Cayman Islands Flags

Flag of the Cayman Islands

The flag of the Cayman Islands is a reflection of the British Empire's influence within those islands. The Cayman Islands remain a British overseas territory, and the Cayman Islands flag has a design that emphasizes that political link while also reflecting the unique heritage of the islands.

Colors and Symbolism of the Cayman Islands Flag

Cayman Islands flags follow the same pattern as most British colonies and overseas territories. The flag has a blue field that displays the Union Jack in the canton and the coat of arms of the Cayman Islands in the fly. The coat of arms features a British lion over a series of stripes that represent the sea and a trio of green stars. A turtle features on top of the field in order to represent the wildlife that can be found on the Cayman Islands. The design combines references to the islands themselves with symbols of the entire British Empire, which is a symbol of the close relationship between the Empire and the islands.

History of the Cayman Islands Flag

The Cayman Islands flag is among the youngest flags in the British Empire. The islands only received their unique coat of arms in 1958, and they did not have a flag of their own until that time. The Cayman Islands simply represented themselves with the flag of the British Empire instead of a unique flag in the years before the coat of arms was granted to them.

The 1958 flag was very similar to the modern design, but it displayed the coat of arms within a white disc instead of presenting it directly on the blue field. The coat of arms was also significantly smaller on the 1958 flag that it is on the current design. The modern flag of the Cayman Islands came into official use in 1999, but it has not completely replaced the design that was adopted in 1958. The original design has represented the Cayman Islands at several Olympic Games since 1999, and some government sources still mention the use of a disc on the flag. The two Cayman Islands flags are both in common use, and both designs are popular among the people who live on the Cayman islands.