The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. The Cayman Islands are considered to be part of the geographic Western Caribbean Zone as well as the Greater Antilles (The Greater Antilles are one of the island groups in the Caribbean Sea. Comprising the islands of Cuba, theCayman Islands, Hispaniola (containing the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, the Greater Antilles constitute over 94% of the land mass of the entire West Indies,[1] as well as over 90% of its population.). The territory is a major world offshore financial centre.
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| Capital and largest city | George Town 19°20′N 81°24′W | |
| Official languages | English | |
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| Ethnic groups (2011[1]) |
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| Demonym | Caymanian | |
| Government | British Overseas Territorya | |
| - | Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| - | Governor | Helen Kilpatrick |
| - | Premier | Alden McLaughlin |
| - | Responsible Ministerb(UK) | |
The mammalian species in the islands include the introduced Central American agouti and eight species of bats. At least three now extinct native rodent species were present up until the discovery of the islands by Europeans. A number of cetaceans are found in offshore waters.
Cayman avian fauna includes two endemic subspecies of Amazona parrots: Amazona leucocephala hesterna, or Cayman Brac parrot, native only to Cayman Brac, and Amazona leucocephala caymanensis or Grand Cayman parrot, which is native to the Cayman Islands, forested areas of Cuba, and the Isla de la Juventud. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are also home to Red-footed and Brown Booby birds.
Among other notable fauna is the endangered blue iguana, which is endemic to Grand Cayman.
(George Town waterfront)
