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Joint Nature Conservation Committee

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Cayman Islands

Image slideshow
 

Location

268 km north-west of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea and 240 km south of Cuba. Grand Cayman, which is much larger than the others are, lies 128km to the west of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are separated from each other by a channel 8km wide.

 

Size

The three islands have a total land area of 259sq km. Grand Cayman is approximately 35 km long with an average width of 6km. Cayman Brac is about 19 km long with an average width of one and a quarter miles. Little Cayman, a low-lying island, is approximately 16 km long with an average width of little more than 1.6 km.

 

Climate

Tropical climate.

 

Topography 

A huge central limestone outcrop called The Bluff rises along the length of the island up to 140 feet. About half of Grand Cayman's area is wetland. Offshore reefs and a mangrove fringe surround most of the islands' coasts.

 

Biodiversity

Some 17 plant species, seven reptiles and 30 land snails are among those listed as unique to Cayman, along with many unique subspecies of forest birds and spectacular coral reefs.

 

Main economic activities 

The major industries are tourism and offshore finance.

 

Other information 

Some 94% of the population lives on Grand Cayman, with around 1,822 people residing on Cayman Brac and 115 on Little Cayman. Population - 53,252 (2006 estimate).

 

Information links

 

JNCC has prepared a series of outreach materials which give a general background to climate change and includes territory specific information on climate change impacts.



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