Michoacan (Mexico)

Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán

Last modified: 2025-10-04 by daniel rentería
Keywords: michoacan | bandera estatal | pacific ocean |
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• De facto flag
• Coat of arms
• State colors
• Pre-hispanic Nahuatl glyph for the word "Michoacan"
• Unidentified flag

• Juárez
• Morelia

• Government of the State of Michoacán
• The states and Mexico City
• Clickable map of mexican states
• Mexico

De facto flag

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by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 6 October 2001

Coat of arms

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 21 February 2001
Arms adopted: by Decree num. 187, published in the Periódico Oficial del Gobierno Constitucional del Estado de Michoacán de Ocampo on 12 September 1974. Coat of arms confirmed: By decree num. 195, published in the Periódico Oficial del Estado de Michoacán on 6 July 2007, in effect on 7 July 2007.

State colors

Red and yellow are typical in the state. They are the official ones used by the former football club "Atlético Morelia S.C", now called "Monarcas Monarcas F.C". The Michoacán sports youngs who participate in National Youth and Children Games; in addition to the under-18 State Amateur football team, use all also yellow and red. However, it should be said, that several flags with those colors and in a different disposition, were flown in many places, incluiding public buildings, when "Atlético Morelia FC" won the Football Championship in Mexico a year ago.
On the other hand, the Michoacán laws say nothing about "state colors", unlike Jalisco's. In adition to that, the Michoacán official web-site employs green and white, while that of Jalisco uses the State colors: blue and yellow.
It should be considered also that yellow and red could be representative of the Municipality of Morelia rather than the State.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 10 December 2001.

Pre-hispanic Nahuatl glyph for the word "Michoacan"

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 21 December 2002

In the pre-hispanic times, the Empire of Michoacán had a "coat of arms"; it was of mexica (aztec) origin, and was the representation of the Empire's name: Michoacán of the nahuatl words "Michi" what means fish, and "can" what means place, so Michoacan may be translate like "place of fishermen","place of fish abundance", or "place of fish". Such an emblem is the crest of the current State arms.
Daniel Rosas, February 16, 2002

It is said also that this was used on pantlitl (plural of pantli, the Nahuatl word for flag). This emblem is used as a crest in the present-day Michoacan coat of arms.
Daniel Rosas, February 16, 2002; and
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, February 19, 2002.

Unidentified flag

by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, May 20, 2002, as described by James Abraham.

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, 7 December 2001

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