Flag of Togo
Five horizontal stripes, green and yellow in turn, with a red square in the top left corner holding a white five-pointed star.
At a glance
- Adopted
- April 27, 1960
- Capital
- Lomé
- Continent
- Africa
- Colours
- green
- yellow
- red
- white
What it means
- Green: hope, farming and the forests
- Yellow: the country's natural and mineral riches, and national unity
- Red: the blood of those who died for independence
- White star: peace, wisdom and dignity; the star also stands for life and liberty
- Five stripes: according to the designer, the action and unity of the people, like five fingers on one hand; people often say they are Togo's five regions, but that is not confirmed
Where it came from
The flag was designed by the Togolese artist Paul Ahyi, who had just finished art school in Paris. He won a national design contest held by the government before independence, and it was adopted on 27 April 1960, the day Togo became independent from France.
History
Togo was a German colony from 1884, then was split between Britain and France after the First World War; the British part later joined Ghana. From 1956 the French part was a self-governing republic with a green flag that had the French tricolour in the corner and two yellow stars. At independence it switched to Ahyi's design, which has not changed since.
Fun facts
- Some people say the designer used the golden ratio for the flag's shape, but no source proves it, and books give different shapes.
- The designer shared the contest prize with a mystery entrant who used a made-up name.
- Togo's colours are the Pan-African green, yellow and red.
- The flag also appears on Togo's coat of arms.
Easy to mix up with
Liberia: Liberia also has stripes and a corner square with a white star, but its stripes are red and white and its square is blue
Questions
What does the flag of Togo look like?
Five horizontal stripes, green and yellow in turn, with a red square in the top left corner holding a white five-pointed star.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Togo mean?
Green: hope, farming and the forests; Yellow: the country's natural and mineral riches, and national unity; Red: the blood of those who died for independence; White star: peace, wisdom and dignity; the star also stands for life and liberty; Five stripes: according to the designer, the action and unity of the people, like five fingers on one hand; people often say they are Togo's five regions, but that is not confirmed.
When was the flag of Togo adopted?
The current flag of Togo was adopted on April 27, 1960.
What colours are on the flag of Togo?
The flag of Togo uses green, yellow, red and white.
Which flag is easy to mix up with the flag of Togo?
It is easy to mix up with the flag of Liberia. Liberia also has stripes and a corner square with a white star, but its stripes are red and white and its square is blue
Famous landmarks in Togo
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)