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Flag of Mexico

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   CAPTION: Flag of Mexico

                              Flag of Mexico
   Use        National flag and ensign.
   Proportion 4:7
   Adopted    September 16, 1968
   Design     A vertical tricolor of green, white and red with the Mexican
              coat of arms charged in the centre.

   The Flag of Mexico is a vertical tricolor of green, white, and red with
   the national coat of arms charged in the centre of the white stripe.
   While the meaning of the colors has changed over time, these three
   colors were adopted by Mexico following independence from Spain during
   the country's War of Independence. The current flag was adopted in
   1968, but the overall design has been used since 1821 when the First
   National Flag was created. The current law of national symbols that
   governs the use of the national flag has been in place since 1984.

   Throughout history, the flag has changed eight times, as the design of
   the coat of arms and the length-width ratios of the flag have been
   modified. However, the coat of arms has had the same features
   throughout: an eagle, holding a serpent in its talon, is perched on top
   of a prickly pear cactus; the cactus is situated on a rock that rises
   above a lake. The coat of arms is derived from an Aztec legend that
   their gods told them to build a city where they spot an eagle and a
   serpent, which is now Mexico City. The current national flag, the
   Fourth National Flag, is also used as the Mexican naval ensign by ships
   registered in Mexico.

Design and symbolism

   Official construction sheet.
   Enlarge
   Official construction sheet.

   The official design of the Mexican Flag can be found in Article 3 of
   the Law on the National Arms, Flag, and Anthem, passed in 1984. The
   article dictates what must be featured on the flag and also its
   proportions. Copies of the national flag which are made according to
   this law are kept in two locations: the General National Archive
   (Archivo General de la Nación) and the National Museum of History (
   Museo Nacional de Historia).

          Art. 3: "The Bandera Nacional is a rectangle divided into three
          vertical stripes of identical measures, with the colors placed
          in the following order from hoist to fly: green, white, and red.
          Centered in the white stripe, the National Coat of Arms has a
          diameter of three-fourths the width of the white stripe. The
          proportion of the flag is four to seven (Ratio 4:7). It could
          carry a rope or tie of the same colors below the truck."

   While the exact shades of the flag have not been defined by law, the
   Secretariat of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación) has suggested
   the following:
   Scheme     Green       White       Red
   Pantone 3425c       Safe        186c
   RGB     0-104-71    255-255-255 206-17-38
   CMYK    100-0-32-59 0-0-0-0-0   0-92-82-19

Coat of arms

   Coat of arms.
   Enlarge
   Coat of arms.

   The Coat of Arms is charged in the centre of the flag, and was inspired
   by an Aztec legend regarding the founding of Tenochtitlan. According to
   popular legend, the Aztec people, then a nomadic tribe, were wandering
   throughout Mexico in search of a sign that would indicate the precise
   spot upon which they were to build their capital. The god
   Huitzilopochtli had commanded them to find an eagle devouring a snake,
   perched atop a prickly pear cactus ( nopal in Spanish) growing on a
   rock submerged in a lake. After two hundred years of wandering, they
   found the promised sign on a small island in the swampy Lake Texcoco.
   Here they founded their new capital, Tenochtitlan, which later became
   known as Mexico City, the current capital of Mexico. The current coat
   of arms, which was redesigned in 1968, was designed by Francisco Eppens
   Helguera and approved by President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz.

Meaning of the colors

   The colors of the flag originated from the banner of the Army of the
   Three Guarantees, which lasted from 1821 until 1823. Originally, the
   colors had the following meanings:
     * Green: Independencia (independence from Spain)
     * White: Religión (religion, the Roman Catholic faith)
     * Red: Unión (union between the Europeans and Americans)

   Flag of the Three Guarantees.
   Enlarge
   Flag of the Three Guarantees.

   However, the meaning of the colors changed because of the
   secularization of the country, which was spearheaded by President
   Benito Juárez. The new colour meanings are as follows:
     * Green: Hope
     * White: Unity
     * Red: Blood of the national heroes

   The World Encyclopedia of Flags, a book written by Alfred Znamierowski,
   also gives the following meaning to the colors of the flag:
     * Green: Hope
     * White: Purity
     * Red: Religion

   Since Article 3 of the Flag Law does not give an official symbolism to
   the colors, other meanings may be given to them. Other groups have used
   the national colors as part of their own logos or symbols. For example,
   the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) political party has adopted
   the national colors as part of their logo. Another political party, the
   Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), also had the national colors
   as part of their logo, but changed them in the 1990s after a
   controversy surrounding impartiality issues, while the PRI did not.
   Several states, such as Querétaro and Hidalgo have incorporated either
   elements of the national flag, or even the entire flag, into their coat
   of arms.

History

   Before the adoption of the first national flag, various flags used
   during the War of Independence from Spain, had a great influence on the
   design of the first national flag. Although it was never adopted as an
   official flag, many historians consider the first Mexican flag to be
   the Standard of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was carried by Miguel
   Hidalgo during the Grito de Dolores on September 16, 1810. The Standard
   became the initial symbol of the rebel army during the Mexican War of
   Independence. Various other Standards were used during the war. José
   María Morelos used a flag with and image of the Virgin to which was
   added a blue and white insignia with a crowned eagle on a cactus over a
   three-arched bridge and the letters V.V.M. (Viva la Virgen María –
   "long live the Virgin Mary"). The Revolutionary Army also used a flag
   featuring the colors white, blue and red in vertical stripes. The first
   use of the actual colors—green, white and red—was in the flag of the
   unified Army of the Three Guarantees (pictured above) after
   independence from Spain was won.
   Flag display at the History Museum of Monterrey, Nuevo León.
   Enlarge
   Flag display at the History Museum of Monterrey, Nuevo León.

   The first official national flag was established in 1821, the first
   year of Mexican recognized sovereignty. The imperial government that
   was set up chose a tricolor flag of green, white and red and charged
   with the national coat of arms. The official decree stated that

          "Sole article:(...) the national flag and flags of the army
          shall be tricolor, adopting forever the colors green, white and
          "encarnado" [flesh-colored red] arranged vertically, with the
          crowned eagle in the centre of the white stripe, according the
          following design..."

   While similar to the national flag that is used today, the eagle in
   these arms is not holding a serpent in his talons and a crown has been
   affixed to the head of the eagle to signify the Empire. Variants of
   this flag that appeared in this period also included a naval flag that
   had the tricolor pattern, but only contained the eagle with the crown
   above its head. The military also used a similar, square, flag, but the
   eagle was larger than on the national flag. The national flag was
   officially decreed by Agustín de Iturbide in November 1821 and first
   officially used in July 1822. This flag was no longer used upon the
   abolishment of the empire.

   The second national flag that was adopted came around the same time of
   the establishment of the first federal republic in 1823. The new flag
   chosen for the republic in April of that year, with the only difference
   is the appearance of the central emblem. The crown was removed from the
   eagle's head and a serpent was placed in the eagle's right talon.
   Another addition to the flag is a branch of oak and laurel branches, a
   tradition that was carried over to the current flag. This flag was
   discontinued in 1864 upon the dissolution of the federal republic.

   The third official national flag was that of the Second Mexican Empire.
   Once again, the national flag used the green, white and red tricolor
   pattern with the white stripe being charged with the national arms.
   However, the ratio of the flag was changed from 4:7 to 1:2 and that
   four eagles, which had crowns above their heads, are placed at each
   corner of the flag. The design, which was ordered by the Emperor
   Maximilian, designed the arms to look similar to the French Imperial
   arms, but decided to add a bit of "Mexican flavor" to the flag. The
   coat of arms was described in a decree issued in November of 1865 as:

          "(...) oval in shape in blue; in the centre is depicted the
          eagle of Anahuac, in profile and passant, supported by a cactus,
          supported, in turn, by a rock sunk on water, and ripping a
          snake. The border is gold charged by a garland of encino and
          laurel. The crest is the Imperial Crown. As supporters, two
          griffins from our elders' arms, their upper half in black and
          the lower in gold; behind the scepter and sword in saltire. The
          shield is surrounded by the collar of the Order of the "Águila
          Mexicana", and the motto: "Equidad en la Justicia" [Equity on
          Justice] (...)."

   The flag was abandoned in 1867 when Maximilian was overthrown and
   executed by the Mexican people. The second national flag was adopted
   once again as the national flag, but it was not officially declared as
   such.

   The current national flag was adopted on September 16, 1968, and was
   confirmed by law on February 24, 1984. The current version is an
   adaptation of the design approved by presidential decree in 1916 by
   Venustiano Carranza, where the eagle was changed from a front-facing to
   a side-facing position.

   Before the adoption of the current national flag, official flags have
   been used by the government. All of these flags used the tricolor
   pattern, with the only differences being the changes in the coat of
   arms, which was still charged in the centre of the white stripe. One
   possible reason for the 1968 flag and arms change was that Mexico City
   was the host of the 1968 Summer Olympic Games. Around this same time
   period, the plain tricolor flag that Mexico used as its merchant ensign
   was also legally abandoned. The reasoning is that without the coat of
   arms, the flag would not be the Mexican flag; it would have become the
   Italian flag. There was also debate in 1984 about how the coat of arms
   will be depicted on the national flag, including the reverse. To solve
   this problem, a PAN deputy proposed a change to the Law of the National
   Arms, Flag and Anthem that same year to allow for the eagle to face to
   the right when the reverse of the flag is displayed. In 1995, the law
   was changed to include the following:

   "When the National Arms is reproduced in the reverse side of the
   National Flag, the Mexican Eagle will appear standing in its right
   grasp, holding with the left one and the beak the curved serpent."

   Evolution of the Mexican Flag
   Standard of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Used by Miguel Hidalgo during the
   declaration of independence, September 16, 1810
   First National Flag Used from 1821-1823 during the First Mexican Empire
   of Agustín de Iturbide.
   Second National Flag Used from 1823-1864 during the establishment of
   the Mexican Republic.
   Third National Flag Used from 1864-1867 during the Second Mexican
   Empire of Maximilian I. Proportions 1:2
   Second National Flag Readoption
   (1867-1968) Readopted from 1867-1881 during the reestablishment of the
   Mexican Republic.
   Used from 1881-1899
   Used from 1899-1917. Specified proportions 2:3
   Used from 1917-1934, officially adopted by President Venustiano
   Carranza. Proportions 2:3
   Used from 1934-1968, Coat of Arms designed by Jorge Enciso. Proportions
   2:3
   Fourth National Flag Adopted September 16, 1968 to present day. Coat of
   Arms designed by Architect Francisco Eppens Helguera.

Flag protocol

   When the flag is paraded in front of a crowd, those in military uniform
   must present a salute according to their regulations. Civilians that
   are present give the following salute to the national flag: standing at
   attention (firmes), the civilian raises their right arm and places
   their right hand on their chest, in front of the heart. The hand is
   flat and the palm of the hand is facing the ground.
   President Vicente Fox performing the civil salute
   Enlarge
   President Vicente Fox performing the civil salute

   This salute is known as the "El saludo civil a la Bandera Nacional"
   ("The Civil Salute to the National Flag"). When the President is acting
   in the capacity of the Head of the Armed Forces, he salutes the
   national flag with a military salute. When the national anthem is
   played on television to open or close daily programming, the national
   flag will be shown at the same time.

   During certain times of the year, the flag is flown by both civilians
   and government personnel. Mostly, these events coincide with national
   holidays and days of significance to the country. During some of these
   occasions, the flag will be flown at half-mast to honour the death of
   important Mexicans. These dates are listed in Article 18 of the Law of
   the National Flag, Arms and Anthem.

   The national Día de la Bandera (Flag Day) celebration occurs on
   February 24. On this day in 1821, all the factions fighting in the War
   of Independence joined together to form the Army of the Three
   Guarantees in response to the Plan de Iguala, which was signed by
   Vicente Guerrero and Agustín de Iturbide, declaring Mexico officially
   an independent country. General Vicente Guerrero was the first military
   official who swore allegiance to the national flag. Another flag
   tradition is that before every Olympics in which Mexico is a
   participant, the President hands a flag over to the flag bearer, chosen
   by their peers, to carry with them to the host city.

Variants

   Corbata.

   There are two variants of the national flag that are allowed by law.
   Mostly used by the state and federal governments, the difference
   between the national flag and the variants are the designs of the coat
   of arms. In the first variant, which is used by the President of Mexico
   and secretaries of federal bodies, the entire coat of arms is colored
   gold, with the exception of the tricolor ribbon, which is green, white
   and red, and with the stone, lake and talons of the eagle colored in
   silver. In the second variant, the entire coat of arms is colored gold,
   even the ribbon, lake, stone and talons. The second variant is used
   mostly by State governments and federal bodies who are not able to use
   the first variant.

Flag devices

   Article 3 of the Law on the National Arms, Flag and Anthem (Ley sobre
   el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales) also describes that the
   national flag can be decorated with a special tie called a corbata
   (cravatte). The corbata is composed of a bow, two ribbons of different
   length and both ribbons are attached with a golden tassel called
   fringe. The corbata is placed on the top of the flag at the point where
   the truck is, and the colors of the corbata match that of the national
   flag. Organizations and political parties can adopt their own corbatas,
   such as the National Action Party (PAN), which uses a white corbata
   with blue fringes.

Banderas monumentales

   A bandera monumental in Monterrey, Nuevo León
   Enlarge
   A bandera monumental in Monterrey, Nuevo León
   Bandera Monumental in Ensenada, Baja California
   Enlarge
   Bandera Monumental in Ensenada, Baja California

   In 1999, President Ernesto Zedillo started a program erecting giant
   flags across the country. Directed by the Secretariat of National
   Defense, the banderas monumentales (monumental flags) were placed in
   various cities and spots, most of which of high significance to the
   nation. In a decree issued on July 1, 1999 by Zedillo, the flags were
   to be placed in Mexico City, Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, and Veracruz. The
   decree also stipulated for the flags to measure 14.3  meters by
   25 meters, which are raised on flag poles that are 50 meters high.
   After these initial monumental flags were created, cities such as
   Ensenada, Nuevo Laredo and Cancún were reported to have their own
   monumental flags. Smaller flags, called banderas semi-monumentales,
   have been erected in smaller towns and at various educational
   institutes.

   The biggest monumental flag in Mexico is the one located at the Mirador
   del Obispado in Monterrey (northeast) with a pole of 120 tons and 100.6
   meters of height. The flag measures 50 by 28.6 meters and weights 230
   kilograms. This is four times the size of most other monumental flags.
   It is located at the top of the Cerro del Obispado (Bishopric Hill) at
   an altitude of 775 meters above the sea level (city's altitude 538
   meters).

   Example Locations

    1. Monterrey, Nuevo León
    2. Querétaro, Querétaro
    3. Mexico City, Federal District:

               o Zócalo, in the city centre
               o Campo Militar Marte, military base behind Los Pinos
               o San Jerónimo rondabout, in Periférico Sur

    4. Iguala, Guerrero
    5. Tonalá, Jalisco
    6. Mérida, Yucatán
    7. Cancún, Quintana Roo
    8. Mexicali, Baja California
    9. Tampico, Tamaulipas
   10. Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
   11. Campeche, Campeche

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Mexico"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
