Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are three islands in the Caribbean Sea.

The biggest is Grand Cayman. The capital is George Town. People speak English.

The Cayman Islands lie in the Caribbean Sea, about 290 kilometers northwest of Jamaica. There are three islands: Grand Cayman, the biggest, and two smaller ones, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

The islands are a British overseas territory. The British king is head of state and is represented by a governor, but the islands' own Parliament and premier run most matters at home. English is the official language, the money is the Cayman Islands dollar, and the capital is George Town, on Grand Cayman.

Britannica describes the Cayman Islands as a British overseas territory of three islands about 290 km northwest of Jamaica, the outcroppings of a submarine mountain range extending northeastward from Belize toward Cuba. The capital is George Town, on Grand Cayman.

The constitution, in force since 2009 and amended in 2020, provides internal autonomy under a governor, a cabinet and a Parliament of 15 elected and 3 nonelected members. The British monarch, represented by the governor, is head of state; the premier heads the government. The governor keeps responsibility for foreign affairs, defense, internal security and the police. English is the official language, and the currency is the Cayman Islands dollar.

George Town is the capital. It is by the sea, with shops and palm trees.

Far to the northeast are two small islands. One has a tall bluff of rock.

George Town, on the west side of Grand Cayman, is the capital. The photo shows a waterfront street there, with palm trees, shops and restaurants with balconies. Along the south coast is Bodden Town, where the old Mission House can be visited, and in North Side is the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.

Cayman Brac lies about 143 kilometers northeast of Grand Cayman. It is long and narrow, and most of it is a raised bluff that reaches 42 meters, the highest point in the islands. Little Cayman, the smallest island, is just 8 kilometers to its west.

Grand Cayman, the largest and most populous island, is about 35 km long and 13 km wide at its widest, with an area of 197 km² and a 93 km² sound that Britannica calls a breeding ground for much marine life. The National Trust runs tours to the Mission House in Bodden Town and to its Blue Iguana Conservation facility beside the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in North Side.

Cayman Brac, 143 km northeast of Grand Cayman, is about 19 km long and 1.6 km wide (36 km²); its central bluff makes up 90% of the island and rises to 42 m, the highest point in the territory. Little Cayman, 8 km west of Cayman Brac, is 16 km long and at most 3 km wide (26 km²).

Most of the land is low. There are no rivers.

Rocky shores and sandy beaches meet the sea. Coral reefs grow in the water.

The islands are mostly low, and there are no rivers. The coasts are a mix of sandy beaches and "ironshore," limestone full of fossils of sea creatures. Coral reefs surround the islands.

It is warm all year, about 27 °C on average. Rain falls mostly from mid-May to October, and hurricanes can come from June to November. Inland on Grand Cayman, the 3.7-kilometer Mastic Trail runs through old-growth forest, named after the rare mastic tree.

Britannica describes generally low-lying islands with no rivers, edged with ironshore (limestone fringes with numerous marine fossils) between sandy beaches, all enclosed by coral reefs. They sit on the boundary between two tectonic plates, one moving east and one west, and minor tremors are sometimes recorded.

The average temperature is about 27 °C; the rainy season runs from mid-May through October, and November to March is cooler, 18–24 °C. George Town averages about 1,500 mm of rain a year, while eastern Grand Cayman and the other islands are drier; hurricanes can occur from June through November. The National Trust's 2.3-mile (3.7 km) Mastic Trail crosses the interior Mastic Reserve, which it describes as some of the last untouched old-growth forest in the Caribbean.

A big blue lizard called the blue iguana lives only on Grand Cayman.

Sea turtles swim in the sea. Visitors snorkel with stingrays.

The blue iguana is found only on Grand Cayman, and it is the island's largest land animal found nowhere else. It is endangered, and the National Trust runs a breeding program for it and looks after wilderness reserves at Salina and Colliers.

Christopher Columbus saw the islands in 1503, and the Spanish first named them Las Tortugas, for the many turtles in the surrounding waters. Today, snorkelers watch stingrays in the shallow water off Grand Cayman. The turtle photo was taken near Moorea, in French Polynesia, and the stingray photo in the US Virgin Islands.

The National Trust for the Cayman Islands, founded in 1987, calls the blue iguana Grand Cayman's largest endemic land animal and runs a captive breeding programme for this endangered species, with the Salina and Colliers wilderness reserves. Along the Mastic Trail the Trust lists birds, butterflies, nonvenomous snakes, frogs, crabs and lizards.

Britannica records that the Spaniards first named the islands Las Tortugas for the many turtles in the surrounding waters, and that Columbus noted green sea turtles there; it adds that the islands are rich in birdlife. Snorkelers watch stingrays off Grand Cayman. The green turtle photo is from Moorea, French Polynesia, and the stingray photo shows a southern stingray off St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.

People speak English on the islands. Many visitors come to swim and dive.

Cassava cake is a well-known Caymanian food.

The number of people living in the Cayman Islands has grown fast. The 2021 census counted 71,105 people, and by the end of 2025 the statistics office estimated 90,577.

English is the official language. The statistics office says tourism and financial services, such as banking, helped the economy grow in the first months of 2026, and divers come for the reefs. Under the Education Act, children must get a full-time education from age 5 until they turn 17 or earn a secondary school diploma.

The Economics and Statistics Office reports a census population of 71,105 (October 2021) and an estimated 90,577 in December 2025, along with life expectancy at birth of 83.4 years (2025). Britannica notes that the territory's settlers included British mariners, privateers, shipwrecked passengers, enslaved Africans and land-grant holders from Jamaica.

In its 2026 update the statistics office credited strong tourism and continued growth in financial services for economic growth in the first quarter. English is official and the main spoken language, heard in a variety of dialects. The Education Act (2024 Revision) sets the compulsory school age from 5 until 17 or a secondary school diploma, whichever comes first; the University College of the Cayman Islands dates from 1975.