At a glance

Official Name:
Cayman Islands

Capital:
George Town or Grand Cayman

Population:
47,862 

Languages:
English

Religion:
United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Church of God, other Protestant, Roman Catholic

Life Expectancy:
Male: 77 Female: 83

Currency:
Caymanian dollar (KYD)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
$1.939 billion (2004 est.)

National Holidays:
January 1, New Year’s Day;
January 28, National Heroes Day;
February 6, Ash Wednesday (Variable);
March 1, Good Friday (variable);
March 24, Easter Monday (Variable);
May 19, Discovery Day;
June 16, Queen’s Birthday;
July 7, Constitution Day;
November 17, Remembrance Day;
December 25, Christmas Day;
December 26, Boxing Day

Industries:
Tourism and Finance

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are a small, three-island group in the Caribbean Sea approximately 480 miles south of Miami. Originally colonized from Jamaica by the British, the Cayman Islands became a territory within the Federation of the West Indies in 1959. By 1962, however, this federation dissolved and the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British dependency.

The economy of the Cayman Islands once centered around turtling, however this industry has given way to finance and tourism. Tourism accounts for almost three quarters of the Cayman Islands’ annual GDP. Millions of tourists visit the island annually with the majority of them visiting Grand Cayman. Seven Mile Beach, one of the main tourist attractions, has been regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It is no surprise that George Town can see as many as 20,000 tourists in a day. Caymanians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean and their GDP per capita is one of the highest in the world.