Flag of Jamaica
The flag of Jamaica was adopted in 1962, when the country gained independence. Jamaica, which was a British colony for centuries, had a role of center of trade with slaves. After the abolition of slavery in 1838, a violent coup took place and as a result, Jamaica is characterized by social problems and high criminality till nowadays. The flag was chosen in a public tender and it should reflect the turbulent Jamaican history. The version with horizontal stripes was rejected for being too similar to the flag of former Republic of Tanganika. Pan-African colors of black, green and yellow were thus situated to the form of Saint Andrew´s Cross and it should express a motto: "Hardships there are but the land is green and the sun shineth". Yellow color represents the sun, black stands for difficulties and green means the land.
Country information
| Independent | Yes |
|---|---|
| Country codes | JM, JAM (ISO 3166-1) |
| Official name | Jamaica |
| Capital city | Kingston |
| Continent | North America |
| Member of | United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, Organization of American States, Caribbean Community |
| Population | 2 726 667 (2018) |
| Total area | 10 991 km2 |
| Highest point | Blue Mountain Peak (2 256 m, 7 402 ft) |
| Lowest point | Caribbean Sea |
| GDP per capita | $ 5 354 (World Bank, 2018) |
| Currency | Jamaican dollar ($, JMD) |
| Calling code | +1876 |
| Internet TLD | .jm |