LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Cayman Islands: Grand Cayman
built 657 days ago
The Cayman Islands are among the world"s top dive destinations. Moore, a longtime diver, says that the diversity is outstanding, the reefs are pristine, and the soft corals are the best he"s seen. Bloody Bay Wall, off Little Cayman, starts in just 20 feet of water and drops 6,000 feet. At Grand Cayman"s Stingray City, you can feed wild stingrays while standing in shallow water. In terms of outfitters, Moore recommends Captain Marvin"s for a stingray trip, Reef Divers at the Brac Reef Beach Resort on Cayman Brac, and the Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman.
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The literacy rate on the Cayman Islands was 98 percent in 2000. Free public education based on the United Kingdom model is available to all children beginning at age five. There are 17 government schools that include primary (K-6), middle school (7-9), and high school (10-12). There is one special education school. Additionally, there are several elementary and secondary private schools on Grand Cayman.
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Grand Cayman, the largest of the three Cayman Islands, lies in the far Western Caribbean, 480 miles south of Miami and occupies 76 square miles. The sister islands of Cayman Brac (14 square miles) and Little Cayman (10 square miles) are 89 miles to the northeast of Grand Cayman. Grand Cayman is approximately 22 miles long and 8 miles at its widest point, reaching a maximum elevation at East End of 60 ft. Cayman Brac is 12 miles long and just over a mile wide and has the most dramatic topography of the trio. Its majestic Bluff rises west to east along the length of the island to 140 feet at the eastern tip, ending in a sheer cliff. Many mysterious caves are carved throughout this awe-inspiring natural attraction. Little Cayman, only 10 miles long and a mile wide, is flat, reaching a maximum elevation of 40 ft. The three islands are limestone outcroppings, the tops of a submarine mountain range called the Cayman Ridge, which extends west southwest for the Sierra Maestra range off the southeast part of Cuba to the Misteriosa Bank near Belize.
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The Cayman Islands are... part of the consular district administered by the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica. Inquiries regarding visas to the U.S. or other consular matters should be directed to the consular section of the U.S. Embassy, 142 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, Jamaica; tel: (876) 702-6000; fax: (876) 702-6001. There also is a U.S. consular agent in the Cayman Islands to assist in providing services for American citizens. Address: Unit 222, Mirco Center, North Sound Road, Georgetown, Grand Cayman; tel: (345) 945-8173; fax: (345) 945-8192. For after-hours emergencies call the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica, tel: (876) 702-6000. The Consular Agency in Georgetown is open to the public: M-W-F 0730 to 1100 and T-Th 1200 to 1530.
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The first recorded permanent inhabitant of the Cayman Islands, Isaac Bodden, was born on Grand Cayman around 1700. He was the grandson of the original settler named Bodden who was probably one of Oliver Cromwell's soldiers at the taking of Jamaica in 1655.
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The Cayman Islands are located in the western Caribbean sea. The three islands are situated about 480 miles (770km) south of Miami, 150 miles (240km) south of Cuba, and 180 miles (290km) northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is by far the largest, with an area of 76 square miles (197km²). The two "Sister Islands" of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are located about 90 miles (145km) east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 14 square miles (36km²) and 10 square miles (25.9km²) respectively. All three islands were formed by large coral heads covering submerged ice age peaks of western extensions of the Cuban Sierra Maestra range and are mostly flat. One notable exception to this is The Bluff on Cayman Brac, which rises to 140feet (42.6m) above sea level, the highest point on the island.
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