Cayman Islands people

Child care was always the responsibility of the mother on Cayman Islands. When men had to leave their families behind in order to go and work at the seas, the women took care of the children and the household with the help of the relatives. While men were absent for long periods of time, they had to fully financially support their families back home. Nowadays child care is widely available throughout the islands and residents can choose between public and private schools.

Education plays a very important role in the lives of Cayman Islands people. It does not only provide economic growth within the islands, but also helps with achieving high social status among its' inhabitants. It is compulsory for Caymanian children to attend school when they reach the age of 4 years old and study until they are 17 years of age. Education is free and the literacy rate is 98% meaning that most of the population on the islands is well-educated and aside from the tourism industry in Grand Cayman, are building a strong economy in their country.

Politeness and courtesy are the key factors in communicating with others among Cayman Islands people. Men shake hands upon greeting one another, and since there are a lot of the same last names on the islands, it is common when a person is introduced by his or her first name (ex. Mr. Jack or Miss Jenny). There are no topless sunbathing at any times anywhere on the Grand Cayman, it is illegal and can cause serious problems including high fines. Walking in your bathing suit outside of the beach area is considered as bad and disrespectful manners and is frowned upon.

Cayman Islands have the highest standard of living with an approximate average yearly income of $57,000 (U.S. currency). Even though the Cayman Islands people pay very high monthly bills, a government gives them a break, if you will, by eliminating income and property taxes. Those two tax brackets are removed from the islands' budgets, allowing its' citizens to use their full incomes towards their somewhat costly but happy daily lives.

Cost of living on Grand Cayman Island is not cheap at all. In fact, some of the prices on the islands are even higher than those in United States. For example, monthly internet service is around $105 (U.S.), and the price of a tube of toothpaste is $4.38 (U.S.). House rental rates outside of the city can start around $900 and may go up to as much as $2,700 (U.S.) per month in the downtown core.

According to the Expatistan, the online lifestyle website, a recent study in 2015 concluded that Cayman Islands were ranked as first out of 199 other world location such as London and New York city, the most expensive place in the world to live. Ranking included categories such as housing, utility bills, groceries, dining and entertainment. The study has also found that Miami utilities bills are 73% lower than in Grand Cayman.

Christianity is the most predominant religion among Cayman Islands people. Although, other religions are present such as Anglican, Catholic, Baptist and Presbyterian, Christianity is the most practiced system of beliefs. Caymanians are churchgoers and strongly believe in God, so all of the visitors to the islands are more than welcome in the churches.

Local Language in Grand Cayman

Even though English is the official language, Cayman Islands people speak with a distinctive dialect, that's what makes the island different from other Caribbeans places that have English as official language as well.

There are a lot of Jamaican inhabitants on the islands as well, so hearing Jamaican patois is popular among the population. Jamaican residents have a different type of accent, and although it's a pleasure to listen to, at times it can be somewhat difficult to understand. Cayman Islands people speak English fast, but with their own accent, so in case you think you are not able to catch up with their pace of talking, just ask them to repeat it to you. They are very friendly and helpful people and will gladly repeat the phrases to you.

Caymanian Food

Cayman Islands incorporate several international flavours in its' cuisine; therefore, the food of Cayman Islands people is very similar to Jamaican with a bit of twist of British taste. Traditional dishes are mostly prepared with fish and seafood, as those are the main and most popular ingredients in Caymanian cuisine.

Turtle meat is the most traditional dish on Grand Cayman Island. It is often served with rice, peas with breadfruit on the side. Coconut, plantain, cassaca, sweet potato and mangos are among the most popular ingredients as well, that are used in Cayamanian cuisine.

Fish and seafood such as tuna, turtle, snapper, mackerel and mahi-mahi are the most common Caymanian dishes, and are prepared with tomato, onion and bell peppers. Two staple ingredients of the most cooked dish on Grand Cayman island are conch and strombus gigas. Conch is a type of sea snails that live in a shell. Strombus gigas is a type of conch and is loved and used by the caymanians in preparation of a variety of dishes such as creamy chowders, salads, stews or can be served marinated topped with Caymanian spices.

A few of the most popular dishes that are loved by the local Cayman Islands people are Coconut Shrimp Turtle Steak that is served with a dipping sauce of mango marmalade, and Coconut Stew consisting of salt beef, coconut milk, pumpkin, peppers and onions. For desert, the locals love the Caymanian Fruit Cake that is prepared from fruits that were soaked in cake wine, rum and butter, which makes it their absolute favourite sweet tooth indulgence.

Population in Grand Cayman

According to population statistics, the number of residents in Grand Cayman Island has reached to 61,434 people in the year of 2016, where approximately 50% of them are Caymanians. The female population is calculated to be 30,531 (49.7%) whereas the male population is slightly bigger locking the numbers at 30,903 (50.3%).

Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years; the median age for males is 38.8 and for females 40.1 years old. The unemployment rate is extremely low being 4.2%, that is one of the reasons there is a remarkably low crime rate with the islands being one of the safest places in the world to live and vacation. Even though life on the islands can get quite expensive, Grand Cayman receives hundreds of immigrants yearly. People work hard but live a happy and enjoyable life with a booming economy.