The Cayman Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea to the north west of Jamaica and to the south of Cuba. This region is the economic centre of the Caribbean. The island group comprises of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The most developed island is the Grand Cayman, that is 8 miles in width and 22 miles in length. Regardless of being a British Overseas Territory, most of the visitors are Americans. It’s just about one and a half hours from Florida by air. With its short travelling time as well as English as the official language it is no surprise that thousands of Us citizens have a Cayman Islands vacation each year.
Cayman Islands have high living standards, and most of the population of these islands resides on Grand Cayman. The majority of the citizens are the Protestants of British or African descent and most of them are from the mixed racial ethnicity. The official language of Cayman Islands is English. People accents retain the elements passed down from English, Scottish, and Welsh settlers. Inhabitants of Jamaican origin converse in their own language. The history of Cayman Islands is affluent with stunning details, and the islands have a great weather. The coolest month is February, and the hottest month is in July.
The old sea based sectors such as shipping and fishing have been replaced by tourism and finance as the main sources for the Islands economy, with many islanders employed in one or the other. The Cayman Islands attracts many international companies and citizens to relocate as a result of its success in the tourism and financial service industries.
The prosperity of the Cayman Islands originates from the distinction of having over 25,000 registered companies, and over 500 international financial institutions situated on their shores. The Cayman Islands have a unique registering system that allows businesses to be legitimately registered by just paying a fee. It’s no wonder the Cayman Islands are a safe haven for offshore investments which offer lucrative tax shelters.
The seas around the Caymans are one of the best in the world for water activities. There are many providers that can help to make the most of the seas, including snorkelling, diving, fishing and sailing. Scuba diving and snorkelling are the most favoured tourist activities in Cayman Islands especially at the Stingray City, the world’s best spot for a 10-foot dive. At Stingray City can also enjoy the adventure of swimming with many sea creatures.
Another prime attraction in the Caymans includes its powder-white sand which stretches out into the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Tiny reefs are often found off the shore and are favourite spot for snorkelers. Man-made reefs found in island resorts of the beach are also loved by beginners where numerous marine life forms are also artificially taken care in big marine aquariums.
The Cayman Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea to the north west of Jamaica and to the south of Cuba. This region is the economic centre of the Caribbean. The island group comprises of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The most developed island is the Grand Cayman, that is 8 miles in width and 22 miles in length. Regardless of being a British Overseas Territory, most of the visitors are Americans. It’s just about one and a half hours from Florida by air. With its short travelling time as well as English as the official language it is no surprise that thousands of Us citizens have a Cayman Islands vacation each year.
Cayman Islands have high living standards, and most of the population of these islands resides on Grand Cayman. The majority of the citizens are the Protestants of British or African descent and most of them are from the mixed racial ethnicity. The official language of Cayman Islands is English. People accents retain the elements passed down from English, Scottish, and Welsh settlers. Inhabitants of Jamaican origin converse in their own language. The history of Cayman Islands is affluent with stunning details, and the islands have a great weather. The coolest month is February, and the hottest month is in July.
The old sea based sectors such as shipping and fishing have been replaced by tourism and finance as the main sources for the Islands economy, with many islanders employed in one or the other. The Cayman Islands attracts many international companies and citizens to relocate as a result of its success in the tourism and financial service industries.
The prosperity of the Cayman Islands originates from the distinction of having over 25,000 registered companies, and over 500 international financial institutions situated on their shores. The Cayman Islands have a unique registering system that allows businesses to be legitimately registered by just paying a fee. It’s no wonder the Cayman Islands are a safe haven for offshore investments which offer lucrative tax shelters.
The seas around the Caymans are one of the best in the world for water activities. There are many providers that can help to make the most of the seas, including snorkelling, diving, fishing and sailing. Scuba diving and snorkelling are the most favoured tourist activities in Cayman Islands especially at the Stingray City, the world’s best spot for a 10-foot dive. At Stingray City can also enjoy the adventure of swimming with many sea creatures.
Another prime attraction in the Caymans includes its powder-white sand which stretches out into the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Tiny reefs are often found off the shore and are favourite spot for snorkelers. Man-made reefs found in island resorts of the beach are also loved by beginners where numerous marine life forms are also artificially taken care in big marine aquariums.
14-year-old Panav Jha made a victorious return to Grand Cayman on Friday 23 June fresh from winning the International Tennis Federation Group 14 tournament in Cuba. In securing the title he beat the number one players from Guatemala and Cuba. Panav has been playing tennis for five years and previous triumphs include the Cayman Islands Tennis Club (CITC) Open Championships where he beat all comers.
Inspiration for the sport comes from the achievements of his father, Gyanendra Jha, who is also an accomplished player.
Head Pro at CITC, Eduardo Torres, has been putting Panav through an intensive training programme including six kilometre road runs and sessions in the gym. Travelling coach, John Goldenberg, is responsible for fine-tuning his tennis skills for tournaments abroad.
Jackie Mitchell (left), DOT's District Marketing Manager - Dallas, is pictured with Lesley Agostinelli, Reservations and Marketing Manager for Ocean Frontiers/Compass Point, at the tour stop in Plano, Texas.
DIVERS in the US now have easier access to the Cayman Islands' dive sector, thanks to a collaborative effort by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Scuba Diving Magazine.
Both organisations joined forces recently in an innovative and exciting programme to bring industry news and information to divers across North America.
The Island was the destination sponsor for five of the ten tour stops in Scuba Diving Magazine's 2006 InTenCity tour, bringing non-stop scuba activities, demos and prizes to hundreds of dive enthusiasts.
Local resorts and dive shops also participated in the tour, teaming up with dive retailers from Florida, Texas, Ohio and Colorado to make the 2006 Scuba Diving Magazine tour one of the best ever.
Professionals, including lawyers, made up the largest percentage of permanent departures from New Zealand in the year to June 2005, when government statistics show those departures increased by 13 per cent.
Jonathan Walmsley, director of Sydney-based legal recruitment agency Dolman, predicts New Zealand lawyers will continue to contribute to those departures as non-traditional legal markets open up.
While New Zealand lawyers from tier one firms in Auckland and Wellington are 'tried and tested' in the traditional overseas markets of Australia, the UK, and Asia, those markets are now also considering employing New Zealand lawyers from boutique firms, said Walmsley. This is particularly so in the corporate and finance areas, where the demand for lawyers has grown exponentially.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Since its inception, NASCAR's top drivers have always moonlighted in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Daytona Beach resident Mark Martin, four times a Nextel Cup runner-up, is the Busch Series' all-time race-winner with 47. The late Dale Earnhardt dominated the series' season-opener at Daytona International SpeedWay like no one else. He won the series' inaugural event here in 1982. He also won seven of the 15 he entered, including five in a row (1990-94).
But never before has the Busch Series been dominated by Cup drivers as it is now. The first 15 Busch races this year were won by Cup drivers. Eight of the top-nine drivers in Busch points are Nextel Cup regulars.
And as the Busch Series arrives here for the second time this year to run Friday night's Winn-Dixie 250 (practice Thursday, qualifying Friday at 1:05, race 8 p.m.), the dominance of the Cup drivers overshadows the Busch Series regulars.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (21 June 2006) -- Less than 2 percent of the world's tropical coral reefs are properly protected from illegal fishing, mining or pollution despite government promises of wider safeguards, an international study showed on Thursday.
"The figures are depressing," said Camilo Mora, a scientist at Dalhousie University in Canada and lead author of the study, carried out in New Zealand by researchers from seven nations.
"Many countries create marine protected areas and then forget about them," he told Reuters of the findings, published in the journal Science.
Lack of protection may mean a further shrinking of reefs worldwide, from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. Reefs are key spawning grounds, are home to species from clown fish to sharks, protect coasts from erosion and also draw scuba-diving tourists.
Some 665 hedge funds established a presence in the Cayman Islands in the first five months of 2006, a pace that could put the offshore banking center on track for another record year in registrations in 2006 according to the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.
As of the end of 2005, there were 7,106 hedge funds registered in the Cayman Islands, far outstripping other offshore tax havens, including the British Virgin Islands at 2,372 funds and Bermuda at 1,182, CIMA said.
Hedge fund managers routinely set up offshore funds in the Caymans and elsewhere to attract international investors who want to avoid being taxed in both their home country and the country into which they invest.
Increasingly, US. pension funds and other institutions invest in U.S.
In one of the more unusual school sports championships, a team from Saint Ignatius Catholic School triumphed in the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) School Sailing Championships at the Cayman Islands Sailing Club (CISC).
Traditionally held at the culmination of the school year, the RBC School Sailing Championships enables teams from rival schools to compete against each other after a year of learning how to sail.
RBC returned as the sponsor in 2006 after the event was postponed last year in the wake of Hurricane Ivan.
Prior to the September 2004 hurricane, the RBC School Sailing Championships was one of the most exciting dates in the youth sports calendar in the Cayman Islands, and this year's event, held on 16 June, recaptured the unique spirit of past race days.
Cayman Brac faced a serious downpour last week, the first week of the hurricane season 2006, which tested the Island's drainage systems and threatened to flood a number of buildings including the West End Primary School (WEPS), one of two official Brac shelters.
Almost thirteen inches of rain fell on Cayman Brac between Saturday 3 June and by 1:00 pm on Wednesday 7 June, according to the Meteorological Office on Grand Cayman, and almost half of this (6.11 inches) fell on Wednesday and officials were forced to work hard to keep the water at bay.
As only twelve days of the six month long hurricane season have passed, it is clear that work needs to be done to ensure the safety of residents before a major storm hits - in particular at the WEPS shelter.
"There is definitely a problem at West End, and we do recognize that more work needs to be done there," said Deputy District Commissioner Ernie Scott.
In spite of some heavy weather earlier in the day, and the threat of more to come, the grand opening of the bMobile Filipino Volleyball League went ahead as planned on Saturday 3 June. The organisers pushed ahead with their preparations, only to have a light drizzle start out just as the teams started arriving. Fortunately it cleared away quickly, and it was on with the festivities.
According to league coordinator Pie Ocampo, this is the best proof he has ever seen of the power of prayer.
Many spectators were however not convinced that the weather would hold, and the turnout was not what the organisers had been hoping for, but there was still a substantial crowd present.
The evening was kicked off with a parade of the teams set to participate in the league.
Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, the world's largest Cruise ship, made its first visit to Grand Cayman on Wednesday 7 June.
Various MLAs, and dignitaries including the Hon Charles Clifford, Minister of Tourism, attended a special presentation of plaques and keys on board ship.
They were then joined by other VIP's from Cayman's business community.
At 160,000 tonnes she comfortably beats the Queen Mary 2, and can accommodate 1,360 crew plus 4,375 passengers (1,755 more than the QM2). She is the size of the Eiffel Tower lain on its side.
Besides Grand Cayman Freedom of the Seas also calls at Montego Bay in Jamaica and Cozumel, in Mexico, before returning to Miami.
Some of the features of Freedom of the Seas include 'Flowrider,' the first-ever shipboard surf park, and a water park, which features interactive sculpture fountains, ground geysers, a cascading waterfall and a circular pool with its own built-in current.
Cayman Islands Information - Guide to Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea to the north west of Jamaica and to the south of Cuba. This region is the economic centre of the Caribbean. The island group comprises of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The most developed island is the Grand Cayman, that is 8 miles in width and 22 miles in length. Regardless of being a British Overseas Territory, most of the visitors are Americans. It’s just about one and a half hours from Florida by air. With its short travelling time as well as English as the official language it is no surprise that thousands of Us citizens have a Cayman Islands vacation each year.
Cayman Islands have high living standards, and most of the population of these islands resides on Grand Cayman. The majority of the citizens are the Protestants of British or African descent and most of them are from the mixed racial ethnicity. The official language of Cayman Islands is English. People accents retain the elements passed down from English, Scottish, and Welsh settlers. Inhabitants of Jamaican origin converse in their own language. The history of Cayman Islands is affluent with stunning details, and the islands have a great weather. The coolest month is February, and the hottest month is in July.
The old sea based sectors such as shipping and fishing have been replaced by tourism and finance as the main sources for the Islands economy, with many islanders employed in one or the other. The Cayman Islands attracts many international companies and citizens to relocate as a result of its success in the tourism and financial service industries.
The prosperity of the Cayman Islands originates from the distinction of having over 25,000 registered companies, and over 500 international financial institutions situated on their shores. The Cayman Islands have a unique registering system that allows businesses to be legitimately registered by just paying a fee. It’s no wonder the Cayman Islands are a safe haven for offshore investments which offer lucrative tax shelters.
The seas around the Caymans are one of the best in the world for water activities. There are many providers that can help to make the most of the seas, including snorkelling, diving, fishing and sailing. Scuba diving and snorkelling are the most favoured tourist activities in Cayman Islands especially at the Stingray City, the world’s best spot for a 10-foot dive. At Stingray City can also enjoy the adventure of swimming with many sea creatures.
Another prime attraction in the Caymans includes its powder-white sand which stretches out into the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Tiny reefs are often found off the shore and are favourite spot for snorkelers. Man-made reefs found in island resorts of the beach are also loved by beginners where numerous marine life forms are also artificially taken care in big marine aquariums.
The Cayman Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea to the north west of Jamaica and to the south of Cuba. This region is the economic centre of the Caribbean. The island group comprises of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The most developed island is the Grand Cayman, that is 8 miles in width and 22 miles in length. Regardless of being a British Overseas Territory, most of the visitors are Americans. It’s just about one and a half hours from Florida by air. With its short travelling time as well as English as the official language it is no surprise that thousands of Us citizens have a Cayman Islands vacation each year.
Cayman Islands have high living standards, and most of the population of these islands resides on Grand Cayman. The majority of the citizens are the Protestants of British or African descent and most of them are from the mixed racial ethnicity. The official language of Cayman Islands is English. People accents retain the elements passed down from English, Scottish, and Welsh settlers. Inhabitants of Jamaican origin converse in their own language. The history of Cayman Islands is affluent with stunning details, and the islands have a great weather. The coolest month is February, and the hottest month is in July.
The old sea based sectors such as shipping and fishing have been replaced by tourism and finance as the main sources for the Islands economy, with many islanders employed in one or the other. The Cayman Islands attracts many international companies and citizens to relocate as a result of its success in the tourism and financial service industries.
The prosperity of the Cayman Islands originates from the distinction of having over 25,000 registered companies, and over 500 international financial institutions situated on their shores. The Cayman Islands have a unique registering system that allows businesses to be legitimately registered by just paying a fee. It’s no wonder the Cayman Islands are a safe haven for offshore investments which offer lucrative tax shelters.
The seas around the Caymans are one of the best in the world for water activities. There are many providers that can help to make the most of the seas, including snorkelling, diving, fishing and sailing. Scuba diving and snorkelling are the most favoured tourist activities in Cayman Islands especially at the Stingray City, the world’s best spot for a 10-foot dive. At Stingray City can also enjoy the adventure of swimming with many sea creatures.
Another prime attraction in the Caymans includes its powder-white sand which stretches out into the turquoise Caribbean Sea. Tiny reefs are often found off the shore and are favourite spot for snorkelers. Man-made reefs found in island resorts of the beach are also loved by beginners where numerous marine life forms are also artificially taken care in big marine aquariums.
The old sea based sectors such as shipping and fishing have been replaced by tourism and finance as the main sources for the Islands economy, with many islanders employed in one or the other. The Cayman Islands attracts many international companies and citizens to relocate as a result of its success in the tourism and financial service industries.