There are many different color combinations for flags all over the world. Many countries have flags with intricate designs like stripes, crosses, or other symbols to represent their country’s history and values. But which country flags have black, green, and yellow?
Jamaica is the only current country with a flag containing only black, green, and yellow. National flags from several other countries contain these colors, but they are not exclusively black, green and yellow. These are:
- Zambia
- Mozambique
- South Africa
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Guinea Bissau
- Tanzania
So what do these colors symbolize, and do these flags have anything in common in their design, history, and symbolism? Keep reading if you’re curious to learn more about any of these subjects! In the rest of this article, I’ll go into detail about the Jamaican flag and dive into the creation and adoption of the national flags of the countries listed above.
The Jamaican Flag
The Jamaican flag is made up of a green rectangle, with a black circle in the middle and a yellow rectangle on the top left. It is the only national flag that doesn’t contain any red, white, or blue, and is the only current national flag with its color scheme!
History of the Jamaican Flag
In 1801, when Jamaica was still a British colony, it was decided that there would be a flag for Jamaica. It was designed by Sir George Nugent, who served as Governor of Jamaica from 1807-1813. The flag had three stripes – red on top, white in the middle and blue at the bottom with a Union Jack in the center.
The current Jamaican national flag was designed by Roy E. Bailey when Jamaica gained its independence from Great Britain as the symbol of the nation with a deep meaning for the people of Jamaica. It was adopted as an official flag on August 6, 1962.
Symbolism of the Jamaican Flag
The Jamaican flag is a symbol of the country’s independence, unity, and cultural heritage. The flag carries a message about the sun, the land, and the power of the Jamaican people. The black, yellow, and green represent the strength and creativity of the people.
Black embodies their vitality and determination. Yellow represents the natural richness from being under natural light (sun), as a nod to their wealth in warm climate nations, where strong sunlight was also required for agricultural development throughout centuries. Finally, green represents hope for life on this earth through its many resources and bounties.
Which other countries have national flags with black, green, and yellow?
Several other countries have national flags containing black, green, and yellow alongside other colors. So what are they?
Zambia
The Zambian flag was adopted in 1964 when Northern Rhodesia became independent from Britain. The colors represent the country’s natural resources: green for agriculture and forests, yellow for mineral wealth, and black for the people of Zambia.
The national flag of Zambia has a green base with a tricolor square of red, black, and gold with an African fish eagle flying overhead. The colors represent natural resources, the struggle for freedom, the Zambian people, and the land’s minerals. The eagle above the stripes symbolizes the ability of Zambians to rise above the nation’s difficulties.
Mozambique
The flag of Mozambique contains a red triangle with a yellow five-pointed star in the center atop a horizontal tricolor of green, black, and yellow.
The flag was adopted in 1983. It is a modification of the flag of the African National Congress, which was flown by Mozambique’s guerrilla movement, FRELIMO, during the country’s independence struggle against Portugal.
The red stands for the blood spilt in defense of Mozambique and Africa; the yellow stands for mineral wealth; and the star symbolizes progress and unity.
South Africa
The flag of South Africa was designed in 1994 and adopted on 27 April 1994. The flag is a horizontal bicolor of blue and red with a green Y-shaped design featuring black and gold elements. The flag was designed by Mr. F. W. Pienaar, who won a nationwide competition for a new national flag for South Africa in April 1992.
The colors have been interpreted as representing different things: blue for peace, black for strength, and green for hope. The colors for the South African flag were adopted from two other flags: the flag of the African National Congress and the South African Republic (which was, in turn, based on the flag of the Netherlands).
Sao Tome and Principe
The national flag of Sao Tome and Principe is a horizontal tricolor of two green stripes with gold in the center. Two black stars lay on the gold stripe with a red triangle on the left-most side of the flag. The flag was adopted in 1975 to replace the colonial flag of Portugal when the Republic of Sao Tome and Principe gained independence.
The green on the flag represents the country’s vegetation; the gold represents the sun and their abundant cocoa crops; the red represents the struggle for independence. The two black stars symbolize the two islands that make up the republic.
Guinea Bissau
The national flag of Guinea-Bissau was adopted in 1973 when they gained independence from Portugal. The flag is composed of a horizontal bicolor of yellow and green. The left side of the flag has a red rectangle with a black star in the middle.
The design of the flag of Guinea Bissau was influenced by the national flag of Ghana and contains the same colors with the same symbolic meanings: green represents natural resources, yellow represents mineral wealth, and red symbolizes the blood of martyrs in the struggle for independence.
Tanzania
The Tanzanian flag is half green and half blue, with a diagonal stripe of black-bordered in gold separating the two halves. The flag was adopted on November 6th, 1964, when the states of Tanganyika and Zanzibar combined. The redesigned combination flag uses elements from both states’ separate flags.
The flag of Tanzania is also one of the few national flags to contain a diagonal stripe, making it quite unique!
