The harvesting of sea turtles to resupply passing sailing ships was the first major economic activity on the islands, but local stocks were depleted by the 1790s. Agriculture, while sufficient to support the small early settler population, has always been limited by the scarcity of available land. The Cayman Islands' population has tripled in the past 25 years. Few Caymanians emigrate permanently, although historically many left for extended periods to work as seamen, and today many leave for education or training unavailable on the islands. Education is compulsory to the age of 16 and is free to all Caymanian children.
Schools follow the British educational system.
Ten primary, one special education, and three high schools are operated by the government. In addition, there is a technical school, a law school, and a community college. The Cayman Islands' physical isolation under early British colonial rule allowed the development of an indigenous set of administrative and legal traditions which were codified into a constitution in 1959. Although still a British Crown colony, the islands toady are self- governed in nearly all respects. The constitution, or Cayman Islands Order, that now governs the islands came into effect in 1972 and was amended in 1984.