The CaymanIslands is a self-governing British Overseas Territory, and the largest by population. The 264-square-kilometre (102-square-mile) territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located south of Cuba and north-east of Honduras, between Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The capital city is George Town on Grand Cayman, which is the most populous of the three islands.
The Cayman Islands is a parliamentary representative democratic dependency. As a British Overseas Territories, Charles III is the head of state. The Premier of the Cayman Islands is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government, legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of the Cayman Islands. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) are the fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, while not forming part of the United Kingdom itself, are part of its sovereign territory. The permanently inhabited territories are delegated varying degrees of internal self-governance, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence, foreign relations, and internal security, and ultimate responsibility for "good" governance. Three of the territories are chiefly or only inhabited by military or scientific personnel, the rest hosting significant civilian populations. All fourteen have the British monarch as head of state. These UK government responsibilities are assigned to various departments of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and are subject to change.
The British West Indies (BWI) were the territories in the West Indies under British rule, including Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Honduras, British Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Premier of the Cayman Islands is the political leader and head of government. The post of premier in the Cayman Islands is the equivalent to chief minister or prime minister in other British Overseas Territories. It is the highest political level that can be attained within the British overseas territory. Prior to 2009, the position was known as Leader of Government Business.
The Cayman Islands national football team is the national team of the Cayman Islands, and is controlled by the Cayman Islands Football Association. It is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. Cayman Islands' home ground is Truman Bodden Stadium in George Town, and their head coach is Joey Jap Tjong. Tjong replaced Cláudio Garcia in February 2024. Garcia had replaced Ben Pugh, who was appointed in 2018, when the Cayman Islands national team had failed to win a single game in over nine years, sinking to 206 in the FIFA World Rankings. Under Pugh, they advanced 13 places in the rankings, winning four out of their six matches during the 2019–20 Nations League season.
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games. They may nominate cities within their respective areas as candidates for future Olympic Games. NOCs also promote the development of athletes and the training of coaches and officials at a national level within their geographies.
The governor of the Cayman Islands is the representative of the British monarch in the United Kingdom's overseas territory of the Cayman Islands. The governor, a civil servant who has in modern times typically been a British subject normally resident in the United Kingdom, is appointed by the monarch from the staff of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state, and is responsible for appointing the premier, who is the leader of the party with a majority of seats in the Legislature.
At the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand from 27 January to 3 February 1990. A total of 42 events were contested, 23 by male and 19 by female athletes.
At the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the athletics events were held at the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A total of 38 events were contested, 23 for men and 15 for women.
Cameron Stafford is a squash player in the Caribbean Region. He was the reigning Cayman Islands Junior Open Champion. He trained for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, representing the Cayman Islands. Stafford was an Under 13 Caribbean Tennis Champion in 2002, also winning the Florida Open for the U-15 Category in 2003. He is now a coach for Squash players of all ages and can sometimes be found competing in local tournaments in Grand Cayman.
The Cayman Islands have attended ten Commonwealth Games, beginning in 1978. They have won two medals during this time, a bronze from Kareem Streete-Thompson in the 2002 long jump and a gold by Cydonie Mothersille at the 2010 games for the 200 metres.
The Cayman Islands Olympic Committee was founded in 1973 and was recognised by the IOC in 1976. From the beginning as a fledgling association, undertaking but a few tasks, it has now developed to a body representative of 22 member-sports, with significant undertakings at home and abroad. It is also the body responsible for the representation of the Cayman Islands at the Commonwealth Games. Donald McLean, who competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, became the committee's president in 2005.
Miss Cayman Islands is a national Beauty pageant in Cayman Islands. It selects the territory's entrants in the Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Supranational pageants.
The Cayman Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia from 7–23 February 2014. This was the territory's second appearance at a Winter Olympics, following their debut four years prior. The Caymanian delegation consisted of four officials and one athlete, alpine skier Dow Travers, who failed to complete either of his events.
Cannabis in the Cayman Islands has been legal for medical purposes since 2017. The use of cannabis for recreational purposes still remains prohibited.
The Cayman Islands competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia from April 4 to April 15, 2018. The Cayman Islands announced a team of 22 athletes. However, Jamal Walton did not compete. It was The Cayman Islands's 11th appearance at the Commonwealth Games.
Marlene West is a Jamaican-born squash player who has represented both Jamaica and Cayman Islands at the international competitions. She initially pursued her career in swimming and water polo before switching to squash. She has competed at the Commonwealth Games on five occasions representing Jamaica and Cayman Islands in two different time intervals. She is also a four time Cayman Islands national champion in the women's singles and she is regarded as one of the best squash players to have represented Cayman Islands. She has claimed medals in international events even after the age of 40's. She achieved her highest PSA career ranking of 71 in May 2010 during the 2010 PSA World Tour.
The Cayman Islands Regiment is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. It is a territorial infantry and engineer reserve unit of the British Armed Forces that was formed in 2020. The regiment has an authorized strength level objective of 175 personnel, akin to that of a company-sized unit.
