Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands (/ˈkeɪmən/ or /keɪˈmæn/) are a British Overseas Territory 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. The Cayman Islands are considered to be part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone as well as the Greater Antilles. The territory is a major world offshore financial centre.=

• Geographical data

  • The Cayman Islands are located in the western Caribbean Sea and are the peaks of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Ridge (or Cayman Rise). This ridge flanks the Cayman Trough, 6,000 m (20,000 ft) deep= which lies 6 km (3.7 mi) to the south.= The islands lie in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba and west of Jamaica. They are situated about 700 km (430 mi) south of Miami,= 366 km (227 mi) south of Cuba,= and about 500 km (310 mi) northwest of Jamaica.= Grand Cayman is by far the biggest, with an area of 197 km2 (76 sq mi).= Grand Cayman's two "Sister Islands", Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are located about 120 km (75 mi) east north-east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 38 and 28.5 km2 (15 and 11.0 sq mi)= respectively. All three islands were formed by large coral heads covering submerged ice age peaks of western extensions of the Cuban Sierra Maestra range and are mostly flat. One notable exception to this is The Bluff on Cayman Brac's eastern part, which rises to 43 m (141 ft) above sea level, the highest point on the islands.= Terrain is mostly a low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs.

• Demographics

  • The Cayman Islands have more registered businesses than people.= The latest population estimate of the Cayman Islands is about 56,000 as of mid-2011, representing a mix of more than 100 nationalities. Out of that number, about half are of Caymanian descent. About 60% of the population is of mixed race (mostly mixed African-Caucasian). The islands are almost exclusively Christian, with large numbers of Presbyterians and Catholics. The vast majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman, followed by Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, respectively.= The population is projected to rise to 60,000 by 2020. The capital of the Cayman Islands is George Town, which is located on the southwest coast of Grand Cayman.

• Economy

  • With an average income of around KYD$47,000, Caymanians have the highest standard of living in the Caribbean. According to the CIA World Factbook, the Cayman Islands GDP per capita is the 14th highest in the world.= The islands print their own currency, the Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD), which is pegged to the U.S. dollar at a fixed rate of 1 KYD = 1.25 USD.= The government's primary source of income is indirect taxation: there is no income tax, capital gains tax, or corporation tax.= An import duty of 5% to 22% (automobiles 29.5% to 100%) is levied against goods imported into the islands. Few goods are exempt; notable exemptions include books, cameras, and infant formula. On 15 July 2012 the Cayman Islands premier McKeeva Bush announced the intended introduction of a "community enhancement fee" in the form of a payroll tax to be paid solely by expatriate workers. Caymanians themselves were to remain exempt from this tax. This would have been the first direct tax on income in the Cayman Islands' history.= Bush also announced a five percent fee on "certain categories of employment" to be payable by businesses. However, the payroll tax would lower GDP and was scrapped before it had been implemented.=