Flag of Mexico
Mexico's flag has three upright stripes, green, white and red, with the national coat of arms, an eagle on a cactus eating a snake, in the white middle stripe.
At a glance
- Adopted
- September 16, 1968the current coat of arms was adopted in 1968 and confirmed by law on 24 February 1984; the green-white-red colours date from 1821
- Shape (height : width)
- 4:7
- Capital
- Mexico City
- Continent
- North America
- Colours
- green
- white
- red
What it means
- Green, white and red: the law gives no official meaning; schools teach green for hope, white for unity and red for the blood of heroes
- Eagle on a cactus eating a snake: the Aztec sign that showed where to found Tenochtitlan
- Oak and laurel branches: they wrap around the bottom of the coat of arms, tied with a ribbon in the flag's colours
Where it came from
The green, white and red colours were first used by the Army of the Three Guarantees after Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. Agustin de Iturbide decreed the first national flag that year. Many historians call the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe, carried by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810, the first Mexican flag.
The coat of arms comes from an Aztec legend. The gods told the Aztecs to build their city where they saw an eagle on a cactus eating a snake. That city was Tenochtitlan, today's Mexico City.
History
Early flags showed an eagle with a crown. In 1823 the crown was removed and a snake was added. Emperor Maximilian's flag in the 1860s was longer and had four extra eagles in the corners.
Today's flag is based on Venustiano Carranza's 1916 design, with the eagle turned to the side. The current version was adopted on 16 September 1968 and confirmed by law in 1984.
Fun facts
- Mexico celebrates Flag Day every 24 February.
- Since 1999 Mexico has raised giant "monumental flags"; one in Piedras Negras measures 60 by 34 metres.
- The back of the flag has its own rule: the eagle faces the other way.
- There are no official shades for the green and red.
Easy to mix up with
Italy
IrelandQuestions
What does the flag of Mexico look like?
Mexico's flag has three upright stripes, green, white and red, with the national coat of arms, an eagle on a cactus eating a snake, in the white middle stripe.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Mexico mean?
Green, white and red: the law gives no official meaning; schools teach green for hope, white for unity and red for the blood of heroes; Eagle on a cactus eating a snake: the Aztec sign that showed where to found Tenochtitlan; Oak and laurel branches: they wrap around the bottom of the coat of arms, tied with a ribbon in the flag's colours.
When was the flag of Mexico adopted?
The current flag of Mexico was adopted on September 16, 1968. (the current coat of arms was adopted in 1968 and confirmed by law on 24 February 1984; the green-white-red colours date from 1821)
What colours are on the flag of Mexico?
The flag of Mexico uses green, white and red.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Mexico?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Italy. Italy is also green-white-red, but it has no coat of arms, lighter shades and a shorter 2:3 shape
Famous landmarks in Mexico
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)