Cayman Islands in a nutshell - updated

History:

The island of Grand Cayman was hit by Hurricane Ivan on September 11-12, 2004, which destroyed many buildings and damaged 70% of them. Power, water and communications were all disrupted for a period of time as Ivan was the worst hurricane to hit the islands in 86 years. However, Grand Cayman promptly engaged in a major rebuilding process, and within two years its infrastructure was nearly returned to pre-Ivan levels. The Cayman Islands currently enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region, aided by thriving tourism and banking industries.

Geography:

The Cayman Islands are located in the western Caribbean Sea. They are the peaks of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Trench, standing 8000 feet from the sea floor, which barely exceeds the surface. The islands lie in the centre of the Caribbean south of Cuba and West of Jamaica. But even Grand Cayman, the largest of the three islands, is not visible on many maps. They are situated about 480 miles (770 km) south of Miami, 150 miles (240 km) south of Cuba, and 180 miles (290 km) northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is by far the biggest, with an area of 76 square miles (197 km²). The two "Sister Islands" of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are located about 90 miles (145 km) east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 14 square miles (36 km²) and 10 square miles (25.9 km²) 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, which rises to 140 feet (42.6 m) above sea level, the highest point on the island.

Cayman avian fauna includes two endemic subspecies of Amazona parrots: Amazona leucocephala hesterna, or Cayman Brac Parrot, native only to Cayman Brac, and Amazona leucocephala caymanensis or Grand Cayman Parrot, which is native only to Grand Cayman. Another notable fauna is the endangered Blue Iguana, which is native to Grand Cayman.

Administratively, Grand Cayman (the largest island) is divided into five districts:

1. George Town (the present capital)


2. East End


3. North Side


4. West Bay


5. Bodden Town (the former capital)

Cayman Brac, the second largest island, is divided into six districts:

1. West End


2. Stake Bay


3. Creek


4. The Rock


5. Cotton Tree Bay


6. Watering Place

Little Cayman, the smallest and most sparsely populated island, is marginally bigger than a single district.

Demographics: 

The latest population estimate of the Cayman Islands is about 45,436 as of July 2006, representing a mix of more than 100 nationalities. Out of that number, about half are of Caymanian descent.