Jamaica Flag History And The Flag Company Inc

By Fred Borson


Jamaica is an island in the West Indies, south of Cuba and west of Haiti. Jamaica was inhabited by Arawak Indians when Columbus explored it in 1494 and named it St. Iago. It remained under Spanish rule until 1655, when it became a British possession.

Buccaneers operated from Port Royal, also the capital, until it fell into the sea in an earthquake in 1692. Disease decimated the Arawaks, so black slaves were imported to work on the sugar plantations. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the British were consistently harassed by the Maroons, armed bands of freed slaves roaming the countryside.

On August 6, 1962, Jamaica was granted its independence from England. Jamaica now has its own constitution which sets out the laws by which the people are governed. The constitution provides for the freedom, equality and justice for all who dwell in the country.

On May 5, 1953, Jamaica gained internal autonomy, and, in 1958, headed the organization of the West Indies Federation. A nationalist labor leader, Sir Alexander Bustamente, later campaigned to withdraw from the federation. After a referendum, Jamaica became independent on Aug. 6, 1962. Michael Manley, of the socialist People's National Party, became prime minister in 1972.

A bipartisan committee of the Jamaica House of Representatives designed the Jamaican Flag which consists of a diagonal cross with four triangles placed side by side. The diagonal cross is gold; the top and bottom triangles are green; and the hoist and fly (side) triangles are black.

The original design for the Jamaican flag was a horizontal striped pattern with the same colors as the current flag, but it was rejected because of its similarity to the then flag of Tanganyika which is now part of Tanzania. The original design for the Jamaican flag was a horizontal striped pattern with the same colors as the current flag, but it was rejected because of its similarity to the then flag of Tanganyika which is now part of Tanzania. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Jamaican Flag for the future.




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