The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory that exercises its own kind of self-government. They are also the most populous islands in the western Caribbean Sea. The three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman make up the 264-square-kilometer (102-square-mile) territory known as the Cayman Islands. These islands are situated between Jamaica and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, to the south of Cuba and to the northeast of Honduras, respectively. George Town, located on Grand Cayman, which is also the most populated of the three islands, serves as the nation's capital.
It is generally accepted that the Cayman Islands are a component of both the Greater Antilles and the Western Caribbean Zone of the Caribbean. Due in significant part to the fact that the state does not levy taxes on any kind of revenue that is made or kept, the territory has become an important offshore financial centre for multinational enterprises and affluent people throughout the globe.
The Cayman Islands have the greatest GDP per capita in the Caribbean, which contributes to their very high level of life. Inhabitants of the Cayman Islands hail from more than 130 different nations and territories throughout the world.
On the Cayman Islands, archaeologists have not been able to find any trace of a previous indigenous population. As a result, it is generally accepted that Christopher Columbus made the discovery of these islands on May 10, 1503, when he was on his last trip to the Americas. However, in the succeeding decades, the islands started to be referred to as the Caimanas or Caymanes, after the caimans that were present there. He named them "Las Tortugas" because of the large number of turtles that were found on the islands; however, these turtles were soon hunted to the point where they were nearly extinct. Following Christopher Columbus's discovery of the Americas, there was no immediate colonisation; however, a variety of settlers from various backgrounds eventually made their home on the islands. These settlers included shipwrecked sailors, pirates, and deserters from Oliver Cromwell's army in Jamaica. In the year 1586, Sir Francis Drake made a quick trip to the islands.
The Cayman Islands have a tropical climate that experiences both wet and dry seasons. The rainy season lasts from May through October, while the dry season lasts from November until April.
During the months of June through November, when the Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing, the formation of tropical cyclones presents a significant risk to human life and property.