How Countries Got Their Flags: Bahrain
Bahrain is a Middle-Eastern country that few have heard of, yet its flag is nearly identical to the flag of another country that became infamous in 2022 because of a worldwide sporting event; the flag of Qatar. It is easy to get these two flags mixed up, but they haven’t always looked so similar. Let’s examine how these countries ended up with almost identical flags.
1783–1820
The earliest known Bahraini flag was completely red and had a very rare aspect ratio of 3:1. Because it was completely red, it was often misidentified as a pirate flag. For this reason, Bahrain had to change its flag in 1820.
1820–1932
Bahrain signed a maritime treaty with the British Empire in 1820, so its flag had to be changed to signify the treaty and distinguish it from pirate flags of the day. So, a white stripe was added to the left side of the flag. The rest of the flag and the aspect ratio remained the same. To this day, this is the longest-standing Bahraini flag in history. However, there was still an issue with this flag: it looked very similar to the flags of the countries neighboring Bahrain. It was changed again in 1932 because of this.
1932–1972
Two major changes were brought to the Bahraini flag in 1932. Most notably, the border between the white and red portions was changed from a straight edge to a serrated one. On this version, there are 28 white points. The other change to the flag was the aspect ratio. Previously, it was 3:1, but on this version, it’s a much more compact rectangular shape.
1972–2002
In 1972, the number of white points on the Bahraini flag was reduced from 28 to eight. This would not be the last time the number of points was lowered. Only one other change was made to the flag in 1972. Before this version, the flag of Bahrain always had an uncommon aspect ratio. This version features an aspect ratio of 3:5, the first “normal” aspect ratio to be used in Bahrain. 16 other countries currently have a flag with an aspect ratio of 3:5. Color aside, this version of the Bahraini flag most closely resembles the modern-day flag of Qatar.
2002-Present (2023)
The number of white points on the flag of Bahrain was lowered once again in February of 2002. Instead of eight, the flag now boasts five points. These points represent the Five Pillars of Islam. The Islamic faith is extremely prevalent in Bahrain; over 80% of its citizens are Muslim. The aspect ratio is still 3:5 and the colors are still the same as they have always been since 1820. This version of the flag of Bahrain is more distinguishable from the flag of Qatar than the previous version.
