Special in their own way, Bahrain and Qatar are the countries that are famously known for petroleum reserves. Where Qatar has the third highest HDI in the Arab world after UAE and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, though the smallest country in the Middle East, is known to use wind turbines for clean energy in its trade center.
Bahrain is also very popular for its pearls. Though many differences and commonalities exist between both the countries, our focus will be specially on the flags. At first glance, many may mistake these flags as the same with barely any difference.
Bahrain’s flag may be perceived as that of Qatar’s and vice versa. Though both the flags at face value may seem dangerously similar, it is important to recognize that there are major differences too. The differences kick in owing to the color, shape and symbolism of each of the flag. In this article, we will break down some aspects in order to compare and contrast elements of each flag. Firstly, we will talk about the basic description of each flag.
Basic Description
Bahrain's Flag This flag consists of a white band on the hoist side, separating from the larger red area via five white triangles that are seen in a zigzag pattern.
Qatar's Flag This flag also consists of a white band on the hoist side that is separating from the larger maroon area via nine white triangles that serve as a serrated line.
Thoughts About Basic Description:
After discussing the basic description of both the flags, we are now aware of the fact that though both the flags share a similar white band on the hoist side, the number of triangles and the colors are different. Moreover, where Bahrain’s flag has a more flashy, blood red appearance with its white band, Qatar’s flag has a much more calm and sophisticated, maroon appearance with a hint of purplish tint, along with it’s white band. Having covered the basic description part, let’s assess what each of these flags symbolize.
Symbolism
Bahrain’s Flag Bahrain’s flag has dense history attached to its colors, specifically. The white band denotes the peace treaty signed between the Arab countries, whereas the red field symbolizes blood and wars. Besides that, to make the flag appear unique, the zigzag design was added. Lastly, the five triangles symbolize the five pillars of Islam; Faith, Prayer, Fasting, Zakat and Hajj.
Qatar’s Flag Qatar’s maroon side is inspired by the climatic factors which made the creators add a purplish tint to it too. The maroon color also represents dark blood, whereas the white color symbolizes peace. Qatar’s nine triangles represents the number of wars it has had and also the fact that it was included as the 9th member of Persian Gulf Reconciled Emirates.
Thoughts About Symbolism:
The symbolism part was quite interesting to discover about both the flags. It seems that Bahrain takes more pride in the religious element along with the wars it has had, whereas Qatar takes more pride in wars and achievements. The similarity between them was that the white field symbolizes peace in both the flags. However, the symbolism for the counterpart is rather opposite in both the flags. Qatar’s flag is rich in culture, patriotism and heritage, whereas Bahrain’s flag is symbolizes history and idealism. Having said that, let’s head on to our next aspect, which is the height-to-width ratio of each flag.
Height-To-Width Ratio
Bahrain’s Flag Ratio It is more square with a height-to-width ratio of 3:5.
Qatar’s Flag Ratio Qatar has a wider aspect ratio of 11:28 where the width is twice the height.
Thoughts About Height-To-Width Ratio:
This aspect is pretty straightforward and the numbers speak for themselves. Bahrain has a more square shape and narrow aspect ratio than that of Qatar’s. On the other hand, Qatar is wider as the width is a lot more bigger than the height as shown in the image above. Now that we have learned about the major differences and similarities between the two flags, let’s now highlight some of the interesting facts about each of them.
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts About Bahrain’s Flag In 2004, Bahrain's flag was known to be the largest in the world while also setting a Guinness World Record. With height of 169.5m and width of 97.1m, it was considered the largest until the record was broken later on by another country.
Interesting Facts About Qatar’s Flag Qatar’s flag is a representation of national pride and heritage. It represents its land and people from the past to the present. This emphasizes on the aspirations the Qatari people hold for their nation for the further. It also came up with the largest flag while setting a record in 2013, during their National Day festivities. The flag could have easily fitted around 14 football pitches.
Thoughts About Interesting Facts:
As mentioned earlier, both special in their own way, Bahrain and Qatar’s flags are different yet similar when it comes down to facts too. The largest flag status was attained by both the countries’ flags and then later on the status did not persist for long, for both of them.
Concluding Note:
On a concluding note, both the flags take away points on meaningfulness and beauty. However, we do feel that the flag of Qatar has a more elegant, aesthetically pleasing and unique look as compared to that of Bahrain. Also, there’s ease of identification when it comes to Qatar’s flag as not everyone uses that innovative color for their flag. With great design and shade, the intricate planning and meticulous crafting that was done to create Qatar’s flag is apparent.
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