The Jamaican National Flag which came into use on August 6, 1962, Jamaica's independence Day, was designed by a bipartisan committee of the Jamaica House of Representatives.
The Flag has a diagonal cross or saltire with four triangles in juxtaposition. The diagonal cross is in gold and one-sixth of the length of the fly of the flag; the top and bottom triangles are in green; and the hoist and fly triangles are in black.The exact shade of green used in the flag is Emerald T8 17, British Admiralty Bunting Pattern.
The flag follows the "Admiralty Pattern and the proportion is 2 x 1.
"Hardships there are but the land is green and the sun shineth" is the symbolism of the Flag. Black stands for hardships overcome and to be faced; Gold-natural wealth and beauty of sunlight; and Green-hope and agricultural resources.
The Jamaican Coat of Arms shows a male and female member of the Taino tribe standing on either side of a shield which bears a red cross with five golden pineapples. On the crest is a Jamaican crocodile mounted on the Royal Helmet of the British Monarchy and mantling.
The Jamaican national motto is 'Out of Many One People', based on the population's multi-racial roots.
The "Doctor Bird" or Swallowtail Humming Bird lives only in Jamaica and is one of the most outstanding of the 320 species of Humming Birds. It is well to note that the beautiful feathers of these birds have no counterpart in the entire bird population and produce iridescent colours characteristic only of that family. The Doctor Bird has been immortalised for many decades in Jamaican folklore and song.
Ackee (Blighia sapinda)
Whilst not indigenous to Jamaica this fruit has remarkable historic associations. It was originally imported from West Africa, probably brought here in a slave ship and now grows luxuriously producing, each year, large quantities of edible fruit.
The tree was unknown to science until plants were taken from Jamaica to England in 1793 by none other than Captain William Bligh of "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame, hence the botanical name "Blighia sapida" in honour of the notorious Sea-Captain. One of the earliest local propagators of the tree was Dr. Thomas Clarke who introduced it to the eastern parishes in 1778.
Jamaica is the only place where the fruit is general recognised as an edible crop, although the plant has been introduced into most of the other Caribbean islands -Trinidad, Grenada, Antigua, Barbados, Central America and even Florida where it is known by different names and does not thrive in economic quantities.
The National Tree is the Blue Mahoe (Hibiscus elatus) , a valuable timber for export.
A committee on National Symbols and Honours has recently been appointed by the Prime Minister to re-examine these symbols with regard to their appropriateness and relevance to Jamaica today.
