Flag of Jamaica
The national flag of Jamaica features two diagonal yellow lines which form a cross on the flag, sectioned in four parts. The top and bottom consists of equal-sized green triangles while the left and right sections consist of equal-sized black triangles. The flag has a proportion of 1:2 with the width of the saltaire set at one sixth of the length of the hoist.
Symbolism
The colors and the shapes on the Jamaican flag are well symbolized by its motto, “Hardships there are, but the land is green and the sun shineth”. The flag features the Pan –African colors green, yellow/gold, and black. Several reasons have been attributed to the colors chosen on the flag.
First, these colors are the colors most commonly seen in Jamaica.
- Green: Represents the country’s lush vegetation and agriculture.
- Gold: Symbolizes the bright sun.
- Black: Symbolizes the people’s skin color.
Second, these colors were chosen for the feelings and ideas that they symbolize.
- Green: Represents agriculture and the people’s hopes for the future.
- Gold: Represents the country’s mineral wealth and its natural beauty.
- Black: Symbolizes the adversities that Jamaica had overcome as well as the people’s strength and versatility.
Third, Jamaica chose to adopt the symbolic colors of the African National Congress (ANC). The golden saltire reflects the most common religious affiliation of the people which is Christianity.
History
Jamaica’s national flag was adopted on August 6, 1962 which was Jamaica’s independence from Britain. Its design was a fusion of designs sent in by the public in a national competition. The original design had vertical lines, but, was later on discarded as it had too many similarities with the Tanganyikan flag. In exchange for the vertical lines, the saltire was adopted into the design.
After the 2005 German federal election, the Jamaican flag was extensively displayed by the German media to illustrate the possible formation of the “Jamaican Coalition”. The term refers to the potential coalition among the parties of the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), Free Democratic Party (FDP), and the Green Party. The Jamaican flag was used to symbolize the possible union of each party’s symbolic colors. These are black for CDU/CSU; yellow for the FDP; and green for the Green Party.
