The Cayman Islands

( Marianna de Benassutti – Valentina Depentori – Veronica Costa)

Location

The Cayman Islands are a British dependency and island country in the Western Caribbean Sea. The Territory are divided in three islands Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, also South of Cuba and Northwest of Jamaica. The territory is a major world offshore financial centre. Georgetown is the capital city of the Cayman Islands.

Climate

The Cayman Island have a tropical marine climate, with a wet season of warm, rainy summers from May to October, and a dry season during the winter from November to April. A major hazard is the tropical cyclones that from during the Atlantic hurricane season from July to November.

The coast:

Seven Mile Beach is only one of the many reasons why Cayman is considered the ultimate Caribbean destination. Located on the western shore of Grand Cayman, this popular Caribbean beach is the most well-known on the islands. Attracting visitors from all over the world, the Seven Mile Beach features clear waters and coral sands and is home to many luxury resorts. Seven Mile Beach is public property so visitors can walk the full length past several Cayman hotels, resorts, and villas, regardless of where you’re staying. There are restaurants open to the public at most of the resorts and several public beach bars. Pet friendly stingrays in Stingray City, shop the Seven Mile Shops, and snorkel or scuba dive in the calm waters around Cemetery Reef.

FAUNA and FLORA

Tropical marine life of all kinds are found in the Caribbean waters surrounding the Islands, especially in Cayman's coral reefs, known worldwide by scuba divers who claim the Islands offers some of the best scuba diving in the world.

The green turtle, for which the Islands were once named Las Tortugas, is still found and fished. The Cayman Turtle Farm breeds the turtle and markets turtle meat locally. Turtles are released into the wild each year as part of the farm's conservation role.

On shore there are few indigenous animals. The agouti (a large rodent), bats, harmless snakes, small lizards, freshwater turtle, land crabs and two species of tree frogs are the most common. Grand Cayman's rare and endangered Blue Iguana can be viewed at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. The green iguana, an invasive species, is considered a pest.

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 trees and various fruit trees such as Plantain, Mango, Breadfruit, and Tamarind.

Brief history

The Cayman Islands have been under various governments since their discovery by European . Christopher Columbus sighted the Cayman Islands on May 10 1503 and named them Las Tortugas because of the numerous sea turtles, that swim in the surrounding waters.

In 1523 the “Turin map” of the islands was the first to refer to them as Los Largartos, that means alligators or large lizards. By 1530 they were known as the Caymanes after the Carib word caimán for the marine crocodile, which also lived there.

Archaeological studies have found no evidence that humans occupied the islands prior to the 16th century.

The first recorded English visitor was Sir Francis Drake in 1586, who reported that the “Caymanas” were edible, but it was the turtles which attracted ships in search of fresh meat for their crews. Overfishing nearly extinguished the turtles from the local waters.

The first two inhabitants were a Welshman named Walters (or Watler) and his companion named Bawden (or Bodden), who arrived in Cayman after serving in Oliver Cromwell’s army in Jamaica.

A variety of people settled on the islands: pirates, refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, shipwrecked sailors and slaves.

The majority of Caymanians are of African and English descent.

England took control of the Caymans under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670.

In the 18th century they became an increasingly popular hideout for pirates, even after the end of legitimate privateering in 1713.

The Cayman Islands were officially declared and administered as a dependency of Jamaica from 1863.

In September 2004 they were hit by Hurricane Ivan, causing mass devastation, loss of human and animal lives and flooding.

Fiscal Paradise

The Cayman Island have something in common with Greece and U.S. They are a fiscal paradise, there isn’t a personal income tax, no corporate income tax, non capital gains tax and no death tax. No major taxes at all. On the contrary, Greece Is a bankrupt, high tax welfare state, and the U.S sooner or later will suffer the same fate due to the misguided entitlement programs. The Cayman Island are one of the world’s richest jurisdictions ( more prosperous than the U.S according to the latest World Bank data) in part because there are no tax penalties on income and production. Here there’s an economic problem and this is that there has been to much spending, and the political problem is that politicians have been trying to buy votes by padding government payrolls. The political class in Cayman, hopes it can prop up its costly bureaucracy with a new tax. The politicians claim the tax will only be 10 % and will only be imposed on the expat community. If the Cayman Islands adopts an income tax regardless of whether they call it a community enchancement fee, it will be just a matter of time before the burden of government spending becomes even more onerous and Cayman loses its allure and drops from being one of the world’s 10 richest jurisdictions. The Cayman Islands are famous all over the world for being a fiscal paradise, according to some interpretations this dates back to 1794. In that November 10 ships of military convoy (HMS Convert) shipwrecked on the reefs in front of Gun Bay of the Grand Cayman Island but the crew saved themselves thanks to the colonies of the islands. According to the legend on board there was a member of the British royal family, consequently king George III wanted to reward the bravery of the colonies who were exonerated from the required military service and the parliament decided to exonerate them from the tax burdens. However there are no proofs that can say if it’s true or false.

Sightseeing

The Caribbean Beach is the perfect postcard picture stretch of sand where you will find the perfect for your relaxing beach holiday. The powdery white sand lapped by crystal clear water is an ideal hang out for a day in what’s a paradise. The depth of the water stays ankle deep for 15 feet then gradually drops off making it an ideal beach for sunbathing. When snorkelling around Point O' Sand there is the opportunity to see Queen Conch, stingrays, bonefish, permits and a dozen different types of reef fish.

Stingray City: it is one of the top Grand Cayman attractions and is home to a whole shoal of Southern stingrays. The stingrays began gathering in the area decades ago when anglers used to clean fish on the shallow sand bars. The stingrays would forget their normally shy dispositions and feast on the guts of the cleaned fish. Soon the stingrays began to associate the sound of a boat motor with food.

The Cayman Islands Turtle Farm is an adventure marine park and one of the most exciting attractions, a must see on your Caribbean holidays in Cayman. The Cayman Turtle Farm celebrates Caymanians’ stewardship of the seas and relationship with nature through tactile, colourful, educational and memorable experiences. The park allows visitors to experience the rich history of Caymanian life in a fun and safe environment while providing opportunities to observe and interact with native flora and fauna. The expanded facilities ensure visitors continue to learn more about these amazing sea creatures as well as our new additions including the predators, birds, caiman, and other exciting creatures. The new park also houses a world-class research and educational facility that focuses on the conservation of sea turtles. The park offers visitors a unique opportunity to swim and snorkel with fish and other marine life in its 1.3 million gallon salt-water lagoon. Guests can also peer into the predator tank and come nose-to-nose with sharks and eels. Let your imagination soar as you wander through the beautiful free-flight bird aviary or stroll down an historic Caymanian street complete with porch side artisans. Children and adults alike will delight in interacting with starfish, urchins and crabs at the touch pool. The only one of its kind in the world, the Cayman Turtle Farm is home to over 11,000 Green Sea Turtles, ranging in size from six ounces to six hundred pounds each. Visitors can tour an actual working farm, which is both educational and entertaining, and turtles are available for guests to hold for an amazing and unique photo opportunity. Pedro St. James is an accurate reconstruction of an original 1780 great house is a spectacular showpiece for the birthplace of democracy. Sprawling over 7.65 acres with a breathtaking view of the azure Caribbean Sea, Pedro St. James is one of the country's genuine treasures. Behind a traditional coral stone wall rises an authentic, three-storey early 19th century great house and outbuildings, with traditional "grounds" planted with pineapple, banana and other provisions. The adjacent acres are covered with luxuriant tropical plants, palm-lined walkways and a splendid Great Lawn . At the main entrance is the Visitors Centre featuring a state of the art multimedia theatre where visitors experience 200 years of Cayman history in 20 minutes. Today, it is a site whose grandeur is befitting of its importance as the birthplace of democracy in the Cayman Islands. Formerly known as Pedro Castle, this is the oldest known existing stone structure in the Cayman Islands. The original building is believed to have been built with quarried native rock around 1780 as a great house by William Eden, a mariner, plantation owner and early settler. One of the most beautiful Caribbean attractions, Pedro St. James is already a popular venue for weddings and social events. Lively and luxurious, the town of Camana Bay spans along Seven Mile Beach up to the North Sound. Camana Bay is composed by four villages , it was designed to be pedestrian-friendly with finely landscaped walkways and cycle paths throughout. Lush parks, gardens, and courtyards act as the perfect complement to the town’s sleek architecture. Camana Bay is host to several of the Cayman Islands’ best eateries. Shopping lovers will find their paradise in the selection of boutiques in Camana Bay offering an extensive, on-trend selection of high fashion clothing, accessories and luxury goods from major international brands.