| Geography and Climate |
Cayman Islands are group of islands in Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras. Total area is 260 sq km, land: 260 sq km, water: 0 sq km. Area comparatively is 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC.
Cayman Is has a tropical marine climate; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April). Terrain consists of low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs. Elevation extreme has lowest point in Caribbean Sea 0 m and highest point in The Bluff 43 m. Natural resources are fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism. Land use: arable land: 0%, permanent crops: 0%, permanent pastures: 8%, forests and woodland: 23%, other: 69% (1993 est.). Natural hazards are hurricanes (July to November).
Environment—current issues: no natural fresh water resources, drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchment.
Ref. Anonymous, 1999 |