Overview
The British colonized the Cayman Islands during the 18th and 19th centuries, and Jamaica -- also a British colony at the time -- administered the islands 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 territory has transformed itself into a significant offshore financial center.
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
- Total Area
- 264 sq km
- Climate
- tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
- Terrain
- low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
- Natural Resources
- fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
- Coastline
- 160 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 66,653 (2024 est.)
- Languages
- English (official) 88.8%, Spanish 3.9%, Filipino 3.8%, other 2.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2021 est.)
- Religions
- Protestant 60.8% (includes Church of God 19.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.7%, non-denominational 8.3%, Baptist 6.9%, Pentecostal 6.8%, Presbyterian/United Church 5.7%, Anglican 2.8%, Wesleyan Holiness 1.5%, Methodist 0.5%), Roman Catholic 13.6%, Hindu 1.7%, Jehovah's Witness 0.9%, other 4.8%, none 16.7%, unspecified 1.4% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Cayman Islander 35.4%, Jamaican 24.8%, Filipino 5.5%, British 5.3%, American 5.2%, Honduran 4.2%, Canadian 3.3%, Indian 2.1%, Cuban 1.6%, Nicaraguan 1%, other 11.1%, unspecified 0.5% (2021 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 82.5 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 100% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
- Capital
- George Town (on Grand Cayman)
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- Constitution
- several previous; latest approved 10 June 2009, entered into force 6 November 2009 (The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009)
- Legal System
- English common law and local statutes
- Executive Branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Jane OWEN (since 21 April 2023)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- dominant offshore banking territory; services sector accounts for over 85% of economic activity; recently adopted a fiscal responsibility framework to combat tax evasion and money laundering; large tourism sector; does not have any welfare system; high standard of living
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $7.139 billion (2023 est.)
- Major Industries
- tourism, banking, insurance and finance, construction, construction materials, furniture