The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory in the Caribbean Sea. They are primarily comprised of three islands, Grand Cayman, which is located northwest of Jamaica, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, both of which are located northeast of Grand Cayman.

As with many other Caribbean islands, the central source of revenue for the Cayman Islands is tourism. The capital and biggest city on the Cayman Islands is George Town, which is located on Grand Cayman.

Cayman Islands Politics Early History

The Cayman Islands were discovered in 1503 by Christopher Columbus who originally named them Las Torugas (which was relevant because of all the sea turtles that Columbus encountered on his journey there). The Cayman Islands were colonized in approximately 1734 by British settlers from Jamaica. The islands remained a dependency of Jamaica up until 1959, that is when they became a self-governing member of the Federation of the West Indies. In 1962, they again became a British overseas territory, which they remain to this day.

Cayman Islands Politics Government

Like many other British overseas territories, the Cayman Islands politics have a three tiered Executive branch that consists of the monarch, the Governor General and the Premier. The monarch, or head of state is Queen Elizabeth II. Since the Queen is unable to reside in the Cayman Islands due to obvious obligations on the British mainland, a Governor General is chosen as her representative. The Governor holds ultimate authority over the Cayman Islands, however, he does not control the government, that is the responsibility of the Premier and the House of Assembly.

The Queen, Governor and the Premier all encompass the making of the executive branch of government in Cayman Islands politics. The Queen serves as a mystical monarch, the Governor as the Queen’s representative and Premier as the leader of government.

The legislative branch currently has 18 elected members in the House of Assembly. The elections for these positions happen every four years or sooner, depending on the discretion of the Governor. Unlike other British overseas territories, the United Kingdom government has the right to disallow bills that have previously been approved by the Governor of the Cayman Islands. This is a very rare occurrence and would normally only be done if the government of Great Britain thought that the bill would hinder their already weakened jurisdiction in the islands.

Cayman Islands Politics and Tourism

The Cayman Islands are traditionally known as one of the premier destinations for tourists across the world. What is not known about the Cayman Islands to the average person is that they are a part of a unique and historically significant group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. The Cayman Islands and other islands in the vicinity are a part of a culture and lifestyle that the average citizen can only dream about living.

The Cayman Islands are unique because they have gone through several revolutions in the past 60 or so years. They were the property of Jamaica and then they became a British overseas colony once again. In a time when Britain was trying to shed itself of responsibility, they picked up the Cayman Islands in 1962. That alone stands as a reminder that this beautiful island paradise is better to keep.