---
title: "Flag of Jamaica: colours and meaning"
description: "What every colour and symbol on the Jamaica flag stands for, its official 1:2 ratio, and the year the current design was adopted."
url: https://atoneplace.net/flag/jamaica/
site: "At One Place"
---

# 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

*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.*

- **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

- **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

- [Jamaica](https://atoneplace.net/country/jamaica/)
- [Every flag with green in it](https://atoneplace.net/flag/colour/green/)
- [The flag of India](https://atoneplace.net/flag/india/)
- [The flag of Brazil](https://atoneplace.net/flag/brazil/)
- [The flag of Italy](https://atoneplace.net/flag/italy/)
- [The flag of Mexico](https://atoneplace.net/flag/mexico/)
- [The flag of Ireland](https://atoneplace.net/flag/ireland/)
- [The flag of South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/flag/south-africa/)
- [The flag of Pakistan](https://atoneplace.net/flag/pakistan/)
- [The flag of Palestine](https://atoneplace.net/flag/palestine/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]