5 Facts of Cayman Islands

The capital of Cayman Islands is George Town

 

The capital of Cayman Islands is George Town

Are you thinking of heading to the Cayman Islands' Here are five things you might not know about these gorgeous isles.

5 Facts You Might Not Know

1

The Cayman Islands are a small group of islands located south of Cuba and west of Jamaica. They are only 480 miles south of Miami, Florida. Three islands make up the Caymans: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The islands have a total area of only 100 square miles. The highest elevation is less than 152 feet above sea level, above Spot Bay on Cayman Brac.

2

According to the 2010 census, about 55,000 people live in the Caymans. The capital, George Town, is also the largest city, having over 36,000 inhabitants. These islands have a tropical marine climate. Warm, rainy summers make up the wet season from May through October. The dry, relatively cool winters make the Caymans an ideal place for a winter trip. Hurricane season runs from July to November.

3

The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory. Its highest official is the Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Duncan Taylor, CBE. He was appointed to his post by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Cayman Islands have their own currency that was issued first in 1972, the Cayman Island dollar, abbreviated CI$. Cayman Island dollars come in notes of denominations of CI$1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100. The coins are issued in units valued at 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents.

4

The Cayman Islands' national tree is the silver thatch palm; its national bird is the Grand Cayman parrot. The national flower of the Caymans is the wild banana and the national anthem is 'Beloved Isle Cayman,' written by the late Leila Ross-Shier. Mrs. Ross-Shier was an organist in the Presbyterian Church who composed 'Beloved Isle Cayman' in 1930 and sang it for years to a guitar. Her performance made it popular enough to be adopted as the national anthem.

5

The Caymans were sighted by Christopher Columbus in May 1503, during his final voyage to the Western Hemisphere. He first called them Las Tortugas, after the many seas turtles he saw. Later, he renamed them the Cayman Islands after the caimans, a native word for the alligators inhabiting the islands.