Introduction
The flag of the Cayman Islands is a British Blue Ensign with the territory coat of arms in the fly. The arms carry three green stars for the three islands, a lion for Britain, and a turtle and a pineapple above them.
Meaning & Symbolism
The three stars are Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. The turtle recalls the sea turtles that gave the islands their early economy and their first name to passing sailors; the pineapple comes from the arms of Jamaica, which administered the islands.
The motto below reads He hath founded it upon the seas, from Psalm 24.
History of the Cayman Islands Flag
The flag was adopted in 1959, the year the islands were granted self-government, replacing the flag of the Colony of Jamaica.
In 1999 the white disc behind the arms was removed and the arms given a white outline instead, which is the version in use today, although the older disc version still turns up officially.
Eight other British Overseas Territories fly blue ensigns defaced with their arms, which is why the family is easy to confuse at a glance.
Curiosities
- The three stars are the three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
- The pineapple in the arms is inherited from Jamaica, which used to administer the territory.
- The motto is from Psalm 24: He hath founded it upon the seas.
- The white disc behind the arms was dropped in 1999, but the old version is still used officially at times.
- Eight other British Overseas Territories use almost the same blue ensign formula.
Download Flag
Download the flag of Cayman Islands in high-quality SVG vector format or PNG raster images. SVG files can be scaled to any size without losing quality.
Digital icon artwork; its proportions may differ from the official flag proportions listed on this page.