Cayman Islands Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Caribbean, three-island group (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman) in Caribbean Sea, 240 km south of Cuba and 268 km northwest of Jamaica

Geographic coordinates

19 30 N, 80 30 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 264 sq km

land: 264 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Coastline

160 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)

Terrain

low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

Elevation

highest point: 1 km SW of The Bluff on Cayman Brac 50 m

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources

fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

Land use

agricultural land: 11.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 2.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 8.3% (2018 est.)

forest: 52.9% (2018 est.)

other: 35.9% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

N/A

Population distribution

majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman

Natural hazards

hurricanes (July to November)

Geography - note

important location between Cuba and Central America

NOTE: The information regarding Cayman Islands on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cayman Islands 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cayman Islands 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.