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Location
Caribbean, south of Cuba, 770km (480 miles) southwest of Miami.
Time
GMT - 5.
Area
260 sq km (100 sq miles).
Population
45,436 (2006 estimate).
Population Density
175 per sq km.
Capital
George Town. Population: 29,000 (2005).
Geography
The Cayman Islands are situated in the Caribbean, 290km (180 miles) northwest of Jamaica, 240km (150 miles) south of Cuba and 770km (480 miles) south of Miami. The island country comprises Grand Cayman, the largest and most populous of the islands, and the sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, which lie approximately 143km (89 miles) northeast of Grand Cayman and are separated from each other by a channel about 12km (8 miles) wide. The islands are peaks of a subterranean mountain range extending from Cuba towards the Gulf of Honduras. The beaches are said to be the best in the Caribbean, the most notable being Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. Tall pines line many of the beaches; those located on the east and west coasts are equally well protected offshore by the Barrier Reef.
Government
British Crown Colony since 1670.
Head of State
HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor Bruce Dinwiddy since 2002.
Head of Government
Kurt Tibbetts since 2005.
Recent History
The United Democratic Party’s McKeeva Bush was defeated in the May 2005 general elections by the People's Progressive Movement, led by Kurt Tibbetts. Although the UK is officially responsible for the islands’ foreign policy, the USA, as in the rest of the Caribbean, exerts a dominant influence over its ‘back yard’. Both the US and British governments have been concerned about the exploitation of the islands for drug trafficking and its associated money laundering.
Language
English is the official language, with a distinctive ‘brogue’ reflecting heritage of Welsh, Scottish and English ancestors still distinguishing the speech of the Caymanian people. The number of Jamaican residents in the workforce means the Jamaican patois and accompanying heavier accent is also common. Spanish, particularly regional dialects of Central America and Cuba, is also widely spoken.
Religion
Main Christian denominations.
Electricity
110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style (flat) two-pin plugs are standard.
Social Conventions
The mode of life on the Cayman Islands is a blend of local traditions and of US and British patterns of behaviour. Handshaking is the usual greeting. Because of the large number of people with a similar surname (such as Ebanks and Bodden), a person may be introduced by his first name (such as Mr Tom or Mr Jim). Flowers are acceptable as a gift on arrival or following a visit for a meal. It is normal to prescribe the required mode of dress on invitations. Beachwear is best confined to the beach to avoid offence. Topless bathing is prohibited.
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