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Location: Caribbean, island group in Caribbean Sea, nearly
one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras
Geographic coordinates: 19 30 N, 80 30 W
Map references: Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 259 sq km
land: 259 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 160 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October)
and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Terrain: low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: The Bluff 43 m
Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster
tourism
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 8%
forests and woodland: 23%
other: 69% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hurricanes (July to November)
Environment - current issues: no natural fresh water resources;
drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchment
Geography - note: important location between Cuba and Central
America
Geography
The Cayman Island is a British Crown Colony located in the western
Caribbean, 480 miles south of Miami, 150 miles south of Cuba and
180 miles northwest of Jamaica. Among the three islands, the largest,
and most developed is Grand Cayman, whereas the two Sister Islands
of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which lie approximately 89 miles
east-northeast of Grand Cayman are separated from each other by
a channel about seven miles wide.
Climate
The Cayman Islands lay in the far Western Caribbean, closer to the
equator, therefore many people realise that they are nicely cool
by prevailing trade winds, with bright warm sun.
The Islands do have a Winter season that falls from November to
April with lowest temperatures 64°F to highest of 86°F. Whereas
the Summer is usually on May until October, with lowest temperatures
73°F to highest 90°F. The rainy season starts in May and lasts throughout
October, the two rainiest months are May and October whereas March
and April are usually the driest months.
Cayman Islands are an island dependency of the United Kingdom (UK)
located in the West Indies. The dependency consists of three islands,
Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac, situated in the Caribbean
Sea about 300 kilometres northwest of Jamaica.
George Town is the capital of the Cayman Islands. It is home to
half the population of the country.
The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during
the 18th and 19th centuries.
Administered by Jamaica from 1863, they remained a British dependency
after 1962 when the former became independent.
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