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Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico

Free and Sovereign State of Michoacan de Ocampo [Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocam

[Flag Michoacan de Ocampo

[Coat of arms Michoacan de Ocampo

Both images by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán,
24 March 2014.

Presentation of Michoacan de Ocampo
Michoacan state colors
Aztec emblem (glyph) for Michoacan
Unidentified flag

See:

See also:

Government of Michoacán de Ocampo

Presentation of Michoacán de Ocampo

Official name: Free and Sovereign State of Michoacan de Ocampo [Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo]
Short-form names: State of Michoacan de Ocampo [Estado de Michoacán de Ocampo]; Michoacan de Ocampo [Michoacán de Ocampo]; State of Michoacan [Estado de Michoacán] Michoacan[Michoacán]
Location: Coastal Mexican state located in the Western-Center part of the country. It lays the States of: Colima and Jalisco (W); Guanajuato, and Queretaro de Arteaga (N); Mexico (E); and Guerrero (S). It is bathed by the Pacific Ocean (SW).
Area: 58,200 km²
Municipalities: 113
Population: 3'985,667 inhabitants
Capital: Morelia (Pop.: 620,532 -2000-) (formerly Valladolid)
Statehood: 22 December 1823
Flag adopted: Unknown date
Arms adopted: 12 September 1974, confirmed on 7 June 2007 (by act published on 6 July 2007, in effect from 7 July 2007)
Arms designer: Unknown

INEGI and SEP
Reported by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 06, 2001.

Michoacan state colors

Civil flag of Morelia, variant
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, Dec. 10, 2001

There are states that have unofficial flags simultaneusly appreciated jointly with the National, e.g. Jalisco, and Yucatan. In Michoacan, there is also a flag featured by two horizontal stripes red over yellow. This flag has been seen flaying over public buildings.
Arnoldo Hernández, December 10, 1991.

Red and yellow are typical in the city and also used to unofficially represent the state since the state coat or arms bears those colors. They are derived from the coat of arms of Valladolid (present-day Morelia), the state's capital city. They both are the official ones used by the former football club "Atlético Morelia S.C", now called "Monarcas F.C". Michoacan sports teams taking part in national sports events use to wear yellow and red. However, it should be said, that several flags with those colors arranged in different order are flown in many places, incluiding public buildings. Many flags could be seen when Atlético Morelia FC won the Football Championship in Mexico in 2000. It should be said that red and yellow are Morelia's city representative colors rather than the state. Michoacan laws say nothing about "state colors", unlike Jalisco's. In adition to that, the current government of Michoacan employs green and white as its identity image.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, December 10, 2001.

Aztec emblem (glyph) for Michoacan

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, December 21, 2002.

The ancient Nahua writing system was based on images called "glyphs". In the pre-Hispanic times the Aztecs represented the Michoacan with a fish and a hill since Michoacan is a Nahua two-parts word means Michi = fish, and can = place, e.g. "Place of fish", "Place of fishermen" or "Place of fish abundance". Such an emblem is the crest of the current State coat arms. There is no evidence such a glyph had been used on any kind of flag or pantlitl (Nahua word for flag)
Daniel Rosas, February 16, 2002 and Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, February 19, 2002.

Unidentified flag in Michoacan de Ocampo

I am trying to determine the meaning of a flag which is depicted in a mural in a small church in Michoacan, Mexico. It is held by a figure who is probably a Christian descendent of Montezuma, and it shows a sun-face superimposed on a St Andrew's cross. If you were trying to find out about this flag, what approach would you take? What resources or archives would you consult?
James Abraham, December 7, 2001.

Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page.


Both images by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 24 March 2014.