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Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman

Overview
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...

 and the location of the nation's capital, George Town
George Town, Cayman Islands
George Town, Grand Cayman, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. The city has a population of 35,600 and is the largest city on Grand Cayman....

. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman
Little Cayman
Little Cayman is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 75 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and five miles west of Cayman Brac. Little Cayman has a permanent population of less than 170 and is about 10 miles long with an average width of 1 mile...

 and 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about 90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and 5 miles east of Little Cayman. It is about 12 miles long, with an average width of 1 mile...

.
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Encyclopedia
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...

 and the location of the nation's capital, George Town
George Town, Cayman Islands
George Town, Grand Cayman, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. The city has a population of 35,600 and is the largest city on Grand Cayman....

. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman
Little Cayman
Little Cayman is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 75 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and five miles west of Cayman Brac. Little Cayman has a permanent population of less than 170 and is about 10 miles long with an average width of 1 mile...

 and 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about 90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and 5 miles east of Little Cayman. It is about 12 miles long, with an average width of 1 mile...

.

Geography


Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of the country's entire land mass. The island is approximately 22 miles long with its widest point being 8 miles long. The elevation ranges from sea level at the beaches to 60 feet above sea level on the North Side's Mastic Trail.

Island districts





Grand Cayman Island consists of six districts: Bodden Town, East End, George Town
George Town, Cayman Islands
George Town, Grand Cayman, is the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. The city has a population of 35,600 and is the largest city on Grand Cayman....

, North Side, Sister Islands, and West Bay
West Bay, Cayman Islands
West Bay is a district located on Grand Cayman Island in the British West Indies.-Politics:West Bay is one of the two largest electoral districts on Grand Cayman, along with George Town...

.
  • Bodden Town - Founded in the 1700s, Bodden Town district is located on the south side of Grand Cayman Island. The village of Bodden Town was the original capital of the Cayman Islands. Its population is currently listed at 5,764.
  • East End - The East End district is located at the east side of Grand Cayman Island and consists mostly of the Village of East End, numerous natural attractions, restaurants, and accommodations. Its population is currently listed at 1,371.
  • George Town - The capital of the Cayman Islands and world-famous center for off-shore banking and investments, its population is currently listed at 20,676.
  • North Side - Includes Kaibo, Rum Point, and Breakers. Its population is currently listed at 1,079.
  • Sister Islands - The district consists of Cayman Brac
    Cayman Brac
    Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about 90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and 5 miles east of Little Cayman. It is about 12 miles long, with an average width of 1 mile...

     and Little Cayman
    Little Cayman
    Little Cayman is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 75 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and five miles west of Cayman Brac. Little Cayman has a permanent population of less than 170 and is about 10 miles long with an average width of 1 mile...

    . Its population is currently listed at 1,937.
  • West Bay - Has numerous tourist attractions including the Cayman Turtle Farm. Towns in the West Bay district include Seven Mile Beach
    Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
    Seven Mile Beach is a long crescent of coral-sand beach on the western shore of Grand Cayman island. Despite its name, the beach is only about long. Seven Mile Beach known for its beauty, recently receiving the honor of "The Caribbean's Best Beach" from Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine...

    , Hell
    Hell, Grand Cayman
    Hell is a group of short, black, limestone formations located in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Located in West Bay, Grand Cayman, it is roughly the size of half a soccer field...

     and West Bay Village. Its population is currently listed at 8,243.

Flora


Of the flora, a good representation of the variety of plant life on Grand Cayman can be found at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is a non-profit outdoor garden and wildlife facility located in the North Side District of Grand Cayman Island in the British West Indies. The park is owned jointly by the Cayman Islands Government and the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, a group dedicated to...

 located in the North Side District. Wild Banana Orchids, Ghost Orchids
Ghost Orchid
Dendrophylax lindenii, the Ghost Orchid - not to be confused with the Eurasian Ghost Orchid - is a perennial epiphyte from the orchid family . Other common names include Palm Polly and White Frog Orchid...

, Thatch Palm
Thatch palm
The name Thatch palm is applied to several different species of palm trees in the genera Coccothrinax, Howea and Thrinax. The name comes from the use of these trees for roof thatching....

 trees, Red Birch trees, Mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....

 trees and various fruit trees such as Plantain
Plantain
Plantain is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa. The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the soft, sweet banana...

, Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...

, Breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...

, and Tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...

. Yellow Mastics (Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Sideroxylon foetidissimum, commonly known as False Mastic, is a species of flowering plant in the chicle family, Sapotaceae. It is native to Florida in the United States, the Caribbean, and northern Central America.-External links:...

), Black Mastics (Terminalia eriostachya
Terminalia eriostachya
The Black Mastic is a species of flowering tree in the leadwood family, Combretaceae. It is endemic to Cuba and the Cayman Islands. It is threatened by habitat loss....

) are also seen in the park as well as on the 2 miles (3.2 km)-long Mastic Trail. Elsewhere outside the park, all of these species can be seen around Grand Cayman, including Coconut Palm, Casuarina
Casuarina
Casuarina is a genus of 17 species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australasia, southeast Asia, and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It was once treated as the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera .They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m tall...

 Pine, Mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...

, and Poinciana trees.

Fauna


Fauna seen in various locations around the island include Blue Iguana
Blue Iguana
The Blue Iguana or Grand Cayman Iguana is a critically endangered species of lizard of the genus Cyclura endemic to the island of Grand Cayman. Previously listed as a subspecies of the Cuban Iguana, it was reclassified as a separate species in 2004 because of genetic differences discovered four...

s (Cyclura lewisi), Grand Cayman Amazon parrots (Amazona leucocephala caymanensis), Central American Agouti
Central American Agouti
The Central American Agouti is an agouti species from the family Dasyproctidae. The species is widespread in Mesoamerica and South America. The northern section of the range occurs from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula to northern Ecuador and Colombia and western Venezuela...

 (Dasyprocta punctata), and Gecarcinus ruricola, a species of land crab. The Cayman Islands Turtle Farm located in the West Bay
West Bay, Cayman Islands
West Bay is a district located on Grand Cayman Island in the British West Indies.-Politics:West Bay is one of the two largest electoral districts on Grand Cayman, along with George Town...

 district raises Green Sea Turtles
Green Sea Turtle
The Green sea turtle or green turtle is a large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus Chelonia. Its range extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...

 for their meat and release into the wild. Through breeding, the farm produces upwards of 1800 turtles a year. Between 1980 and 2006, the farm released approximately 30,600 turtles to the wild; because of marking placed on each animal, the released turtles have been seen throughout the Caribbean.

Demographics


Of the three islands, Grand Cayman contains approximately 95% of the country's entire population.

Off-shore banking


There are just under 600 banks and trust companies in the Grand Cayman, including 43 of the 50 largest banks in the world. Because of this large financial presence on the island, banking, investments, and insurance drive the economy in Grand Cayman.

Tourism



There are fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...

 restaurants, night clubs and resorts on the western side of the island down to George Town. The eastern districts have more restaurants specialising in native Caymanian cuisine.

Because of its clubs, resorts, and hotels, Seven Mile Beach
Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
Seven Mile Beach is a long crescent of coral-sand beach on the western shore of Grand Cayman island. Despite its name, the beach is only about long. Seven Mile Beach known for its beauty, recently receiving the honor of "The Caribbean's Best Beach" from Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine...

 has the largest concentration of visitors and tourists on the island.

Watersports such as scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....

 and snorkeling
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...

 are among the most popular activities on Grand Cayman as the island is known for its coral reefs and underwater sea walls along with a number of shipwrecks. As well, Grand Cayman Island also has a number of natural attractions: the blow holes in the East End district, the Mastic Trail that runs north to south through the center of the island, Hell
Hell, Grand Cayman
Hell is a group of short, black, limestone formations located in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Located in West Bay, Grand Cayman, it is roughly the size of half a soccer field...

 in the West Bay, and the acclaimed Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is a non-profit outdoor garden and wildlife facility located in the North Side District of Grand Cayman Island in the British West Indies. The park is owned jointly by the Cayman Islands Government and the National Trust for the Cayman Islands, a group dedicated to...

, to name a few.

Infrastructure


Owen Roberts International Airport
Owen Roberts International Airport
Owen Roberts International Airport is an airport located in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. It is the main international airport for the Cayman Islands as well as the main base for Cayman Airways...

 serves Grand Cayman with domestic and international flights. Cayman Airways
Cayman Airways
Cayman Airways is the national flag carrier of the Cayman Islands. With its head office in Grand Cayman, it operates mainly as an international and domestic scheduled passenger carrier, with cargo services available on all routes...

 has its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...

 on Grand Cayman.

Electrical service for Grand Cayman is provided by Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd., with its corporate headquarters located on North Sound Road. Electricity on Grand Cayman runs on a 110 volt electricity system
Mains electricity
Mains is the general-purpose alternating current electric power supply. In the US, electric power is referred to by several names including household power, household electricity, powerline, domestic power, wall power, line power, AC power, city power, street power, and grid power...

 with electrical outlets designed to accommodate a two-pin American plug.

Grand Cayman residents have a choice of telecommunications services from Digicel
Digicel
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...

, LIME, Logic and TeleCayman.

Secondary schools operated by Government

  • John Gray High School
  • Clifton Hunter High School

Primary schools operated by Government

  • Bodden Town Primary School
  • John A. Cumber Primary School
  • East End Primary School
  • George Town Primary School
  • North Side Primary School
  • Prospect Primary School
  • Red Bay Primary School
  • Savannah Primary School

Private schools


  • Cayman Academy
  • Cayman International School
  • Cayman Prep and High School
  • First Baptist Christian School
  • Grace Christian Academy
  • Montessori School of Grand Cayman
  • St. Ignatius Catholic School
  • Triple C School
  • Truth For Youth School
  • Wesleyan Christian Academy

Private Universities

  • St. Matthews University of Medicine/Veterinary Medicine
  • International College of the Cayman Islands (ICCI)
  • The Cayman Islands Law School

External links