CAYMAN ISLANDS

LOCATION AND COMMUNICATION LINKS

The Cayman Islands are situated in the Western Caribbean, about 150 miles south of Cuba. Geographically the territory is part of the Cayman Ridge, which extends westward from Cuba. The islands are divided from Jamaica, 180 miles to the South-east, by the Cayman Trench, the deepest part of the Caribbean with a depth of over four miles. A distance of about 90 miles separates Grand Cayman, the largest island, from the other two islands – Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Little Cayman is five miles west of Cayman Brac. Together the Islands have a land area of about 100 square miles, of which 76 are in Grand Cayman.

There are no scheduled passenger services to the Islands by sea, although Grand Cayman is a popular port for cruise ship calls. There are direct flights from the US gateways of New York, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Tampa and Charlotte and regular services to Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica. British Airways operates a thrice-weekly direct flight from London and there are a range of charter services from North America, Cuba and Honduras.

GEOGRAPHY

Grand Cayman and Little Cayman are flat, with a maximum height of 60 feet above sea level, while Cayman Brac has a limestone plateau, The Bluff, rising to 140 feet at its eastern end. There are no rivers on any of the Islands, but there are large areas of luxuriant vegetation.

The coasts are protected by offshore reefs and in many places by a mangrove fringe, which often extend into inland swamps, which play a key role in the Islands’ ecology. At one time the forests of Cayman abounded in tall mahogany and logwood, but today are of much smaller varieties. Coconut and thatch palm, seagrape and casuarina (Australian pine) are abundant, and breadfruit, banana, plantain, papaya, avocado, lime, mango and nasberry are the predominant fruit trees. Tropical fish of all kinds are found in the Caribbean waters surrounding the Islands, especially in Cayman’s beautiful coral reef, known world wide by scuba divers, who claim that the Cayman Island offer some of the best scuba diving in the world, and are listed annually in the top 5 dive destinations in the world.

The temperature in the Cayman Islands, summer or winter, seldom goes lower that 70 deg. F. or higher than 90 deg.F. The average annual humidity is about 76 per cent. Between May and October the prevailing winds are from east to south; from November to April, the coolest season of the year, prevailing winds are from the north-east to north-west. The hurricane season typically lasts from June to November, but the Cayman Islands have been very fortunate in escaping serious damage or fatalities.

POPULATION AND MAJOR CENTRES

The 1999 census showed the Cayman Islands with a population of 41,000. Caymanians were estimated to constitute 62 per cent of the population. Most of the population reside in Grand Cayman, with an estimated 1,300 in Cayman Brac and some 116 in Little Cayman.

The earliest population record of the Cayman Islands goes back to the year 1774 when it was estimated that a total of 176 persons lived in the Islands. Edward Corbet in his report to Governor Nugent in Jamaica in 1802, said that Grand Cayman had a population of 933 persons, 545 of whom were slaves. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were reportedly uninhabited at that time. George Town, the capital has the largest population, followed by West Bay. Bodden Town is the third most populous and the fastest growing district. A significant factor in the population growth is the number of non-Caymanians admitted to residence with work permits. The largest groups of foreign workers come from the West Indies and Central America, followed by the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom.

HISTORY

The Cayman Islands were first sighted by Columbus in 1503. During the 16^th and 17^th centuries, Dutch, English, Spanish and French ships used them for watering and provisioning with sea turtles, which abounded then. In the Treaty of Madrid, in 1670, Spain recognised British sovereignty over Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. From that time until the end of the century, when the first settlements were reported, the Islands were probably frequented by pirates and privateers seeking provisions, water and facilities for their ships. The early settlers were ex-soldiers from Cromwell’s army and other settlers transplanted from Jamaica, together with shipwrecked or marooned sailors. As the local turtle population decreased, the fishing grounds were extended to the Cuban coast, and, late to Central America.

Turtle fishing and service at sea were the principal occupations of Caymanians up to World War II. With the introduction of air services in the early 1950’s, establishing communication with the outside world, the Cayman Islands commenced building a modern economy. Today, proximity to the American mainland and social and political stability are the main reasons for Cayman’s economic success. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were not settled permanently until 1833. Unlike other countries in the Caribbean, there were never large plantation in the Cayman Islands, and slavery did not exist on a large scale. The Islands enjoy a mixed racial composition contributing to a unique atmosphere of racial harmony and compatibility, and Caymanians do not think of themselves or others in racial terms.

In 1962, when Jamaica became independent, the Cayman Islands opted to retain its direct links with the Crown and became a separate British Crown Colony.