Flag of Mexico
Officially United Mexican States
Locally México
What the flag looks like
Three equal vertical bands of green, white and red, with the coat of arms in the center: a golden eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus devouring a snake.
What it means
Green is commonly said to represent hope, white unity and red the blood of national heroes; the eagle recalls the Aztec legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan.
How to remember it
Mexico
is Italy
plus an eagle eating a snake on a cactus, on a longer 4:7 rectangle; Ireland
swaps the red for orange.
Fun facts
- According to legend, the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City, where they saw an eagle on a cactus eating a snake.
- Mexico celebrates Flag Day on 24 February.
Mexico at a glance
- Capital
- Mexico City
- Region
- North America
- Population
- 131 million
- Area
- 1,964,375 km²
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Mexican peso ($)
- Flag adopted
- 1968
Flags often confused with Mexico
- Italy: Italy and Mexico are both green, white and red vertical stripes. Mexico has an eagle-and-cactus coat of arms in the center and a longer shape; Italy's flag is plain.
- Ireland: Ireland and Mexico both have vertical stripes starting green, then white. Ireland ends with orange and is plain; Mexico ends with red and has an eagle in the center.