Flag_of_Togo

Flag of Togo

Flag of Togo

National flag


The flag of Togo (French: drapeau du Togo) is the national flag, ensign, and naval jack of Togo. It has five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow. There is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner. It uses the pan-African colors of Ethiopia, but the design resembles the flag of Liberia, which itself echoes the flag of the United States, making it part of both the pan-African and Stars and Stripes flag families.

Quick Facts Use, Proportion ...
Children and teachers with the Togolese flag
Flag of Togo on an outdoor flagpole

History

The flag was designed by artist Paul Ahyi and approximates a golden rectangle closely.[1] Ahyi was regarded as among the greatest of African artists of his generation. Born in Togo, Ahyi graduated from the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts[2] in Paris in 1959 and returned to Togo. He designed the flag of Togo while working on other contemporary works.[3] The flag was adopted on 27 April 1960, and is still in use. During France's rule over Togo from 1957 to 1958, the flag of French Togo was used. After Togo's independence, the first Flag of Togo was used from 1958 to 1960.

Symbolism

The four colors (green, red, white and yellow) are the pan-African colors.

The colors of the flag are meant to symbolize the following:

  • Red represents blood shed by Togo's freedom fighters
  • White star represents hope
  • Green represents the forests, agriculture, nature, and overall hope for the future
  • Yellow represents the natural resources of the country

The five stripes represent the five regions of Togo.

Geometry

The sides of the flag of Togo are in the golden ratio φ = 1+5/2 ≈ 1.618034. As of November 2023, this makes it one of two national flags in active use with an irrational proportion, the other being the flag of Nepal.

Historical flags

More information Years of use, Ratio ...

See also


References

  1. "Flag of Togo". FOTW.us. Flags Of The World. Archived from the original on 7 June 2007. Retrieved 9 June 2007.

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