New Mexico Fire Patches

New Mexico was the 47th state in the USA; it became a state on January 6, 1912. - State Capital is Santa Fe. - Nickname is Land of Enchantment. - The official state flag of New Mexico was chosen from a flag competition in 1920 (the competition was held to replace an older New Mexico flag). The winner was Dr. Harry Mera, a doctor and archeologist from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dr. Mera's design is an interpretation of an ancient Sun symbol called a Zia (this symbol was found on a water jar made in the late 1800's in Zia Pueblo). Since four is a sacred number for the Zia, there are four rays coming from each side of the stylized Sun. The colors red and yellow are used because they were the colors of the flag of the Spanish conquistadors who went to New Mexico in the early 1500's.