The Coat of arms of Chihuahua (, lit. "state shield of Chihuahua") is a
symbol
A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...
of the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. Was adopted in 20 January 1983.
Symbolism
The coat of arms of the state of Chihuahua is of the Gothic ogival type, that is, ending in a point, which is unusual in the states of the country. It is composed of a red border in which at the top reads "Estado de Chih", acronym for the
State of Chihuahua
Chihuahua, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chihuahua, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is located in the northwestern part of Mexico and is bordered by the states o ...
and on the sides, the entity's motto, "Courage, Loyalty, Hospitality", in silver letters. The same apple blossom at each of the upper ends. The main body of the
shield
A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
is divided into three asymmetrical parts, separated from each other and from the border by a strip of laurel leaves (green). The upper part shows on the blue background of the sky and the three hills that dominate the landscape of the city of Chihuahua, capital of the state, which are El Coronel, Santa Rosa and Grande in their natural color, and the foreground from left to right a mine winch, a section of the Aqueduct of the state capital and a mesquite tree.The central part is divided into sixteen pieces, eight silver and eight
gules
In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple).
Gules is portrayed in heraldic hatch ...
, which represent the votes for and against that were cast to found the city of Chihuahua in 1709 and that resulted in a tie, and above them are the Profile faces of a
Spanish conquistador
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish and Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing beyond the Iberian Peninsula, the ...
and a
Tarahumara Indian facing each other. At the bottom, in blue, the front of the
Chihuahua cathedral in gold.
History
The State of Chihuahua did not have an official coat of arms, and because the one designed by
Don José María Ponce de León, painted by the Chihuahuan Raúl López on the walls of the
Ministry of Public Education, in the Federal District, although it was placed there by orders of Minister
José Vasconcelos
José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexicans, Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial pers ...
, it was never recognized as an official shield that identified the State of Chihuahua.
On the other hand, the constant use of the coat of arms of the
City of Chihuahua, as the coat of arms of the State, became traditional for the people of Chihuahua and on January 20, 1983, the State Executive presented a draft decree before the State Congress, with the aim of that the shield of the Municipality of Chihuahua be adopted in its entirety, replacing only the upper part of the legend "SN PHE EL RL. DE CHIH.", for "ESTADO DE CHIHUAHUA."
See also
*
Chihuahua
*
Coat of arms of Mexico
The coat of arms of Mexico (, lit. "national shield of Mexico") is a national symbol of Mexico and depicts a Mexican golden eagle, Mexican (golden) eagle perched on a Opuntia, prickly pear cactus devouring a rattlesnake. The design is rooted in ...
*
Symbols of Chihuahua City
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chihuahua, Coat of arms of
Mexican coats of arms
Symbols of Chihuahua