Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
( German He has founded it on the seas )
Beloved Isles Cayman ( unofficially )
The Cayman Islands ( also German Cayman Islands ) are an archipelago in the Caribbean and British Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom.
- 4.1 Airports
- 5.1 Customs and Immigration
- 5.2 Attractions
Geography
The summit of a submarine mountain range, of up to Cuba Cayman reaching back, form the archipelago. Their name from the islands of the lizard species living here, the Caymans, which had been confused at the beginning with crocodiles. The archipelago consists of three islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac and is located about 350 km south of Cuba. The islands have together about 262 km ², where Grand Cayman is 197 km ² the largest.
In the north of the island of Grand Cayman 80 square kilometer North Bay is located between Rum Point and Point Conch Sound. The bay is shallow, with depths of usually 1.8 to 3.8 meters.
Districts
The territory is divided into seven districts, which are headed by district managers and act as, among other constituencies and as Regional Units for Statistics. Five of the districts account for the main island of Grand Cayman, while the two smaller islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac each form a district:
Population
The population figures of 2009 Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are combined to Sister Islands.
The population is concentrated in the three south-western districts of Georgetown (the capital ), West Bay and Bodden Town, which have a much higher population density than all other districts. Here live on 22% of the surface 89 % of the population; in this area, the population density is 618 inhabitants / km ². The rest of the territory has an average population density of 22 inhabitants / km ². Approximately 90 % of the 45 436 inhabitants live on the largest island of Grand Cayman.
The centuries brought forth a diverse population that is very proud of the harmony among the inhabitants of different origins. Customs and traditions are to be characterized by the first settlers in the 18th century who came from the British Isles. The dominant religion is Christianity.
History and Politics
Christopher Columbus discovered the island group during his fourth voyage of discovery on 10 May 1503 after his ships were driven off from the intended course. Because of the many turtles found there he gave the archipelago the name " Las Tortugas ". The Portuguese cartographer Diego Ribero in the service of Spain fell to the numerous lizards, so he called on his map of the Turin 1523 Islands " Lagartos ". In the 17th century, the island group finally got the name " Las Caymanas " by the also occurring there salt water crocodiles. During this century, the Cayman Islands various European fleets were used for fresh water intake and supplement the provisions of the catch of turtles. The first English -comer was Sir Francis Drake, with a fleet of 23 ships landed in 1586 on Cayman.
Little Cayman and Cayman Brac were the first islands of the archipelago, where originated 1661-1671 from Jamaica settlements. However, they were quickly abandoned because of the numerous looting by Spanish privateers. The Treaty of Madrid of 1670 Spain recognized the British sovereignty over Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Until the 18th century, the Caymans were more Start by pirates, among them Edward " Blackbeard " Teach, one of the most famous English pirate of that time.
In the 1730s created the first permanent settlements whose residents predominantly agricultural. The focus was on cultivation of cotton and sugar cane, in which slaves have already been used. 1773 captured the Royal Navy 39 families, most of which were located in Bodden Town. In 1788, ten Jamaican merchant ships suffered on their way to England off the coast of Grand Cayman shipwreck. On one of the ships was a member of the British Royal Family. Out of gratitude for the salvation of all shipwrecked freed King George III. the archipelago of all taxes and fees. Their first self-government received the Cayman Islands in 1831 with the establishment of five districts and a separate legislature. The first seat of government acted Bodden Town, situated on the south coast of Grand Cayman. Slavery was abolished in 1835, when there were about 950 slaves on the islands. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population was estimated at 5,000 inhabitants. Apart from agriculture, the shipping was a major source of revenue, which provided about 20 % of jobs. The Georgetown Located on the west coast of Grand Cayman was the beginning of the century new seat of government.
As in 1937 with the "Atlantis" the first cruise ship was heading the Caymans, the era of tourism was rung. 1950 by the Englishman Benson Greenall the first hotel opened in 1953, the first airport on Grand Cayman to operate on. By 1962, the Cayman Islands Jamaica formed a common British colonial territory. While Jamaica became independent in 1962, the Caymans decided to continue the colonial status as a British crown colony. First time in 1971 a British governor was installed and in 1972 a new constitution came into force. Since May 2002, the Cayman Islands, a member of CARICOM. Hurricane Ivan was in 2004 severe damage to the islands, which were only a year later removed with a special program for the reconstruction.
Economy
Earlier main exports were turtles and clams.
Today the capital Georgetown is considered a tax ( aligned ) paradise and the fifth largest financial center in the world. Approx. 200,000 companies are registered on the islands (as of 2013). Most international banks, including the largest, are here present with branches. In addition, about 40 % of all hedge funds are based in the Cayman Islands, bringing the Cayman Islands are the largest hedge fund location worldwide. This industry is boosted by favorable conditions as the ruling here tax-free. The Cayman Islands are a tax haven. They appear to greylist, which the OECD has created in advance of the G20 meeting in 2009. Due to commitments regarding compliance of various tax standards, the Cayman Islands do not appear on the " blacklist " of tax havens. The German federal government does not consider the islands as a tax haven (January 2010). Your reputation will counteract the islands through bilateral agreements they have concluded, for example, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands and South Africa.
Government spending, the Cayman Islands are financed exclusively on management fees and a 20 percent customs duty on all imported goods. On motor vehicles is levied on the value of graduated tariff of 27.5 % to 40.0 %. Lately, these revenues are no longer sufficient for budget financing from, however, so that the British Foreign Office is urging the introduction of additional fees.
As a means of payment in addition to the local currency Iceland Cayman dollar ( CI $ ) are widely accepted even the U.S. dollar and the British pound.
Transport and Infrastructure
In the Cayman Islands on the left. Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac have along 785 km of paved roads.
In the year 2000 1400 ships were registered in the islands.
In 2008 there were 683 landline phones, 668 mobile phones and 413 Internet users per 1000 inhabitants.
Airports
There are three airports in the Cayman Islands:
- Owen Roberts International Airport on the island of Grand Cayman ( IATA airport code: GCM)
- Little Cayman Airport on the island of Little Cayman ( IATA airport code: LYB )
- Gerrard Smith Airport on the island of Cayman Brac ( IATA airport code: CYB )
Tourism
2008 303,000 tourists visited the islands. Approximately 1.7 million visitors a year with more cruise ships for a few hours to Georgetown.
Customs and Immigration
Citizens of the EU or from Schengen countries require a visa for entry, is required only to a return or onward travel valid passport and a return or onward ticket.
Attractions
Above all, the main island of Grand Cayman is known for its reefs. The underwater world around the islands is a special tourist attraction and is extensively covered by several laws since 1978.
Other attractions in the capital Georgetown include the bell tower of King George V, the Legislative Assembly, the Courts Building and the General Post Office. On the waterfront, the Cayman Maritime and Treasure Museum presents a wide variety of exhibits. Furthermore museum are treasures from shipwrecks dating from the 16th/17th in McKee 's. Century marvel.
Georgetown is also the preferred location for duty free shopping: International luxury goods and jewelry, are incorporated into the partly indigenous materials such as black coral, are to purchase cheap here. Another specialty of the islands is the rum cake which is manufactured by different vendors and has developed in recent years to become one of the most successful export products.
In Bodden Town, the former capital of the archipelago, lies the cave system Pirate's Caves, found in the 18th century pirate refuge and protection.
Rum Point in the north of the island offers typical Caribbean flair. On the sandbank Stingray City semi- tame stingrays live ( southern stingrays ), which you can feed. The Cayman Turtle Farm at North West Point is the only one of its kind with green turtles.
Prior to Cayman Brac is since 1996 a sunken Russian warship, the renamed MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts, with four deck guns. It is the only explorable by dive Russian warship in the Western Hemisphere.
The smallest of the islands, Little Cayman, is one of the last unspoiled places in the Caribbean with one of the largest rock gardens in the region for pelicans and cormorants, it is also one of the best areas of the Western world for salmon fishing.
Education
Compulsory education starts at the age of five years and lasts for twelve years. This is mainly placed on the linguistic competence is a great value.
Sports
Football in the Cayman Islands is very popular. The islands have participated at the Olympic Summer Games in 1984, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012. In 2010, she took part in the Winter Olympics.
2012 took the Squash World Cup Women's 2012 take on the islands.