| CAYMAN ISLANDS
The Cayman Islands are an overseas territory of
the United Kingdom in the West Indies, comprising the islands of Grand
Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.
First visited by Christopher Columbus on May 10, 1503 during his fourth and
final voyage to the New World, the islands, along with nearby Jamaica, were
ceded to Great Britain in 1670 under the Treaty of Madrid. They were
governed as a single colony with Jamaica until 1963 when they became a
separate British overseas territory and Jamaica became an independent
commonwealth realm.
Caymanians enjoy one of the highest standards
of living in the West Indies. Most residents are Protestants of British or
African descent and many are of mixed racial ethnicity. The islands' main
industries are tourism and also offshore banking, thanks to the non-existence
of direct taxes.
The Cayman Islands are completely self-governing and universal voting rights
are granted to all citizens at the age of 18 years. A legislature is elected
by the people every four years. The Governor of the islands serves as the
British representative and is appointed by Queen Elizabeth II.
The island of Grand Cayman was severely damaged in a near-miss by the
Category Five Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, destroying many buildings
and damaging nearly all. Power, water and communications were all disrupted.
|
