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Jamaica

by Željko Heimer, 25 Febuary 2002

Official Name: Jamaica
Capital: Kingston
Location: Caribbean
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy (Queen Elizabeth II)
Flag adopted: 6 August 1962
Coat of arms adopted: 6 August 1962
ISO Code: BS

The Flag
Alternate History of the Flag
Coat of Arms
Proposals for the Flag
Subdivisions

see also:

The Flag

The symbolism of the colours is: yellow, sunshine and natural resources; black, the burdens borne by the people; green, agriculture and hope for the future. "Burdens and hardships there may be, but we have hope and the sun still shines".
James Dignan, 22 November 1995

From <www.mfaft.gov.jm>:
"The Jamaica National Flag came into use on August 6,1962, Jamaica’s Independence Day. It was designed by a bipartisan committee of the Jamaica House of representatives.The Flag has a diagonal cross or saltire with four triangles in juxtaposition. The diagonal cross is in gold and one-sixth of the length of the fly of the flag; the top and bottom triangles are in green; and the hoist and fly triangles are in black. The exact shade of green used in the flag is Emerald T8 17, British Admiralty Bunting Pattern. The Flag follows the "Admiralty Pattern" and the proportion is 2 x 1."Hardships there are but the land is green and the sun shineth" is the symbolism of the Flag. Black stands for hardships overcome and to be faced; Gold, for natural wealth and beauty of sunlight; and Green stands for hope and agricultural resources".
See also more information plus explanation of usage (clearly defining the civil and state ensign use of the national flag) at <www.nlj.org.jm> and 20 Jamaican Dollar banknote showing the flag of Jamaica at <www.boj.org.jm>.
Both sites claim that the width of the yellow stripes is "1/6th of the length of the fly" of the flag. Now, I read this to be 1/6th of the flag length (horizontal, lon