Flag of Qatar
Qatar's flag is maroon with a wide white band at the pole, joined to the maroon by a zigzag line with nine white points.
At a glance
- Adopted
- July 9, 1971adopted shortly before independence from Britain on 3 September 1971; a very similar flag had been used since 1949; the exact maroon was fixed by law in 2012
- Shape (height : width)
- 11:28
- Capital
- Doha
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- maroon
- white
What it means
- White: peace
- Maroon: according to the Ministry of Information, the blood shed in past wars; Wikipedia also links it to the country's old purple dye industry
- Nine points: officially, Qatar as the ninth member of the reconciled emirates of the Gulf that signed treaties with Britain; some sources say the zigzag is only decoration
Where it came from
Qatar's first flag was plain red, like many flags of the Gulf. A white band at the hoist was added later. The nine points were added in 1932, and maroon became the standard colour in the 1930s and 1940s. One explanation is that locally dyed red cloth faded to a dark brownish red in the strong sun.
History
A basic maroon-and-white design was defined in 1949. The current flag was adopted on 9 July 1971, just before Qatar became independent. In 2012 a law fixed the exact shade, Pantone 1955 C, known as Qatar maroon, and set penalties for disrespecting the flag.
Flags of the World notes that Qatar's flag looked a lot like Bahrain's, which is one reason Qatar chose a deeper maroon and a longer shape.
Fun facts
- At 11:28, Qatar's flag is the only national flag more than twice as long as it is tall.
- Its maroon colour even has its own name: Qatar maroon.
- Neighbouring Bahrain's flag looks similar but is red, shorter and has fewer points.
- A 1992 drawing showed ten points instead of nine.
- Unofficial Qatari flags often use shorter shapes, such as 2:3 or 3:5.
Questions
What does the flag of Qatar look like?
Qatar's flag is maroon with a wide white band at the pole, joined to the maroon by a zigzag line with nine white points.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Qatar mean?
White: peace; Maroon: according to the Ministry of Information, the blood shed in past wars; Wikipedia also links it to the country's old purple dye industry; Nine points: officially, Qatar as the ninth member of the reconciled emirates of the Gulf that signed treaties with Britain; some sources say the zigzag is only decoration.
When was the flag of Qatar adopted?
The current flag of Qatar was adopted on July 9, 1971. (adopted shortly before independence from Britain on 3 September 1971; a very similar flag had been used since 1949; the exact maroon was fixed by law in 2012)
What colours are on the flag of Qatar?
The flag of Qatar uses maroon and white.
Famous landmarks in Qatar
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)