What are the three vertical colors on Mexico's national flag, from hoist to fly?

Mexico's national flag has green, white and red vertical bands from hoist to fly.

The hoist is the side attached to the flagpole, so the green stripe comes first when the flag is displayed normally. The white center band carries Mexico's national coat of arms: an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus while holding a serpent. The red stripe is on the fly, or free outer edge.

The three colors became associated with Mexican independence through the Army of the Three Guarantees in 1821. Their meanings have changed over time. Early interpretations connected green with independence, white with religion and red with union; later civic explanations gave the colors different national meanings. The emblem in the center is therefore an important distinction, not decoration that can simply be omitted from the official national flag.

Mexico's arrangement is sometimes confused with Italy's because both flags use green, white and red. Italy's tricolor is also vertical, but its proportions, shades and central design differ. Mexico's flag has a 4:7 proportion, and the coat of arms makes the two flags immediately distinguishable when the flag is shown correctly.