The Jamaica flag was adopted on independence day August 6, 1962.
The Jamaica flag consists of a gold cross, which divides the
flag into four sections: two green (top and bottom) and two
black (left and right). The present design emerged from those
sent in by the public in a national competition. It was
originally designed with horizontal stripes, but this was
considered too similar to the Tanganyikan flag.The cross was
used in place of the horizontal stripes to reflect Jamaica's
Christian faith. The black, green, and gold are Pan African and
African National Congress (ANC) colors. Gold recalls the shining
sun, black reflects hardships, and green represents the land
("Hardships there are but the land is green and the sun
shineth"). Another explanation is that black stands for the
people, yellow for the sun and green for the lush vegetation.