Qatar vs Bahrain flag: how to tell them apart
Count the white points: Qatar has nine on maroon, and Bahrain has five on red.
How to tell them apart
Colour
Qatar is maroon, set by the government in 2012 as Pantone 1955 C. Bahrain is red (Pantone 485 C).
Number of points
Qatar's white band has nine points, for Qatar as the ninth reconciled emirate to sign the 1916 treaty with Britain. Bahrain has five, one for each of the Five Pillars of Islam.
Shape
Qatar's flag is 11:28, so it is more than twice as long as it is tall. Bahrain's is 3:5.
Bahrain lost points
Bahrain's flag once had 28 white points. It went down to eight in 1972 and to five on 14 February 2002.
Why they look alike
Qatar's historic flag was plain red. Both countries added white in the 19th century in connection with Britain; for Bahrain this followed an 1820 maritime treaty.
Qatar added its nine-point edge in 1932 and standardised maroon in 1936. Bahrain's five white triangles stand for the five pillars of Islam.
Official colours and ratio
| Flag | Ratio | Adopted | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qatar | 11:28 | 9 July 1971 |
|
| Bahrain | 3:5 | 14 February 2002 |
|
Where you see each flag
Bahrain: Bahrain flies the same flag on land and at sea, as its national flag, civil ensign and war ensign.
Questions
What do Qatar's nine points mean?
They show Qatar as the ninth member of the reconciled emirates of the Persian Gulf.
Which flag is longer?
Qatar's flag is 11:28, the only national flag more than twice as wide as it is tall. Bahrain's is 3:5.
What do Bahrain's five points mean?
The five white triangles stand for the five pillars of Islam.
Bert's facts
- Qatar: Qatar has just one land neighbour: Saudi Arabia.
- Bahrain: Bahrain shares no land border with another country.
Quick quiz
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Sources
