Qatar

3×5' nylon national flag of Qatar.

Qatar's flag is the longest national flag in the world, more than two and a half times as long as it is high. Its maroon color is said to have begun as red that darkened in the desert sun.

Design

A maroon field with a white vertical band at the hoist, divided from the maroon by a serrated line of nine white points.

History & Symbolism

Like Bahrain's, Qatar's flag grew from the plain red flags of the Gulf, with white added under nineteenth-century treaties with Britain. The present design was adopted on 9 July 1971, shortly before independence. The nine points are traditionally said to mark Qatar as the ninth member of the reconciled emirates of the Gulf. White stands for peace, and maroon for the blood shed in the nation's past wars.

Flag Specifications

• Adopted: 9 July 1971
• Official proportions: 11:28
• Colors: maroon, white
• Points: nine

Vexillographer's Note

At 11:28, Qatar's official flag is far longer than our 3×5' size; ours follows the American display convention. Count the points to tell it from Bahrain: nine for Qatar, five for Bahrain.

Humphrys Flag Company · Old City Philadelphia · Est. 1864