Uncommon Facts About the Cayman Islands

While the Grand Cayman Islands are controlled by the British, the territory actually has more in common with the United States. The territory is on Eastern Standard Time, which puts it on the same time as states located on the East Coast of America. The only time it's different is April to October, when the nation doesn't use Daylight Saving Time. The Grand Cayman Islands use a form of money called the dollar, and many stores accept the American dollar as a form of payment, though change comes back in Cayman dollars. The residents of the Grand Cayman Islands also speak English.

The Grand Cayman Islands doesn't require a visa for residents of the United States or Canada, but instead allows citizens from those countries to visit and stay in the country for a period of 30 days. Additionally, those citizens only need a copy of their birth certificate or a valid passport to enter the country and a copy of their driver's license or another form of identification with their picture ID on the front.

Visitors who wish to drive must first obtain a visitor's driver's license, which is available from both car rental agencies and police stations in the area. The country charges a $7.50 fee as of 2009 and requires that applicants possess a valid driver's license from their home state. Those wishing to rent a car in the Cayman Islands must be at least 21 years old, though some rental car agencies won't rent to those under the age of 25 because of insurance reasons.

The name Cayman comes from the Caribbean word "camanas," which means crocodile. When Sir Francis Drake arrived on the island in 1586, he recorded the word in his journal, and some believe the name came from the large number of crocodiles resting in the area. When Christopher Columbus landed on the islands in 1503, he noted that the islands were called Las Tortugas, which means turtles in Spanish. The word was used until Drake became the first white settler on the islands.

Sir Turtle is the name of the unofficial logo or mascot of the Cayman Islands and relates back to the original name of the people living there during the 16th century. Sir Turtle is a hand-drawn cartoon turtle with a peg leg, red hair and a red scarf that carries a sword. The logo was created in 1963 by Suzy Soto, who later sold the mascot to the Department of Tourism for $1. Cayman Airways uses the logo on some promotional materials.