• Mexican Flag Symbolflag button mexico image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
  
  There is only one official flag of Mexico. Natives refer to it as La Bandera de Mexico simply meaning The Mexican Flag. The flag was created in 1821 at the end of the Independence movement. There is a fiesta celebrating the Mexican Flag every February 24. Mexican states do not have their own flags. However, there are several unofficial versions using a "coat of arms" applied to the Mexican flag and used by states to represent them.
  
  

Official Flag Symbolism

• The official flag of Mexico has three vertical stripes. From left to right, the colors are green, white and red. The flag has a symbolic emblem directly in the center of the white stripe. The emblem is an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus and it is eating a snake. This derived from the Aztec legend about when an eagle was seen in that situation, that is where a city should be established. The green stripe represents the Independence movement and hope. The white stripe represents the purity of the Catholic faith. The red stripe represents the blood for the national heroes.
  
  

Coat of Arms

• The states of Mexico each have their own coat of arms applied to their unofficial flags.
  The coat of arms is used on the central panel of each unofficial flag representing corresponding states. These symbolic features are used on unofficial flags that are used at popular sporting events and tournaments to represent themselves. The coat of arms is different for each state of Mexico and is derived from a piece of history in that state.
  
  

Popular Unofficial Flags

• Quintana Roo is one of most tourist visited states in Mexico. Cancun and other vacation spots are frequently visited year round. Their coat of arms is very different from other states by the design being more simplistic. The very top of the arms has a setting sun with rays bursting out and the top left has a conch shell representing the Caribbean Sea. There is a blue section with a white star is representing the morning start of Venus because Quintana Roo is most eastern state of Mexico. The bottom portion is a simple version of green trees in a forest to represent their abundance of tropical forests.
  
  Baja California is a frequently visited state in Mexico. They established their coat of arms on September 27, 1956. Their arms represent the society, work and justice that occur in their state.
  
  Distrito Federal or Mexico City is a hub for Mexico and known to be economically involved with financial trading. Their arms were adopted on December 17, 1523, by the Royal Document that was signed in Spain on July 4, 1523. The arms show a castle with two lions guarding it on both sides with a bridge leading up to the entrance representing protection.
  
  The state of Chihuahua created their arms on February 24, 1983. It represents freedom and sovereignty. Chihuahua is the largest state in the Mexican republic. The state was known for the fighting and war-like activities between several Indian tribes that were attempting to settle on Chihuahua lands.
  
  Jalisco was a breeding ground for Mexican-Americans. Tourists visit this state to enjoy the luxurious Pacific Ocean beaches. Their coat of arms was established in 1542 by Royal decree by King Carlos V of Spain. The arms are blue and gold in color because those are the state colors. They have shield a tree with two lions climbing up it on each side in the middle. A helmet with a red flag is located on top of the arms representing protection and victory of their lands.
  
  Yucatan is popular for the peninsula of blue waters and white beaches making it a haven for tourists. In the early to mid 1800's, Yucatan was populated mainly with Mayan people who did not like Hispanic people coming in and trying to run their economy. The coat of arms of Yucatan was granted on July 20, 1538, and is in the shape of a Spanish shield. The left side has a gold castle with a standing lion on the right side. The symbol is topped with a gold crown to show leadership and nobility.