Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
Grand cayman Island. Source: NASA
The Cayman Islands is a three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica.
The Caymans Islands is a an overseas territory of the United Kingdom with about 52,000 people, most of whom live in the capitol, George Town on Grand Cayman (seen in the image above at the southwest end of the island.)
The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries and were administered by Jamaica after 1863.
In 1959, the islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies. When the Federation dissolved in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.
The Cayman Islands are emergent limestone bluffs situated along a submarine ridge that runs westward from the Sierra Maestra range in southern Cuba.
Grand Cayman is the largest of the group at 35 kilometers (km) long and up to 14 km wide, however, there is a large lagoon in the northern section that gives the island an irregular shape, as if a giant bite has been taken out of the northwestern end. Grand Cayman's 7-mile beach is on the western side of the island. With exotic coral reefs off its shores, Grand Cayman is a mecca for divers.
Cayman Brac is the tallest island in the group, rising to a height of 43 meters (m) on the eastern end where sheer cliffs drop into the sea.
Little Cayman is the smallest of the three islands, at only 14 km long and a maximum height of merely 12 m above sea level.
The lesser islands are located about 130 km northwest of Grand Cayman, and lie 7 km apart.
All three islands were uplifted from the ocean floor approximately 10 million years ago and have apparently never been connected to adjacent land masses.
The Cayman Islands are susceptible to hurricanes (July to November).
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center, but tourism accounts for about 70% of GDP. The Caymanians enjoy a standard of living roughly equal to that of Switzerland.
Geography
Location: Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica
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| Little Cayman, as viewed from the air. Source: Wikimedia Commons. |
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| Grannd Cayman. Source: TheBrac.com |
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| The Critically Endangered Lesser Caymans iguana is native to two islands: Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. This captive specimen was photographed in Hope Gardens, Kingston, Jamaica. Source: Tim Ross/Wikimedia Commons. |
Geographic Coordinates: 19 30 N, 80 30 W
Area: 264 sq km
Coastline: 160 km
Maritime Claims:
Natural Hazards: hurricanes (July to November)
Terrain: low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs. The highest point is The Bluff on Cayman Brac (43 m).
Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Ecology and Biodiversity
The Cayman Islands were divided into dry forest (Cayman Islands dry forests) and xeric scrub (Cayman Islands xeric scrub) ecoregions, which were then distinguished from the mangroves.
The Cayman Islands support two distinct types of vegetation: evergreen thicket and woodland, and seasonal swamp. Evergreen thicket dominates the eastern sections of Grand Cayman, and is found on the northern slope of Little Cayman and on higher ground on Cayman Brac. The thicket has a discontinuous, two-storeyed canopy with occasional emergents. Dominant species include red birch (Bursera simaruba), Swietenia mahagoni, Picrodendron baccatum, Sideroxylon salicifolium, Calyptranthes pallens, and Chionanthus caymanensis. Palms (Coccothrinax proctorii and Thrinax radiata) are common and climbing cacti (Selenicereus) are well represented.
The status of the dry forests and degree of disturbance and alteration are directly related to human population size on each of the three islands. Clearing of natural woodland for roads, housing, tourism, and agriculture continue to be the most significant pressures on the dry forests of this ecoregion.
The human populations of the three islands differ considerably with fewer than 100 on Little Cayman and less than 2,000 on Cayman Brac. This is reflected in the varying degrees to which the islands' environments have been changed. Little Cayman is the least disturbed of the group, with almost all of the interior untouched as of 1980. In contrast, the rapid development of Grand Cayman has resulted in degradation and alteration of most of the natural habitats. Clearing of natural woodland and thicket for roads, housing, tourism and agriculture continue to be the most significant pressures on this ecoregion.
The National Trust, a statutory, non-governmental organization (NGO), was established in 1987 to provide assistance with the acquisition and management of natural areas for conservation purposes. The National Trust today overseas important natural areas such as the Salina Reserve and the Brac Parrot Reserve.
The Trust owns more than 310 hectares (ha) of natural woodland and bluff habitat on Grand Cayman and has initiated a captive breeding program for the blue Grand Cayman iguana (Cyclura nubila lewisi), which is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Trust is also conducting research programs assessing the status of the threatened rock iguana (Cyclura nubila caymanensis) and the native parrots. Despite these initiatives, there is a continued need for increased species management, predator control, and habitat preservation.
The eight Protected Areas in the Cayman Islands cover just over 8,000 hectares (ha), equivalent to 31% of the islands’ land area. In 1989 the government gave 257 ha of land (Salina Reserve) to the National Trust. In December 1991 ownership of a 40 hectares (ha) woodland site on Cayman Brac, important as a nesting area for the Cayman Brac Parrot (Amazona leucocephala hesterna), was transferred to the National Trust by The Nature Conservancy (USA) and is now titled Brac Parrot Reserve. See: Protected areas of Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands dry forests ecoregion covers areas on Grand Cayman Island, Little Cayman Island, and all of Cayman Brac Island.
The endemic flora and fauna of this ecoregion are regionally important for biodiversity conservation. Notable are numerous orchids and cacti and animals such as the Cayman Brac Parrot (Amazona leucocephala hesterna) and the Cayman islands dwarf boa (Trophidopsis caymensis).
See:
Government
Dependency Status/Government Type: overseas territory of the UK/parliamentary democracy
Capital: George Town - 32,000 (2009)
Administrative divisions: 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western
Legal System: accepts compulsory International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction; and accepts International criminal court (ICCt) jurisdiction
People and Society
Population: 51,384 (July 2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups: mixed 40%, white 20%, black 20%, expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 4,924/female 4,858)
15-64 years: 71.1% (male 17,766/female 18,743)
65 years and over: 9.9% (male 2,401/female 2,692) (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 2.287% (2011 est.)
Birthrate: 12.24 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death Rate: 5.1 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net Migration Rate: 15.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population. Note: The cayman Isalnds are a major destination for Cubans trying to migrate to the US (2011 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 80.68 years
Total Fertility Rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Languages: English (official) 95%, Spanish 3.2%, other 1.8% (1999 census)
Literacy (age 15 and over can read and write): 98% (1970 est.)
Urbanization: 100% of total population (2010)
Resources
Natural Resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Land Use:
arable land: 3.85%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 96.15% (2005)
Economy
With no direct taxation, the islands are a thriving offshore financial center. More than 93,000 companies were registered in the Cayman Islands as of 2008, including almost 300 banks, 800 insurers, and 10,000 mutual funds. A stock exchange was opened in 1997.
Tourism is also a mainstay, accounting for about 70% of GDP and 75% of foreign currency earnings. The tourist industry is aimed at the luxury market and caters mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.9 million in 2008, with about half from the US.
About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported.
The Caymanians enjoy a standard of living roughly equal to that of Switzerland.
GDP: (Purchasing Power Parity): $2.25 billion (2008 est.)
GDP: (Official Exchange Rate): $2.25 billion (2008 est.)
GDP- per capita (PPP): $43,800 (2004 est.)
GDP- composition by sector:
Agricultural products: vegetables, fruit; livestock; turtle farming
Industries: tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture
Currency: Caymanian dollars (KYD)
Citation
Central Intelligence Agency, World Wildlife Fund (Lead Author);CIA World Factbook (Content Source);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Cayman Islands". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 8, 2009; Last revised Date February 5, 2012; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cayman_Islands>
The Authors
The Central Intelligence Agency was created in 1947 with the signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman. The act also created a Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to serve as head of the United States intelligence community; act as the principal adviser to the President for intelligence matters related to the national security; and serve as head of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 amended the National Securit ... (Full Bio)
Known worldwide by its panda logo, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats. Now in its fifth decade, WWF works in more than 100 countries around the globe to conserve the diversity of life on Earth. With nearly 1.2 million members in the U.S. and another 4 million worldwide, WWF is the world's largest privately financed conservation organization. WWF directs its conservation efforts toward three global goals: 1) saving endangered ... (Full Bio)
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