New Mexico State Flag

State Flag of New Mexico

The state flag of New Mexico is one of the only state flags in America that does not include the state's seal or coat of arms. It is also one of only four state flags that does not use the color blue. Those features make New Mexico state flags stand out from the rest of the state flags and ensure that it has one of the most unique designs in the country.

Colors and Symbolism of the New Mexico State Flag

The New Mexico state flag has a bright yellow field that displays the Zia sun symbol in red in the center. The symbol comes from the culture of the native Zia people, who lived in New Mexico before the arrival of European colonists. The symbol has four parts, and it represents the four seasons and the four stages of life that the Zia people recognized.

The flag's colors came from the Spanish Empire and serve as a symbol of the nation's colonial heritage. Red and yellow were both used to represent Spain, and they featured on the flags of the Spanish viceroys who managed New Mexico while it was part of the Spanish Empire. The combination of a native symbol with colonial colors on the state flag of New Mexico embodies the hope for unity between the two cultural groups in the state.

History of New Mexico State Flags

The effort to design a New Mexico state flag began in 1920, when the Daughters of the American Revolution began to lobby the state government to adopt a flag. The design was eventually chosen through a contest that was won by an archaeologist named Dr. Harry Mera. Dr. Mera's flag followed in the footsteps of an unofficial flag which had been displayed at the San Diego's World Fair in 1915. The unofficial flag had a blue field with the national flag displayed in the canton and the state's name in the center. It was not a popular design, and it is unlikely to have had any influence on the official design.

Official New Mexico state flags have never changed their design. The North American Vexillological Association found that it was the best flag in North America during 2001 survey, so it is unlikely to change in the near future.

A short history of the New Mexico State flag
The modern-looking flag of New Mexico dates back to 1925. The Daughters of the American Revolution were yet again instrumental in its adoption on March 15, 1925. The colors of yellow and red recognize Spanish rule in the seventeenth century. The designer Dr. Harry Mera (an archaeologist) his knowledge led him to use the sun symbol of the Zia Indians. The New Mexico flag pledge described the symbol as the Zia symbol of perfect friendship among united cultures. It also served as the baisis for the layout of the state capital.

A short history of New Mexico (The Land of Enchantment)
New Mexico lies around the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Its name was originally applied to all the northern parts of Mexico, and in 1848 was lost to the USA. By 1850 New Mexico became a Territory, although Arizona and Utah were later separated off, and other areas lost were Colorado and Texas. In 1912 it became the forty-seventh state.

Area of New Mexico: 121,335 sq. miles
Capital: Santa Fe
Major Products: uranium and other minerals, oil, gas, cereals, cotton, livestock
State Motto: Crescit eundo ("It grows as it goes")