Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands at about 196 km² and contains the capital George Town. The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory located in the western Caribbean Sea, comprising the islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac George Town, Grand Cayman, is the Capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. Towns on the island are referred to as "districts".
The island is a high-lying reef of "ironshore" (limestone fringes with numerous marine fossils), with a highest elevation of roughly 24 meters above sea level. There is no natural fresh water (lakes, rivers, etc) on the island, so any fresh water needs must be met by catchments or desalination of seawater. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there A catchment is any device or structure that captures Water. Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other Minerals from Water The lack of rivers does however account for the exceptional clarity of the sea.
The island was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 from September 11 to September 12. Hurricane Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the With Category 5 strength, Ivan passed within 30 miles of Grand Cayman, hitting it with winds over 180 mph (290 km/h) and gusts up to 200mph. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of all recorded The island reported no more than a few deaths - none directly caused by the hurricane - but over 80% of the buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed. Ivan was the worst hurricane to hit the island in 86 years.
The eastern side of the island is somewhat undeveloped, while the western side of the island, which holds George Town and the airport, Owen Roberts International Airport, is more developed. George Town, Grand Cayman, is the Capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. Owen Roberts International Airport is located one mile outside George Town on the island of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, British West Fast food restaurants, night clubs and resorts can be found on the western side of the island. Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly The eastern districts offer more restaurants specializing in native Caymanian cuisine.
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Tourism
The economy depends mainly on tourism - GDP is approximately 50% tourist related. Grand Cayman claims many other tourism attractions other than Seven Mile Beach. Grand Cayman is particularly well known for spectacular diving and snorkeling. Diving off a deck into the Great South Bay of Long Islandjpg|thumb|A man dives into the Great South Bay of Long Island. Snorkeling ( British spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of Swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a Diving mask, a The island features many reefs and walls, some of which can be accessed by swimming from shore.
The district of West Bay features a turtle farm . West Bay is a town on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. It along with the George Town district are the two largest electoral districts each with four MLA's each The majority of Green Sea Turtles are raised for their meat, the theory being that this eliminates consumption of wild animals. Some of the farmed turtles are released, and have good survival rates in the wild. The turtle farm also has several rare Blue iguanas and a caiman on display. The Blue Iguana or Grand Cayman Iguana ( Cyclura lewisi) is a Critically endangered species of Lizard of the genus Cyclura Alligators and caimans are Archosaurs Species of Crocodilians and form the family Alligatoridae (sometimes regarded instead
West Bay district is also home to a formation of limestone affectionately known to islanders as Hell. Hell Grand Cayman is a group of short black Limestone formations in the northwest Grand Cayman town of West Bay Merchandise "from Hell" can be purchased nearby.
Stingray City, located a short boat ride from the northern end of Grand Cayman, is a series of shallow sand bars where sting rays are found in abundance and visitors can feed, pet, and interact with the animals. Stingray City is a series of shallow Sand bars found in the North Sound of Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. The southern stingrays can grow to large sizes (100 cm or more in span) and are quite accustomed to being handled and fed. A trip from a local tour operator will usually include snorkelling in coral gardens before arriving at Stingray City.
In the southern district of Bodden Town is the historic house of Pedro St. James, considered the birthplace of democracy in the Cayman Islands. Bodden Town, Grand Cayman, is the former capital and largest district in the Cayman Islands, situated on a natural harbor and a coral reef Pedro St James Castle or Pedro's Castle is the oldest existing structure in the Cayman Islands. It is also the oldest known existing stone structure on Grand Cayman, And Bodden Town was also the first Capital of Grand Cayman. .
In the Eastern Districts of the island are the districts of Bodden Town, East End and North Side. In the centre of the island (in North Side district) is the Mastic Trail, a hiking trail through old growth dry forests that used to cover the entire island. Plants and animals native to Grand Cayman, such as the Mastic Tree, Blue iguana, green parrot, and agouti, can be seen. Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 Species in 85 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions Agouti refers to a number of species of Rodents as well as a number of genes affecting coat coloration in several different animals
Grand Cayman is also the only island in the Caribbean to have an operational turtle farm.
Transportation
Owen Roberts International Airport serves Grand Cayman with flights within and outside of the Cayman Islands. Owen Roberts International Airport is located one mile outside George Town on the island of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, British West
Education
Cayman Islands Education Department operates government schools. Cayman Islands Education Department is a department of the Ministry of Education of the Cayman Islands, a territory of the United Kingdom.
Government high schools in Grand Cayman include:
Government primary schools include:
- Bodden Town Primary School
- John A. Cumber Primary School (West Bay)
- East End Primary School
- George Town Primary School
- North Side Primary School
- Prospect Primary School (Established 2004)
- Red Bay Primary School
- Savannah Primary School
In addition, a special government school, Lighthouse School, is on the island. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
Athletics
The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championship is a professional tennis held each year in Grand Cayman. The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman Legends Championship is an event in the Outback Champions Series for senior Tennis players Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles)
Grand Cayman in Fiction
The island was featured in the book The Firm by John Grisham and subsequently in the films The Firm and more recently Haven directed by Caymanian, Frankie Flowers Jnr., starring Orlando Bloom. For the film of the same title please see The Firm (1993 film The Firm is a 1991 Legal thriller and the second novel This article is about the 1993 film For the 1988 film of the same name see The Firm (1988 film The Firm is a Legal thriller film Haven is a 2004 Feature film set in the Cayman Islands, a British Tax haven. Frank E Flowers is a Cayman Islands -born Independent filmmaker, Film director and Screenwriter, writer and director of the award-winning Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom (born 13 January 1977) is an English Actor.
External links
- Grand Cayman travel guide from Wikitravel
- [3] CIA World Factbook entry on Grand Cayman (updated May 2, 2006)
- Cayman Islands Government website of Cayman Islands Government
- National Hurricane Committee Cayman Islands Government - Emergency Management. Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Cayman Islands Government. Retrieved on 2007-08-18. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica.
- Grand Cayman Diving Reports and videos of Grand Cayman diving
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