Georgetown

Georgetown, city, capital of the British Caribbean dependency of the Cayman Islands. Georgetown is located on the west side of Grand Cayman, the largest of the group’s islands. The town relies on tourism and finance for its business. Tourists are drawn by the beaches and the Caribbean climate, and financiers are attracted by low tax codes and strict confidentiality laws. Hundreds of banks from numerous countries are represented in this small city. Every October, the town holds Cayman Islands Pirates’ Week, when the history of the islands—once a haven for pirates and buccaneers—is remembered with a costume parade and other staged events. Population 24,000 (2003 estimate).