The colours and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The blue and white waves evoke the Caribbean Sea, while the three green stars represent the territory's three islands of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac. The yellow lion on the red field is a conspicuous symbol of the Kingdom of England, the Cayman Islands' mother country. The turtle alludes to the original Spanish name for the islands "Las Tortugas", as well as its tradition of seafaring. The pineapple signifies Cayman's connection with Jamaica, whose coat of arms features five pineapples. The turtle and pineapple also epitomise the flora and fauna of the islands.
The Cayman Islands is a self-governing British Overseas Territory, the largest by population, in the western Caribbean Sea. The 264 square kilometer territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the south of Cuba and northeast of Honduras, between Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. The capital city is George Town on Grand Cayman, which is the most populous of the three islands.
Alternative Flags:
The standard of the territory's governor features the Union Jack defaced with the territorial coat of arms at the centre. The civil ensign (for merchant ships) is nearly identical in design to the territorial flag, but uses a Red Ensign instead.