Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands , British dependency (2005 est. pop. 44,300), 100 sq mi (259 sq km), comprising three islands in the West Indies. George Town , the capital and chief port, is on Grand Cayman; the other islands are Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The British monarch is the head of state, and is represented by a governor. There is an 18-seat Legislative Assembly; the government is headed by the Leader of Goverment Business. The Cayman Islands are divided into eight administrative districts. The largely Christian, English-speaking population is about 40% mixed European and African ancestry, 20% white, and 20% black. Finance and luxury tourism are the economic mainstays of the islands, which are an international center for offshore banks, insurance companies, and mutual funds. Almost all goods are imported, primarily from the United States. The islands were sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1503, but were colonized by the British beginning in the 1800s. Administered from Jamaica after 1863, they became a separate British crown colony when Jamaica became independent in 1962. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan brought widespread destruction to the islands.

CAYMAN ISLANDS. A British Caribbean dependency, consisting of the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. Languages: English (official), Creole, and Spanish. Visited by Columbus in 1503 but never settled by Spain; ceded to Britain in 1670. Colonized from Jamaica, and chose to remain a dependency when Jamaica became independent in 1962. See CARIBBEAN ENGLISH.

Cayman Islands British dependency in the West Indies, comprising Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac, c.325km (200mi) nw of Jamaica, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital is Georgetown. The islands were discovered by Columbus in 1503, and ceded to Britain in the 17th century. The islanders voted against independence in 1962. Industries: tourism, international finance, turtle and shark fishing, timber, coconuts, oil trans-shipment. Area: 259sq km (100sq mi). Pop. (2002 est.) 44,800. See West Indies map

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