Benin vs Guinea-Bissau
These two are close enough that people routinely draw one when they mean the other. Take the challenge first — the flags are further down the page.
The challenge
Practice
Draw the flag from memory.
What actually differs
- Both flags use the same colours — green, yellow and red — so the difference is in the shades and the shape.
- Guinea-Bissau carries black star; Benin has nothing in the middle.
- Benin flies at 2:3 and Guinea-Bissau at 1:2, so side by side one looks longer than the other.
- Even the shared colours are mixed differently: green (#008751 against #009E49) and red (#E8112D against #CE1126).
How to keep them straight
Benin: Anchor on the biggest shape: a vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands in green, yellow and red. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.
Guinea-Bissau: Anchor on the biggest shape: a vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands in red, yellow and green. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.
The drawing scorer is built for exactly this: if you swap the colours of Benin it will tell you which two you flipped, rather than just handing you a low number.
Questions
What is the difference between the Benin and Guinea-Bissau flags?
Both flags use the same colours — green, yellow and red — so the difference is in the shades and the shape. Guinea-Bissau carries black star; Benin has nothing in the middle. Benin flies at 2:3 and Guinea-Bissau at 1:2, so side by side one looks longer than the other. Even the shared colours are mixed differently: green (#008751 against #009E49) and red (#E8112D against #CE1126).
Which is which?
Anchor on the biggest shape: a vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands in green, yellow and red. Everything else on the flag hangs off that. And for the other one: anchor on the biggest shape: a vertical band at the hoist beside horizontal bands in red, yellow and green. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.
Are the Benin and Guinea-Bissau flags exactly the same?
No — Both flags use the same colours — green, yellow and red — so the difference is in the shades and the shape.
