Mexico: Economy and Geography
Mexico has a diverse economy. They produce agricultural products, including corn, wheat, rice, beans, coffee, cotton, fruit, and vegetables. The precious metals industry is a large part of the economy, with the country producing silver, bismuth, and celestite. Mexico also has oil and natural gas reserves and manufactures electrical machinery, chemicals, and vehicles. This country has a rich cultural heritage and a varied climate. It has plenty of beautiful geography. You can find everything from swamps, deserts, lowland jungles, and mountains. There is lovely alpine vegetation in the high mountains to behold as well as plateaus surrounded by mountains and dense rainforests. There are many attractive sights in Mexico, including the pyramids of Teotihuacan, one of which stands 207 feet tall. Trees and brightly painted gondolas line the canals of Xochimilco. Cenote pools cover the Yucatan terrain. The highlands contain Mayan art, including intricate woven fabrics. Mexico has it all, from beaches and ranches to cities and mountain peaks.
The Flag of Mexico: Description
The flag of Mexico features three vertical stripes of equal size. The left stripe is green, the middle white, and the right stripe is red. The national coat of arms is in the center and is three-quarters the size of the white stripe.
The Flag of Mexico: Variations
The central image has changed slightly throughout history, but the flag of Mexico has remained largely the same for 200+ years. A common variation of the standard flag is a design in which the entire coat of arms is gold, with the exception of the ribbon under the eagles’ feet. That ribbon remains red, white, and green. The President of Mexico and other federal bodies are most likely to use this version. In a second variation, the whole coat of arms is gold, even the ribbon.
Coat of Arms of Mexico: Description
The national shield of Mexico shows a large golden eagle sitting on a prickly pear cactus. The cactus bears fruit and grows out of a pedestal made of stone. The stone is in a blue area that represents a lake. In the eagle’s mouth is a rattlesnake. Below the eagle is a ribbon in the national colors of green, white, and red. The Seal of the government of Mexico depicts this same scene.
The Flag of Mexico: Symbolism
The imagery of the flag goes back to a common legend in Mexico. In the tale, the God called Huitzilopochtli told the Aztecs that they would find the ideal location to build their empire when they saw an eagle standing on a cactus eating a snake. When they spotted this exact scene, they stopped to build Mexico City (then Tenochtitlan). The imagery of this scene on the flag reminds the people of their Aztec roots. The flag’s red stripe represents all the national heroes who fought for freedom. The white stripe represents unity, and the green represents hope and victory.
Flag Day in Mexico
Flag Day on February 24th is an important holiday in Mexico. The nation’s president officially implemented it in 1937. They chose this particular date because of an important proclamation on February 24th, 1821. General Vicente Martinez and General Agustin de Iturbide released Plan de las tres garantías (three guarantees). They announced a plan for independence from Spain, which was a key point in the process of freedom for Mexico. Their plan was based on the three principles of independence, unity, and religion, which the national flag strongly represents.
Independence Day in Mexico
Independence Day in Mexico is celebrated on September 16th. This national holiday celebrates the country’s independence from Spain, who ruled Mexico for over 300 years. The celebration includes feasts, music, performances, and fireworks. On September 16th, 1810, a Catholic priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bell and delivered a powerful speech (called Grito de Delores). This speech marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence, which lasted for nearly 11 years. On August 14th, 1821, Spain withdrew from the conflict and ceded Mexico as an independent country. Father Hidalgo is known as the Father of Independence. Every year, the President of Mexico rings the same bell Hidalgo rang 200 years ago to mark the beginning of the celebrations.
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