Name____________ Date_______________

1. Name____________ Date_______________ Number the paragraphs. Read the information and write the important facts in the space at the right. Use the information to create a Mexican flag. The Mexican Flag The Mexican Flag is divided into thirds: 1/3 green, 1/3 white and 1/3 red. The green on the left symbolizes or stands for the earth. The white in the middle symbolizes purity. The white stripe also contains an eagle eating a rattlesnake. The eagle is standing with its left claw upon a cactus, and a half circle of green oak leaves on the left (symbolizing strength) and laurel branches on the right (symbolizing victory). The red on the right symbolizes the blood that was shed during the battles for independence. The picture on the flag is from an ancient Aztec legend. The Aztec people were told by Huitzilopochtli (their God) that to find the promised land, they had to find the place where an eagle landed on a cactus while eating a snake. After wandering for hundreds of years, they found the eagle on a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco. This new Aztec home was named Tenochtitlan (meaning "Place of the Nopal Cactus"), and in 1325, they built what is now called Mexico City. This flag was first used on September 17, 1968. Important facts Important facts Important facts