32,800 (1998).

126.6 per sq km.

George Town.

15,000 (1996).

The Cayman Islands are situated in the Caribbean, 290km (180 miles) northwest of Jamaica, 240km (480 miles) south of Cuba and 770km (480 miles) south of Miami. The island country comprises Grand Cayman, the largest and most populous of the islands, and the sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, which lie approximately 143km (89 miles) northeast of Grand Cayman and are separated from each other by a channel about seven miles wide. The islands are peaks of a subterranean mountain range extending from Cuba towards the Gulf of Honduras. The beaches are said to be the best in the Caribbean, the most notable being Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. Tall pines line many of the beaches; those located on the east and west coasts are equally well protected offshore by the Barrier Reef.

British Crown Colony since 1670. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor Peter Smith since 1999.

English is the official language, with a distinctive 'brogue' reflecting heritage of Welsh, Scottish and English ancestors still distinguishing the speech of the Caymanian people. The number of Jamaican residents in the workforce means the Jamaican patois and accompanying heavier accent is also common. Spanish, particularly regional dialects of Central America and Cuba, is also widely spoken.

Mainly Presbyterian with Anglican, Roman Catholic, Seventh Day Adventists, Pilgrims, Pilgrim Holiness Church of God, Jehovah's Witnesses and Bahai minorities on Grand Cayman. Baptists on Cayman Brac.

GMT - 5.

110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style (flat) 2-pin plugs are standard.