Qatar has the national flag with the world’s highest length-to-width ratio, 28:11.
The flag is maroon with a broad white vertical band at the hoist. The boundary between the two colours has nine white serrated points. Qatar’s unusually long proportions make it immediately distinctive among national flags.
The nine points are commonly explained as representing Qatar’s status as the ninth member of the “reconciled Emirates” after the conclusion of the British-Qatari agreement in 1916. The maroon colour developed from an earlier red design; exposure to the intense sunlight of the region darkened the dye, and the darker shade was later retained.
Qatar’s flag is often confused with Bahrain’s because both use a white hoist-side band and a serrated division. Bahrain’s flag has five points and uses a brighter red field. Qatar’s current design was adopted on 9 July 1971, shortly before independence from Britain.