9. The Jamaican flag is one of two flags in the world
that does not share the color of the US flag (white,
blue and red). The other country is Mauritania. However, the Lybian flag previously shared this unique
trait. In 2011 following Libya’s civil was, the plain
green (ex) flag has been replaced by the original flag
of 1951. The new (or original) consists of a horizontal tricolor of red, black and green with a white
crescent and star centered on the black center stripe.
The Jamaican flag colors of black green and gold
symbolize the motto: “Times are difficult, but the
land is green and the sun is shining”.
16. The words barbecue, canoe, hurricane, potato
and tobacco come from the language of the first colonists of Jamaica, the Arawak Indians.
17. Jamaica’s telephone system was so well developed its model was copied by AT&T.
18. Jamaica was the first commercial producer of
bananas in the Western Hemisphere. Thanks in part
to shipping and refrigeration, bananas were able to
be sent long distances. Elders & Fyffes established
the Imperial Direct Line between Bristol and Jamaica in 1901. This was taken over by the United Fruit
Company in 1910.
10. Port Royal, which is now a part of Kingston, and
was one of the most famous cities in the new world
before its demise by an earthquake in 1692. The city
was so important that in 1688, 213 ships visited Port
Royal. It was the home of the many pirates that ruled
and plundered the seas of the new world, it was the
place where they reveled and stored their loots and
as a result was thought the be one of the wickedest
and richest places in the world. Today that loot and
a portion of the land are deep underwater where it
sank into the depths during the earthquake.
19. Jamaica was the first island in the Caribbean to
produce rum on a commercial basis.
11. Jamaica was the first country to impose economic sanctions against the apartheid regime of South
Africa. In July 1959 Jamaica banned all imports
from South Africa.
12. Jamaica was the founder of the International
Bauxite Association and spearheaded the International Seabed Authority, which both now have their
headquarters in Kingston. The authority organizes
and controls all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area beyond the limits of national
jurisdiction, an area underlying most of the world’s
oceans.
13. Jamaica was the first Caribbean island to enact
legislation, “The Motion Picture Industry (Encouragement) Act” 1984, to promote the making of
films.
14. Jamaica is the first country to sign a Global
Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grant
agreement, 2004.
15. Jamaica has the second largest butterfly in the
world -The Giant Swallowtail.
8