The Cayman Islands are 3 separate islands in the Caribbean that are part of the UK. Small in size, they vary in area and therefore are called Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The geography of the Cayman Islands is very simple:
- their coordinates: 19`30 N, 80`30 W;
- to the south of them, at a distance of 240 km, is Cuba, and to the northwest, in the region of 268 km - Jamaica.
A Brief History
- From the beginning of the 18th to the middle of the 19th century, the archipelago was a British colony.
- In 1863, under the influence of external factors, he went to Jamaica.
- In 1959 he changed the government again, "attaching" to the West Indies. But the history of federations is changeable. Over time, the West Indies ceased to exist.
- In 1962 the inhabitants expressed their desire to remain a British territory.
Total area
According to geographic data for 2010, the Cayman Islands ranked 210th in the ranking of countries in the world. Allthe territory belonging to this small state occupies about 264 square meters. km of land, with a coastline of 160 km.
Weather
Tropical climate prevails here. From the beginning of May to the end of October the weather is warm, with regular heavy rains. November to April is a cool and relatively dry period, which is considered winter here.
National currency
Known as the "Cayman Islands dollar". One dollar is made up of 100 cents. Until 1972, the islanders used the Jamaican version of the banknotes.
May 1, 1972 was a turning point for the monetary circulation of the archipelago. The local currency was pegged to the British pound sterling.
Land use
Despite good weather conditions, no crops are grown here. Of the available land resources, only 3.85% of the territory is regularly cultivated (as of 2005).
Population
According to 2010 data, the population of the Cayman Islands consists of 49,035 people. Of these, the number of women is 25078, men - 23957. The average female age is 38.9 years old, male - 38 years old.
The Cayman Islands ranks 165th in the world in terms of birth rate (12.36 babies per 1,000 people).
Governance of the Cayman Islands
Today they are in the status of overseas territory, which belongs to the UK. The government has chosen parliamentary democracy for them.
AsThe emblem of the Cayman Islands is a turtle, as one of the attractions of the archipelago.
Grand Cayman
This is the most equipped of the three islands of the archipelago. At first, it was developed in the direction of offshore and diving: there are 300 offshore banks and many special places for learning to dive. But gradually the entire development process turned towards a tourist destination, making Grand Cayman one of the most popular resorts in this region.
It has a peculiar shape, which resembles the outlines of a sperm whale. The round eastern coast, surrounded by impressive coral reefs, smoothly passes into the western coast, which is strongly indented and turned in an arc to the north, like a sperm whale's tail. These cuts are presented in the form of numerous channels, bays, lagoons, where enterprising locals built marinas.
Here, coral reefs are practically not developed, and in combination with the huge depths of the sea, this creates excellent conditions for the parking of ocean liners. It is on this territory that the best beaches of Grand Cayman, the capital of the Cayman Islands Georgetown, the international airport and most of the best resorts of the archipelago are located.
Capital of the island
Georgetown is the administrative center and capital of the territory. We have already found out where the Cayman Islands are located, now it is worth paying attention to their cities.
Despite its long history, Georgetown is quite a modern place with old buildingsinterspersed with skyscrapers. One-story buildings are decorated in a colonial style, somewhat reminiscent of tropical huts. Their walls are made of coral and shell rock, the roofs are covered with small tiles, and the courtyards are surrounded by iron fences. Most of the streets have a winding shape, intersecting at certain points several times. Starting from Port Street and some sections of Cardinal Avenue, the architecture is changing to a more modern one.
The list of the main attractions of the capital includes:
- The ancient part of the city, whose appearance has not changed since the 18th century.
- Remains of the Fort George watchtower, founded in 1790.
- The National Museum of the Archipelago, which rightfully bears the title of the most ancient house of the Cayman Islands - the Old Court Building. It was built 150 years ago and was intended for the judiciary, and later was a place of detention, a dance studio and a church temple.
Since 1990, the city authorities took the building to the area of municipal property, renovated and opened a museum within its walls, which eventually became one of the best in the entire archipelago. It owns 4,000 exhibits belonging to different historical eras. These are coins from pirate chests, documents with decrees and handwritten signatures of kings, maps with treasure locations, and so on.
Next to the museum is Elmsley Church, which was founded in 1920 by the architect Ryan, who was also fond of shipbuilding. To the south you can find Panton Public Square, andbehind it, to the north, begins the Harbor Drive promenade, on whose territory another church was built.
The Cayman Maritime Thresh Museum stands out on North Church Street with an impressive diorama revealing information about the archipelago's most significant days. No less interesting is the National Gallery, where local stars and foreign artists exhibit their works. Worthy of her competition can make Cardinal Park with its collection of representatives of the flora and fauna of the island.
In the South Church Street area, closer to Eden Rock, you can see a small beach where the most beautiful reefs of Grand Cayman have formed. The submarine "Atlantis" is also located here, accommodating about 48 passengers. It is designed for tourist trips.
Other attractions
You can count on one hand the number of tourists who have visited the northeastern part of the island. The cities of Bodden, Savannah, Northside, East Endy located there will reveal the ordinary life of the islanders, practically untouched by civilization, better than all the others. This acquaintance begins with the first attraction: the mansion of Pedro St. James near the southern road, in Savannah. It is a huge and fairly fortified house.
Near the city of Bodden you can visit Pirates Cave - the so-called pirate caves. Their isolation from the outside world gave rise to many legends and unusual stories. Most of them tell of secret treasures inside the labyrinths of the cave, which are still there, littered with stones and skeletons lesslucky seekers of we alth. True or not, no one knows, but rumors do their job and several thousand guests visit them every year.
The Grand Cayman Turtle Farm is a hallmark of the archipelago and a must-see if you are in the Caribbean, where the Cayman Islands are located. 16,000 green turtles are regularly bred here. All work of the farm is under the supervision of the state, which directs its activities towards increasing the population of turtles in the environment. This is an endangered species, but due to its significant contribution to the environment, the government allows the farm management to sell meat and shells in reasonable quantities.
On the east side of Grand Cayman is the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Garden, a little over 65 acres. It covers the area from Old Man Bay to Frank Sound. On its territory grow 300 species of trees and bushes typical of the Cayman Islands.
Next to it is the tourist route Mastic-Trail, crossing the relict forests, which are now in the list of protected areas.
Recreation spots in Grand Cayman
On the west coast of the island is the cozy Seven Mile Beach, covering 9 km of territory. This is one of the favorite vacation spots for tourists, so restaurants and hotels of all possible types are concentrated here on a small stretch of coastline. But even despite the large number of people, there is strict supervision of cleanliness and order onbeach and sea area, which attracts new visitors.
West Bay Semeteri is no less worthy of attention - the northern beach, with all the conditions for a good rest and snorkeling. Next to it are the reefs of Victoria House, where, if desired, you can fish, crayfish and look for orange sponges. Experienced scuba divers can visit the Trinity Caves site and admire the bizarre underwater grottoes and caves.
In the south of the island, next to the Grand Old House, you can visit the no less interesting Smith Coves beach, which frightens fans of extreme sports with an abundance of rocky terrain and impressive drops in the sea depths. Those who do not like thrills should look at the nearby reefs of Sand Cay, where the Palace River ship sank in the past, and admire the variety of marine life on its territory. The high reefs of Sand Cay protect from bad weather South Sound Cemetery Beach - a favorite resting place for all marine vessels on the island.
On the east coast of Grand Cayman there are many beaches related to specific hotels and boarding houses. Among them are the bays of Spotter Point, Lower Bay, Colliers Bay, East Point, replete with coral beaches and black sand.
Little Cayman
It is considered the "diamond" of the Caribbean, where the Cayman Islands are located. This is a small separate island, occupying only 31 km2 of land, where 150 people live on a permanent basis. It is located at a distance of 130 km from Bolshoi Island. Cayman.
This is a secluded corner of untouched wildlife. Lovers of iguanas come here, of which there are only a couple of thousand copies left on this particular island, and connoisseurs of mango forests inhabited by dozens of bird species.
The locals' favorite pastime is tourism. The more adventurous have been able to realize the value of the excellent diving sites of North Wall, Jackson Marine Park, Jackson Point and build a reputation for the island as a great outdoor destination.
Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac is a small and not particularly developed territory in the Caribbean, where the Cayman Islands are located. Almost the entire area is covered with fruit-bearing trees, tall cacti and blooming orchids. It is here that you can find an impressive limestone rock, after which the island was named. It covers almost two-thirds of the territory of Cayman Brac, on the eastern side reaching 30 meters in height. From this point, the land part passes into the underwater one, diluting the seabed with canyons, boulders, caves and unusual grottoes.
The population of the island is 1500 people ("brakers"). Famous Landmarks:
- Cayman Brac Museum;
- national parrot sanctuary;
- Rebecca Cave, Peter Cave, Skull Cave, Great Cave and Bath Cave;
- Christopher Columbus Park.
Many of them have some interesting stories associated with them that guides like to tell tourists.
Most of the houses on the Cayman islands are decorated in a colonial style, andlocal residents try not to deviate from it, paying a kind of tribute to traditions. The coastline is rocky, but on the north side there are small beaches with very beautiful reefs. On the southwest coast you can find miniature sandy shores surrounded by coral gardens, where hotels for tourists are built. Formally, this territory belongs to them and, accordingly, to their guests, but if desired, all vacationers can be located here.
