The British colony consists of Grand Cayman, smaller Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, but almost all of the Cayman Islands' population of 32,000 live on Grand Cayman. The Caymans are located 180 miles northwest of Jamaica. Cayman's beaches are considered to be among the best in the world. The favorite is Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. The abundance of fish, marine life and spectacular coral reefs which can be found in the surrounding waters make the Cayman Islands ideal for diving enthusiasts.

Great Britain took formal control of the Cayman Islands, along with Jamaica, under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670. Following several unsuccessful attempts, permanent settlement of the islands began in the 1730s. The Cayman Islands historically have been popular as a tax-exempt destination. Legend has it that Caymanians in 1788 rescued the crews of a Jamaican merchant ship convoy which had struck a reef at Gun Bay and that the Caymanians were rewarded with King George III's promise to never again impose any tax.

The Cayman Islands, initially administered as a dependency of Jamaica, became an independent colony in 1959; they now are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

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