territory of the UK, the Cayman Islands have no representation either on the United Nations, or in most other international organizations. However, the Cayman Islands still participates in some international organizations, being a full member of the Central Development Bank, International Olympic Committee and FIFA, an associate member of Caricom and UNESCO, and a member of a sub-bureau of Interpol.

The Cayman Islands in fiction

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Large parts of the novel The Firm by John Grisham, and the film, take place on the Cayman Islands. The main character works for a Memphis, Tennessee law firm that uses island banks for money laundering.

Frankie Flowers' 2004 film Haven takes place on Grand Cayman. Frankie Flowers is a native of the Cayman Islands.

The islands are featured as Krusty the Clown's tax haven in The Simpsons episode 3F12, "Bart the Fink".

In the computer game , four missions need to be accomplished at Cayman Brac airport in order to rescue hostages being held by terrorists.

The 2004 Kings of Convenience album Riot On An Empty Street features a track entitled simply "Cayman Islands".

The Scout Association of the Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands national football team

X107.1 Radio Station in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

References

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Originally from the CIA World Factbook 2000.

External links

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Cayman Islands Government

Cayman Islands Information

Cayman Islands Financial Services