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Grand Cayman is the largest of the three
Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
and the location of the territory's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of
Little Cayman Little Cayman is one of three Islands that make up the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 60 miles (96 km) northeast of East End, Grand Cayman and five miles (8 km) west of West End, Cayman Brac. Little C ...
and 90 miles (145 km) southwest of
Cayman Brac Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about north-east of Grand Cayman and east of Little Cayman. It is about long, with an average width of . Its terrain is the most prominent of the thr ...
.


Geography

Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of the territory's entire land mass. The island is approximately long with its widest point being wide. The elevation ranges from sea level at the beaches to above sea level on the North Side's Mastic Trail. Unlike many other Caribbean islands, Grand Cayman is for the most part, flat. This allows for more space to build as the island’s population grows.


Island districts

Grand Cayman Island includes five of the six districts of the Cayman Islands: Bodden Town,
East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...
, George Town, North Side and West Bay. *Bodden Town – Founded in the 1700s, Bodden Town district comprises the central part of Grand Cayman Island, between the George Town and North Side districts. The village of Bodden Town was the original capital of the Cayman Islands. *East End – The East End district is located at the east side of Grand Cayman Island and consists mostly of the Village of East End, numerous natural attractions, restaurants, and accommodations. *George Town – The capital of the Cayman Islands and world-famous centre for
offshore banking An offshore bank is a bank regulated under international banking license (often called offshore license), which usually prohibits the bank from establishing any business activities in the jurisdiction of establishment. Due to less regulation and ...
and investments, *North Side – Includes Kaibo and Rum Point. Sand Point Cove in Rum Point is home to a Bioluminescent Bay or Bio Bay. *West Bay – Has numerous tourist attractions including the Cayman Turtle Farm and the
Cayman Motor Museum The Cayman Motor Museum is a automobile museum located in West Bay, Cayman Islands, housing 80 rare, exotic and classic cars and motorbikes owned by Norwegian businessman Andreas Ugland. The museum opened in , and it also features a collection ...
. Towns in the West Bay district include Seven Mile Beach,
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
. The remaining district is Sister Islands, which consists of the islands of
Cayman Brac Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about north-east of Grand Cayman and east of Little Cayman. It is about long, with an average width of . Its terrain is the most prominent of the thr ...
and
Little Cayman Little Cayman is one of three Islands that make up the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 60 miles (96 km) northeast of East End, Grand Cayman and five miles (8 km) west of West End, Cayman Brac. Little C ...
.


Flora and fauna


Flora

Of the flora, a good representation of the variety of plant life on Grand Cayman can be found at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park located in the North Side District. Wild banana orchids, ghost orchids, thatch palm trees, red birch trees,
mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus '' Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: U ...
trees and various fruit trees such as
avocado The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family ( Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for ...
,
mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...
, guinep, naseberry,
breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family ( Moraceae) believed to be a domesticated descendant of '' Artocarpus camansi'' originating in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Phil ...
, and
tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabacea ...
. Yellow mastics (''
Sideroxylon foetidissimum ''Sideroxylon foetidissimum'', commonly known as false mastic or yellow mastic, is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapotaceae. It is native to Florida in the United States, the Caribbean, and northern Central America Central Am ...
'') and black mastics ('' Terminalia eriostachya'') are also seen in the park, as well as on the -long Mastic Trail. Elsewhere outside the park, all of these species can be seen around Grand Cayman, including coconut palm, ''
Casuarina ''Casuarina'' is a genus of 17 tree species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and eastern Africa. It was once treated as the sole genus in th ...
'' pine,
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in severa ...
, and poinciana trees.


Fauna

Fauna seen in various locations around the island include blue iguanas (''Cyclura lewisi''), Grand Cayman amazon parrots ('' Amazona leucocephala caymanensis''),
Central American agouti The Central American agouti (''Dasyprocta punctata'') is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico), through Central America, to northwestern Ecua ...
(''Dasyprocta punctata''), and ''
Gecarcinus ruricola ''Gecarcinus ruricola'' is a species of land crab, terrestrial crab. It is the most terrestrial of the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean land crabs, and is found from western Cuba across the Antilles as far east as Barbados. Common names for ''G. ruricola ...
'', a species of land crab. The Cayman Islands Turtle Farm located in the West Bay district raises
green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
s for their meat and to release into the wild. Through breeding, the farm produces upwards of 1800 turtles a year. Between 1980 and 2006, the farm released approximately 30,600 turtles to the wild; because of a mark placed on each animal, the released turtles have been seen throughout the Caribbean. There are four endemic snake species on Grand Cayman and two
invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...
. They are all relatively harmless and the largest is the rarely seen invasive corn snake, which may grow to about 5 feet (1.5 m). The smallest averages 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) and is the invasive brahminy blind snake which is also rarely seen. The most common is the endemic Cayman racer snake. (''Cubophis cantherigerus'') It can grow to approximately 5 feet (1.5 m), but 3-foot (91-cm) specimens are much more common. These snakes tend to race away if encountered and in rare cases will rear up in a threatening manner if cornered. The Cayman racer snake carries a mild venom which it uses to immobilise prey, but in large enough doses it can cause significant swelling and bruising if it latches on for an extended period. A simple bite and release does not usually cause any reaction in humans. The other three endemic snake species are the Cayman Islands dwarf boa, Cayman Brac blind snake and Cayman water snake. File:Hibiscus palm.jpg, Hibiscus and palm tree on Grand Cayman Island File:Central American Agouti Grand Cayman.jpg,
Central American agouti The Central American agouti (''Dasyprocta punctata'') is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico), through Central America, to northwestern Ecua ...
at Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park File:Green sea turtle cayman turtle farm.jpg,
Green sea turtle The green sea turtle (''Chelonia mydas''), also known as the green turtle, black (sea) turtle or Pacific green turtle, is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. It is the only species in the genus ''Chelonia''. Its range exten ...
in lagoon at Cayman Turtle Farm File:East End Blow Hole.jpg, East End blow hole


Demographics

Of the three islands, Grand Cayman contains approximately 97% of the territory's entire population.


Economy


Offshore banking

There are just under 600 banks and trust companies in the Grand Cayman, including 43 of the 50 largest banks in the world. Because of this large financial presence on the island, banking, investments, and insurance drive the economy in Grand Cayman.


Tourism

Grand Cayman Island has a number of natural attractions: the blow holes in the East End district, the Mastic Trail that runs north to south through the center of the island,
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
in the West Bay, and the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Watersports such as
scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...
and
snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...
are popular activities on Grand Cayman as the island is known for its coral reefs and underwater sea walls along with a number of shipwrecks. Because of its clubs, resorts, and hotels, Seven Mile Beach has the largest concentration of visitors and tourists on the island.


Infrastructure

Owen Roberts International Airport Owen Roberts International Airport is an airport serving Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. It is the main international airport for the Cayman Islands as well as the main base for Cayman Airways. The airport is named after British Royal Air Fo ...
serves Grand Cayman with domestic and international flights. Cayman Airways has its headquarters on Grand Cayman. Electrical service for Grand Cayman is provided by Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd., with its corporate headquarters located on North Sound Road. Electricity on Grand Cayman runs on a 120/240 volt electricity system with electrical outlets designed to accommodate a three-pin American plug. Grand Cayman residents have a choice of telecommunications services from C3,
Digicel Digicel is a Jamaican and Caribbean mobile phone network and home entertainment provider operating in 33 markets worldwide. Digicel has operated in several countries, including Guyana, Fiji, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Suriname, ...
, FLOW (previously LIME), and Logic.
Olive Hilda Miller Olive Wright Miller (9 November 1921 – 19 May 2020) was a British missionary, journalist and philanthropist. Known as "Cayman's own Mother Teresa", she was the Cayman Islands' first paid journalist and established its first retirement home. ...
was the first manager of The Pines, the first retirement home to be built in the Cayman Islands. She worked there from 1983 until 1991.


Education

The
Cayman Islands Education Department The Ministry of Education, Employment and Gender Affairs is a ministry of the Cayman Islands. It is headquartered on the fifth floor of the Government Administration Building in George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () i ...
operates government schools.


Transition schools

* Cayman Islands Further Education Centre


Secondary schools operated by government

*
John Gray High School John Gray High School (JGHS) is a senior high school in George Town, Cayman Islands, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.Clifton Hunter High School


Primary schools operated by government

* Theoline L. McCoy Primary School *Sir John A. Cumber Primary School *Edna M. Moyle Primary School *George Town Primary School *East End Primary School *Prospect Primary School *Red Bay Primary School *Savannah Primary School


Private schools

*Cayman Academy *
Cayman International School Cayman International School (CIS) is a private school in Camana Bay, George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. Th ...
* Cayman Prep and High School *First Baptist Christian School (ages 3 months – 11 years, grades preschool to 6) *Grace Christian Academy *Montessori School of Grand Cayman * St. Ignatius Catholic School *Triple C School *Truth For Youth School * Wesleyan Christian Academy *Hope Academy


Private universities

*
St. Matthews University St. Matthew's University (SMU) is a private for-profit offshore medical school located in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands in the Caribbean. SMU has a School of Medicine and a School of Veterinary Medicine, which confer M.D. and D.V.M. degrees, ...
of Medicine/Veterinary Medicine *
International College of the Cayman Islands The International College of the Cayman Islands (ICCI) is an non-profit, private, four-year independent institution of higher education which opened in the fall of 1970. It is the oldest college in the Cayman Islands and is located in Newland ...
(ICCI) *The Cayman Islands Law Schoolhttp://www.lawschool.gov.ky


Public universities

*
University College of the Cayman Islands The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) is a tertiary educational institution in the Cayman Islands. History The original Community College was established as a part-time institution in 1975, and was the first government-sponsored ...
(UCCI)


Gallery

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (thumbnail).jpg, Aerial view of the island Governor Residence Grand Cayman Island.jpg, The Governor's Residence Stingray City, Grand Cayman.jpg, Stingray City Sailboats, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman.jpg, Sailboats on Seven Mile Beach


See also

* Cayman Islands Investment Bureau * Watler Cemetery


References


External links


Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

Cayman Travel Guide

Cayman Islands Government
* * * {{Authority control Islands of the Cayman Islands