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The flag of Jamaica

The flag of Jamaica
A gold diagonal cross dividing the flag into four triangles: green at top and bottom, black at hoist and fly.
Ratio 1:2 · current design adopted 1962

Jamaica has the only national flag in the world containing none of red, white or blue — a distinction it shared with Mauritania until 2017, when Mauritania added red stripes. The original 1962 proposal was horizontal bands, rejected because it too closely resembled Tanganyika's; the saltire was the substitute. The official reading of the colours was revised in 1996: the black previously stood for hardships borne, and now stands for the strength of the people. The design was chosen by a bipartisan parliamentary committee weeks before independence.

What the colours mean

  • Green #009B3A Hope, and the agricultural resources of the island
  • Gold #FED100 Sunlight, and the country's natural wealth
  • Black #000000 The strength and creativity of the people

Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.

Ratio
1:2
Current design adopted
1962
Colours
green, gold, black

Common questions

What does the flag of Jamaica look like?
A gold diagonal cross dividing the flag into four triangles: green at top and bottom, black at hoist and fly.
What do the colours of the Jamaica flag mean?
Green: hope, and the agricultural resources of the island. Gold: sunlight, and the country's natural wealth. Black: the strength and creativity of the people.
When was the Jamaica flag adopted?
The current design dates from 1962, and its official ratio is 1:2.

Related pages

Sources

  1. The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (Public domain (US Government))

How these figures are compiled and checked