Congo vs São Tomé and Príncipe

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 of

Size

🏆 Best: –

What actually differs

Both flags use the same colours — green, yellow and red — so the difference is in the shades and the shape.
the Congo is bands running corner to corner; São Tomé and Príncipe is a one-of-a-kind layout.
the Congo flies at 2:3 and São Tomé and Príncipe at 1:2, so side by side one looks longer than the other.
Even the shared colours are mixed differently: green (#009543 against #12AD2B), yellow (#FBDE4A against #FFCE00) and red (#DC241F against #D21034).

How to keep them straight

Congo: Anchor on the biggest shape: bands running corner to corner in green, yellow and red. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.

São Tomé and Príncipe: Anchor on the biggest shape: a one-of-a-kind layout in green, yellow and red. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.

The drawing scorer is built for exactly this: if you swap the colours of the Congo it will tell you which two you flipped, rather than just handing you a low number.

Questions

What is the difference between the Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe flags?

Both flags use the same colours — green, yellow and red — so the difference is in the shades and the shape. the Congo is bands running corner to corner; São Tomé and Príncipe is a one-of-a-kind layout. the Congo flies at 2:3 and São Tomé and Príncipe at 1:2, so side by side one looks longer than the other. Even the shared colours are mixed differently: green (#009543 against #12AD2B), yellow (#FBDE4A against #FFCE00) and red (#DC241F against #D21034).

Which is which?

Anchor on the biggest shape: bands running corner to corner in green, yellow and red. Everything else on the flag hangs off that. And for the other one: anchor on the biggest shape: a one-of-a-kind layout in green, yellow and red. Everything else on the flag hangs off that.

Are the Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe flags exactly the same?

No. They use the same colour names, but the shades and the proportions differ: Congo is 2:3 and São Tomé and Príncipe is 1:2.