Facts About The Jamaican Flag - History, Meaning And Other Details!

Aside from music, Jamaica is recognized for its sports, beautiful beaches, an abundance of waterfalls, and much more.

Something in the water in Jamaica must be causing the small island to continue to produce some of the world’s top athletes. This Caribbean country is the origin of several world-famous sprinters, including Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest runner.

Port Royal, Jamaica, has a shady pirate history, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at it today; it was formerly one of the world’s most dangerous cities. That occurred in the 16th century, and the city had been taken over by pirates led by the legendary Henry Morgan at the time.

At various moments in history, as Port Royal went from tremendous highs to devastating lows, pirates played a key role in defending the city. Anti-piracy legislation was implemented in 1687, and the city was no longer a safe refuge for pirates in the years that followed.

A tsunami wiped out Port Royal in 1692 and again in 1907. On August 6, 1962, the Jamaican national flag was raised for the first time, after Jamaica's complete independence from the United Kingdom.

'Jamaica, Land We Love,' the national anthem of Jamaica, was approved in 1962 after a competition held between September 1961 and March 31, 1962.

The House of Parliament chose Hugh Sherlock’s lyrics, which were put to music by Robert Lightbourne, from the competition. The competition drew over 100 entries, with 'Jamaica, Land We Love' being one of two finalists presented to the House of Commons for a vote on July 19, 1962.

Christine Alison Paulie and Mapletoft Paulie arranged the hymn once the winning script was chosen and set to music.

After reading about the national symbols of Jamaica, also check out facts about the Italian flag and facts about the Indian flag.

Jamaican Flag History

The decision to run competitions for the selection of a national anthem and a national flag for independent Jamaica was taken towards the end of September 1961. The winning design for a national flag would get a £100 prize.

There were 368 submissions for the flag. Several of these original contributions are kept in the National Library of Jamaica’s special collections.

The Independence Celebrations Committee compiled a short selection of various designs to present to the Joint Committee of Parliament at the request of the government. However, none of the submissions were deemed adequate, and the flag's design was eventually finalized by a Jamaican House of Representatives bipartisan committee.

Premier Hon. Norman Washington Manley was given the responsibility of planning the national celebration and was also appointed an Independence Celebration Committee.

A design with horizontal stripes was approved by Jamaica Information Service, but it was later found to be too similar to the Tanganyikan flag. The flag was changed to the new design where a gold, diagonal cross divides the field into four triangles, i.e., top and bottom triangles.

Jamaican Flag Symbols Meaning

Black represents the people’s strength and inventiveness, the gold color symbolizes the natural splendor of the sun and the country’s richness, and green represents hope and agricultural resources.

Jamaica has had a number of flags during its history as a former British colony. Between 1875 and 1906, the first of these flags was in use.

A small flag of the United Kingdom was displayed in the upper left corner on a blue background. A white circle with the picture of a crocodile on top of a red cross was placed in the center of the right side. A gold-colored hoop encircled the cross, which was bordered by five golden pineapples.

Names Of The Jamaican Flag

Because of its colors, the Jamaican flag is frequently referred to as 'The Cross' or 'Black, Green, and Gold.'

Jamaica has used various other flags in the past, both before and after independence. The country’s flag had a blue background with the United Kingdom flag in the top corner and the Jamaican coat of arms to its right before the island’s independence from the United Kingdom.

The key distinction between these various designs was the island’s coat of arms, which began to change after 1906.

The national motto of Jamaica is ‘Out of Many One People,’ which is reflected in the island’s coat of arms. The phrase refers to Jamaica’s multicultural nature.

The Tainos were the first people to live on the island of Jamaica. The flag artwork has a lot of meaning.

Jamaica’s native pineapples and crocodiles in a shield shape are examples of the country’s rich flora and wildlife. The royal helmet and mantling commemorate Jamaica’s historic status as a British colony and reflect a distinctive distinction bestowed by the British on the island.

Jamaican Flag Color Meaning

The Jamaican national flag is still revered by Jamaicans all over the world as a sign of national pride and community. The flag has become a global emblem thanks to the tremendous international success of the country’s athletes and musicians.

The flag of Jamaica is very prominent among national symbols. In the horizontal position, the tricolor flag consisting of a gold-colored cross shape on the flag of Jamaica makes it look very beautiful.

The flag can be often found in or outside a Jamaica house and has become a sacred emblem. The diagonal cross divides the entire flag into four triangles.

In this tricolor flag of Jamaica, the dark green color represents hope. The green in the flag previously represented agricultural resources. In Jamaica's flag, the gold color symbolized wealth early on, but lately, the gold color in the flag symbolizes the natural beauty of the bright sun.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about the Jamaican flag then why not take a look at 13 colonies facts: here's what you need to know about American colonies or 51 popular '50s entertainment facts.