Cayman Islands, pronounced KAY muhn, a British dependency, lies about 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea. The three islands that form the group--Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac--cover about 100 square miles (259 square kilometers), and have about 30,000 people. The capital and largest city, Georgetown, lies on Grand Cayman, the largest island. Taxes are extremely low in the Cayman Islands. As a result, many companies from other lands conduct business there. These businesses and tourism contribute greatly to the economy. Agricultural production is low in the Caymans, and most food must be imported.
Contributor: Gary Brana-Shute, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Latin-American and Caribbean Studies, Foreign Service Institute, Washington, D.C. |