The Cayman Islands

Flag of the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are a small chain of islands lying south of Cuba, and to the north west of Jamaica. They consist of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman islands. The islands where initially sighted by Columbus in 1503, who named the islands Los Tortugas. After the numerous sea turtles that inhabit the islands.

The name "Cayman" came from Sir Francis Drake, who landed on the islands in 1586, and used the Neo-Taino word "Caiman" for alligator. 

No one nation took formal control, with various groups of of people inhabiting the islands. People fleeing the Spanish inquisition, pirates, army deserters from Jamaica. Today, the inhabitants largely come from British or African descent, with considerable levels of interracial mixing. 

The 1670 Treaty of Madrid saw Britain take formal control of the islands along with Jamaica. However, attempts to settle the islands only really began to take hold from the 1730's. The islands themselves where then governed as a single colony with Jamaica as part of the British Empire. 

In 1962, Jamaica became an independent nation within the Commonwealth, retaining the Queen as head of state. The Cayman Islands remained under the control of the UK as a British Overseas Territory. 

In 1958, the islands sought to introduce a shield representative of the Cayman islands. The coat of arms consists of a shield divided into 2 parts. The lower two thirds consists of blue and white wavy lines representing the sea. Overlaid are 3 green stars. These stars represent the three islands that make up the Caymans. Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. The top third is red, with a gold heraldic lion. This represents the islands links with Britain. On top of the shield is a green sea turtle mounted on a coil of rope. The turtle represents the Caymans seafaring history, the rope represents one of the Caymans traditional industries, thatch-rope making. Behind the turtle is a pineapple. This represents the islands links to Jamaica.

The island uses a standard British blue ensign. Prior to 1999, the island coat of arms was placed within a white disc on the fly of the flag.

Post-1999, the white disc was removed from British Overseas Territory ensigns, and the coat of arms where enlarged to make them more distinctive, and visual.