Flag of New Mexico
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The Flag of New Mexico consists of a red sun symbol of the Zia on a field of yellow. The colors honor Queen Isabella of Spain and the Spanish Conquistadors who explored in her name.
The Daughters of the American Revolution pushed New Mexico to design a contemporary and unique flag in 1920. A contest to design the new state flag was won by Dr. Harry Mera of Santa Fe, New Mexico. His winning design is the flag that the state uses today.
Dr Mera was an archaeologist who was familiar with the Zia sun symbol found at Zia Pueblo on a 19th century pot. The symbol has sacred meaning to the Zia. Four is a sacred number which symbolizes the Circle of Life: four winds, four seasons, four directions, and four sacred obligations. The circle binds the four elements of four together.
In recent years, Zia Pueblo has made repeated attempts to remove the sacred symbol from the state's flag. It is unclear what the ultimate result of this effort will be. For now, at least, the Zia will remain on the flag.
The unofficial first flag
For the first 14 years of statehood, New Mexico had no official flag. During the San Diego World's Fair of 1915, the fair featured an exhibit hall in which all the state flags were displayed. Since New Mexico did not have an official flag, an unofficial flag consisting of a blue canton with the United States flag in the upper left corner, the words "New Mexico" and "47" (because New Mexico is the 47th state) in silver lettering in the center of the flag, and the state seal in the bottom right corner.
| Flags of the U.S. states |
| Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming |
| Flags of the inhabited insular areas and the Federal district |
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| American Samoa | Guam | Northern Mariana Islands | Puerto Rico | Virgin Islands | Washington D.C. |
| Unofficial flags of the uninhabited insular areas |
| Johnston Atoll | Midway Atoll | Navassa Island | Palmyra Atoll | Wake Island |