1. What do you think the eagle perched on top of the cactus and holding a snake means?

2. The Mexican Flag and it’s symbols

3. The Mexican Flag: Symbols
The proportion of height versus width of the Mexican flag is 4:7. It is vertically divided into three sections, which have the same size.
Each one of these sections has a distinctive color, which symbolize different aspects of the Mexican ideal of a nation.
The middle band, colored white, contains the National Mexican Crest, a symbol that is very important to Mexican people.

4. Colors of the Mexican flag
The Mexican flag colors are three: green, white and red.
Green: represents hope for a better nation, where people join together to achieve and maintain peace between them.
White: represents the purity of catholic faith.
Red: the color of blood. The people pay a tribute to those who died during the terrible war for independence.

5. The National Crest

6. The Mexican Crest
According to the official story of Mexico, the coat of arms of Mexico was inspired by an Aztec legend regarding the founding of Tenochtitlan.
The Aztec god Huizilopochtli (we-see-low-PōCH-tlee) told the Aztecs to build their city where they find an eagle, carrying a snake, lands on a nopal (cactus). As was predicted in the ancient prophecy, they spotted the eagle with a snake in its beak, on a cactus- in a huge swampy area. They built their city, Tenochtitlán on a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco- and this eventually became Mexico City. The bird featured on the Mexican coat of arms is the Golden Eagle.

7. The Mexican Crest
This bird is known in Spanish as águila real (literally, "royal eagle"). The Golden Eagle is considered the Mexican eagle for official purposes, and for the same reason is considered the official bird of Mexico.

8. Directions for your flag
On the front of the COPY paper, recreate the Mexican flag exactly as it is.
On the back of the COPY paper, create a flag for your own “country”. This original flag must include:
Three colors (NO WHITE)
One graphic picture
Your explanation for your colors, picture, and the type of government you will have with explanations for all three, will need to be written on a piece of notebook paper and stapled to your flag.

9. Types of Governments
Governments can be classified into several types. Some of the more common types of governments are:
1. Democracy
The word "democracy" literally means "rule by the people." In a democracy, the people govern.
2. Republic
In a republic, the people elect representatives to make and enforce laws.
3. Monarchy
A monarchy consists of rule by a king or queen. Sometimes a king is called an "emperor," especially if there is a large empire.
4. Aristocracy
An aristocracy is rule by the aristocrats. Aristocrats are typically wealthy, educated people.
5. Dictatorship
A dictatorship consists of rule by one person or a group of people.
6. Democratic Republic
A government that officially calls itself a "democratic republic" is usually a dictatorship.