Geography
The Cayman Islands, an Overseas Territory of the UK, is in the Caribbean. The islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) are around one hundred and fifty miles from Cuba and one hundred and eighty miles north west of Jamaica.

George Town, on Grand Cayman, is the capital.

The islands consist of a low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs.

The climate is tropical marine. The average temperature is 78F. Most of the annual rainfall occurs between May and October.

Environment
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands aims to promote conservation and preservation projects.

Protected areas include Grand Cayman's Central Mangrove Wetland, Cayman Brac Parrot Reserve and the Booby Pond Nature Reserve on Little Cayman. The Salina Reserve in Grand Cayman, over six hundred acres, is the Trust's largest nature reserve.

In 1994 the Trust opened an Eco-tour Mastic Trail. This trail covers around four hundred acres of protected woodland as well as the Mountain, the highest point on Grand Cayman. A variety of flora can be seen on the Mastic Trail: flowering vines, orchids, mangroves, palms, the Black Mastic tree and the Yellow Mastic tree.

The coral reefs surrounding the Cayman Islands are protected by the Marine Parks Programme.

Architecture
The National Trust for the Cayman Islands seeks to preserve the Territory's architecture. The Trust has a Historic Award Programme which identifies local structures that have been well restored.

The Trust also buys buildings of historical interest. Examples are Fort George (1780) and Miss Izzy's Schoolhouse (around 1900).

One of the oldest buildings in the Cayman Islands is Pedro St James, a National Historic Site. The three-storey plantation house and outbuildings, built behind a traditional coral stone wall, were restored in 1998. The gardens have also been landscaped and replanted with native trees, plants and vegetables.

Population
The population of the Cayman Islands was estimated at 55,000 in 2018.

Languages
English is the official language in the Cayman Islands.

Jamaican patois and regional Spanish dialects of Cuba and Central America are also spoken.

Religion
The majority of the people in the Cayman Islands are Christians. Churches include Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist and Seventh Day Adventist.

Food
The cuisine of the Cayman Islands is influenced by a variety of cooking styles such as British, and Jamaican.

Rice and peas, meat curry and fried plantains are Caribbean dishes. The daily catch of fish and shellfish is an important part of the diet. Conch stew, cooked with coconut milk and vegetables, is a traditional meal.

Vegetables include cassava, chillies, dasheen, onions, peppers, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and tomatoes. Breadfruit is also available.

Tortuga Rum cake is a popular Caymanian export. Exotic ice creams are a favourite dessert. Fruit includes bananas, mangoes, papayas, pineapples and soursops.

Rum and beer (Stingray) are produced locally.

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