Americas

Flag of Mexico

Mexico is one of the world's largest countries by area, located in southern North America, and Mexico City — built on the ancient Aztec capital Tenochtitlan — is one of the Western Hemisphere's largest and most historic cities. Mexico was the centre of major pre-Columbian civilisations including the Aztec and Maya empires, and today is the world's largest silver producer. Its culinary tradition has been recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

CapitalMexico City
RegionAmericas
Current flag since1968
Main coloursGreen, White, Red
Populationabout 128 million
Areaabout 1,964,000 km²
Flags in history6

Population and area are rounded.

What the flag of Mexico means

The coat of arms tells the Aztec legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan: the god Huitzilopochtli told the Mexica to build their city where they saw an eagle on a cactus, eating a snake. Green, white and red date from the Army of the Three Guarantees of 1821, when they stood for independence, religion and union. The current version was adopted in 1968.

How to recognise it

Vertical green-white-red with a detailed eagle-on-cactus coat of arms in the white band.

Did you know?

Mexico City is built on a former lake bed and sinks about 20 cm per year.

Easily confused with

Mexico's flag is often mixed up with these. Learn to tell them apart:

Italy

Ireland

Côte d'Ivoire

Flag history of Mexico

Every flag that has flown over Mexico, from today back through time.

1968–present

Flag of Mexico

Standardized in 1968 ahead of the Mexico City Olympics, it fixed the eagle, serpent, and cactus emblem in its current detailed form. The arms recall the Aztec founding legend of Tenochtitlan.

1934–1968

1934 eagle redesign

The eagle and wreath were restyled with a more uniform, darker emblem under President Abelardo Rodríguez, tightening the proportions and colors toward the present look.

1916–1934

Carranza redesign

President Venustiano Carranza decreed a naturalistic eagle shown in left profile — the basis for the modern emblem and a deliberate break from the earlier heraldic style.

1893–1916

Porfiriato flag

Used during the Porfirio Díaz era, it showed the eagle facing forward with wings spread heraldically. It flew through the early years of the Mexican Revolution.

1823–1864

Early Republic

The republican redesign placed an uncrowned eagle on a cactus gripping a snake, ringed by oak and laurel. The same design returned from 1867 to 1893.

Secessionist & breakaway states of the era:

1840

Republic of the Rio Grande

A short-lived 1840 republic of northern Mexican states resisting centralist rule from Mexico City; its flag bore three stars for its claimed territories. It was reabsorbed by Mexico within the year.

1841–1848

Republic of Yucatán

Yucatán declared independence from Mexico twice (1841 and 1846) over disputes about federalism, flying five green stars beside red-white-red stripes. The peninsula rejoined Mexico in 1848 amid the Caste War.

1854

Republic of Sonora (Walker)

American filibuster William Walker proclaimed a "Republic of Sonora" in 1854 during a failed private invasion of northwestern Mexico. The venture collapsed within months and Walker was tried in the US for violating neutrality laws.

1821–1823

First Mexican Empire

The first flag after independence, with a crowned eagle reflecting the short-lived empire of Agustín de Iturbide. The crown was removed once Mexico became a republic.

Related historical states

Empires, kingdoms and republics that once covered part of Mexico.

1840

Republic of the Rio Grande

A breakaway federalist republic of northern Mexico; its three stars stood for Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. It was crushed by Mexican forces within a year.

1841–1848

Republic of Yucatán

Red-white-red bands with a green hoist holding five white stars for its five departments. Yucatán declared independence from Mexico twice over centralist rule.

1821–1823

First Mexican Empire

Agustín de Iturbide's empire flew the green-white-red tricolor with a crowned golden eagle. Removing the crown after the empire fell produced the basis of the republican flag.

1853–1854

Republic of Lower California

The filibuster republic American mercenary William Walker declared in Baja California; its two stars stood for Baja California and Sonora.

1854

Republic of Sonora

Walker's renamed two-state mercenary republic. He was driven out of Mexico within months — and was later executed in Honduras after a similar scheme.

1864–1867

Second Mexican Empire

The empire of the Habsburg archduke Maximilian I, installed by Napoleon III. Its green-white-red tricolour bore a crowned eagle and four more eagles in the corners before he was executed in 1867.

1864–1867

Imperial Standard of Mexico (Maximilian)

The personal standard of Emperor Maximilian I framed the imperial eagle with the motto 'Equidad en la Justicia' and golden corner eagles, used until the empire collapsed in 1867.

1823–1864

First Mexican Republic

After the First Empire fell, the federal republic stripped the crown from the eagle and added a snake, oak, and laurel — the design that, restored in 1867, defined the Mexican flag for decades.