View source for Flag of Togo

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Togolese Republic
| Image = Flag of Togo.svg
| Use = 111111
| Symbol = {{FIAV|111111}} {{FIAV|Normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}} {{FIAV|Vertical normal}}
| Proportion = 3:5, 1:𝜑 or 2:3<!-- smallest to largest ratio -->
| Adoption = {{start date and age|1960|04|27|df=y}}
| Design = Five horizontal stripes alternating between green and yellow; in the canton, a five-pointed white star on a red field
| Designer = [[Paul Ahyi]]
}}

The [[national flag]] of [[Togo]] consists of five horizontal stripes, alternating between green and yellow, with a red square bearing a five-pointed white star in the [[Canton (flag)|canton]]. It is one of many [[Flags of Africa|African flags]] that use the [[pan-African colours]] of green, yellow, and red. Togolese artist [[Paul Ahyi]] designed the flag in 1960, just before its adoption on 27 April of that year, coinciding with Togo's proclamation of independence. When Togo was an [[autonomous republic]] within the [[French Union]] (the successor to the [[French colonial empire]]), it flew a green flag with the [[Flag of France|French tricolour]] in the canton and two five-pointed yellow stars, one in the lower hoist and one in the upper fly.

== Design ==
Togolese artist [[Paul Ahyi]] (1930–2010) was the designer of the flag.{{sfn|Le Télégramme|2010}} Ahyi studied art in France and graduated from the [[Beaux-Arts de Paris|École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts]] in [[Paris]] in 1959 before returning to Togo. The following year, he designed the flag of Togo, which was adopted upon the country's proclamation of independence on 27 April 1960.{{sfn|Roussel|2020}}{{sfn|Panara|2020}}{{sfn|Government of Togo|2021}}

The design of the flag is outlined in Title I, Article 3 of the [[Constitution of Togo]], 1992 (2019 revision). It states:{{sfn|Constitution of Togo|2019|loc=Title I, Article 3}}

{{Text and translation
| {{lang|fr|L'emblème national est le drapeau composé de cinq bandes horizontales alternées de couleur verte et jaune. Il porte à l'angle supérieur gauche une étoile blanche à cinq branches sur fond carré rouge.}}
| The national [flag] is the flag composed of five alternating horizontal bands of green and yellow. It bears in the upper left corner a white five-pointed star on a red square background.
}}

The proportions of the flag are not mentioned in the constitution and sources differ as to the exact ratio. American vexillologist [[Whitney Smith]], writing in the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]'', stated that the width-to-length ratio is approximately 3:5.{{sfn|Smith|2001}} Polish vexillologist [[Alfred Znamierowski]] meanwhile stated that the ratio is 2:3.{{sfn|Znamierowski|2020|p=219}} It has also been claimed that Ahyi followed the [[golden ratio]] (represented by the Greek letter [[phi]], 𝜑) when designing the flag, which would make it a [[golden rectangle]]. In other words, its width-to-length ratio would be 1:𝜑, where {{math|{{varphi}} {{=}} {{sfrac|1+{{sqrt|5}}|2}} ≈ 1.618}}.{{sfn|Posamentier|Lehmann|2011|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Gw-lqvE6fNgC&dq=%22flag+of+togo%22+%22golden+ratio%22&pg=SA4-PA54 53–54]}}{{sfn|Johar|2024|p=286}}

=== Symbolism ===
The flag uses the pan-African colours of green, yellow, and red, which were adopted by several other African countries upon independence.{{sfn|Smith|2001}} Its five stripes represent the five [[regions of Togo]].{{sfn|Smith|2001}} The office of the [[List of presidents of Togo|Togolese president]] gives the following significance to the flag's colours and symbols: green represents forests, agriculture, and hope; yellow represents natural resources, faith, and maturity; red represents the blood shed by those who fought for Togolese independence; and the white star represents peace, intelligence, and light.{{sfn|Government of Togo|2021}}

== Historical flags ==
[[File:Flag of French Togoland (yellow stars).png|thumb|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of [[French Togoland]] (1956–1960)]]

During [[History of Togo#Colonial rule|the colonial era]], Togo flew the flag of its colonial ruler: [[German Empire|Germany]] from 1884 to 1914 (as part of [[Togoland|German Togoland]]) and France from 1916 to 1960.{{sfn|Knoll|1978|p=22}}{{sfn|Minahan|2009|p=928}} The [[United Nations Trusteeship Council|United Nations trusteeship system]] established after [[World War II]] obliged France to move Togo (then [[French Togoland]]) towards self-government.{{sfn|Smith|2001}} Togo was made an autonomous republic within the French Union on 24 August 1956, and a new flag was adopted along with a motto, an anthem, and a national day.{{sfn|Gayibor|1997|p=212}} The flag was a green field with the French tricolour in the canton and two five-pointed yellow stars, one in the lower hoist and one in the upper fly. The green field represented agriculture, hope, and youth, while the two stars represented Togo's [[Geography of Togo|northern savannas and southern coastal plains]].{{sfn|Smith|2001}}{{sfn|Gayibor|1994|p=134}}

== Coat of arms ==
[[File:Armoiries du Togo.svg|thumb|upright=0.75|[[Coat of arms of Togo]]]]

The flag of Togo is featured on [[Coat of arms of Togo|the country's coat of arms]]. Its inclusion is described in the Togolese constitution:{{sfn|Constitution of Togo|2019|loc=Title I, Article 3}}

{{Text and translation
| {{lang|fr|Les armoiries de la République togolaise sont ainsi constituées{{nbsp}}... écu d'argent de forme ovale et à la bordure de sinople, en chef l'emblème national, deux drapeaux adossés et devise sur banderole ; en coeur de sable les initiales de la République togolaise sur fond d'or échancré ; en pointe, deux lions de gueules adossés.}}
| The coat of arms of the Togolese Republic is thus constituted{{nbsp}}... [a] silver shield of oval shape and with a [[Vert (heraldry)|sinople]] border, in the [[Chief (heraldry)|chief]] the national emblem, two flags back-to-back and the motto on a banner; in the heart of [[Sable (heraldry)|sable]], the initials of the Togolese Republic on a background of indented gold; at the [[Base (heraldry)|base]], two lions gules back-to-back.
}}

== See also ==
* [[List of Togolese flags]]

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |title=Constitution du Togo, 1992 |trans-title=Constitution of Togo, 1992 |url=https://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/tg2019.htm |website=Digithèque MJP |location=Lomé |publisher=Government of Togo |date=2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607200759/https://mjp.univ-perp.fr/constit/tg2019.htm |url-status=live |archive-date=7 June 2021 |orig-date=14 October 1992 |language=fr |ref={{harvid|Constitution of Togo|2019}}}}
* {{cite news|title=Décès de Paul Ahyi, le Picasso africain |trans-title=Death of Paul Ahyi, the African Picasso |url=http://www.letelegramme.com/ig/generales/france-monde/monde/culture-deces-de-paul-ahyi-le-picasso-africain-05-01-2010-725318.php9 |work=[[Le Télégramme]] |date=5 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719150949/http://www.letelegramme.com/ig/generales/france-monde/monde/culture-deces-de-paul-ahyi-le-picasso-africain-05-01-2010-725318.php9 |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 July 2011 |language=fr |ref={{harvid|Le Télégramme|2010}}}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Gayibor |editor-first=Nicoué Lodjou |title=Le Togo sous domination coloniale (1884–1960) |trans-title=Togo under colonial rule (1884–1960) |date=1997 |publisher=Presses de l'UB |isbn=978-2-909886-34-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B5kPAQAAMAAJ |language=fr}} ([https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/divers17-08/010012853.pdf PDF])
* {{cite book |last=Gayibor |first=Nicoué Lodjou |title=Les Togolais face à la colonisation |trans-title=The Togolese facing colonisation |date=1994 |publisher=Presses de l'UB |isbn=978-2-909886-19-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_a4uAQAAIAAJ |access-date=26 August 2024 |language=fr}}
* {{cite book |last=Johar |first=Syafiq |chapter=Some Applications of Real Sequences |title=The Big Book of Real Analysis: From Numbers to Measures |date=4 January 2024 |publisher=[[Springer Nature]] |isbn=978-3-031-30832-1 |pages=263–296 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JnPsEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Knoll |first=Arthur J. |title=Togo Under Imperial Germany, 1884–1914: A Case Study in Colonial Rule |date=1978 |publisher=Hoover Institution Press |isbn=978-0-8179-6091-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mfoLAQAAMAAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite web |title=Les symboles de la république Togolaise |trans-title=The Symbols of the Togolese Republic |url=https://presidence.gouv.tg/les-symboles-de-la-republique-togolaise/ |website=Presidency of the Togolese Republic |location=Lomé |publisher=Government of Togo |date=2021 |language=fr |ref={{harvid|Government of Togo|2021}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Minahan |first=James B. |title=The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems: [2 volumes] |date=23 December 2009 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-34497-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7rOEAAAQBAJ |language=en}}
* {{cite news |last=Panara |first=Marlène |title=Togo : une histoire mouvementée |trans-title= Togo: A Turbulent History |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/togo-une-histoire-mouvementee-27-04-2020-2373004_3826.php |work=[[Le Point]] |date=27 April 2020 |language=fr}}
* {{cite book |last1=Posamentier |first1=Alfred S. |author-link1=Alfred S. Posamentier |last2=Lehmann |first2=Ingmar |title=The Glorious Golden Ratio |date=20 December 2011 |publisher=[[Prometheus Books]] |isbn=978-1-61614-424-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gw-lqvE6fNgC |language=en}}
* {{cite news |last=Roussel |first=Jane |title=Paul Ahyi : ce musée qui lui est dédié à Lomé |trans-title=Paul Ahyi: This Museum Dedicated to Him in Lomé |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/paul-ahyi-ce-musee-qui-lui-est-dedie-a-lome-14-01-2020-2357580_3826.php |work=[[Le Point]] |date=14 January 2020 |language=fr}}
* {{cite web |last=Smith |first=Whitney |author-link=Whitney Smith |title=Flag of Togo |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Togo |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]] |date=16 February 2001 |language=en}}
* {{Cite book |last=Znamierowski |first=Alfred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wkS1wgEACAAJ |title=The World Encyclopedia of Flags: An Illustrated Guide to International Flags, Banners, Standards and Ensigns |date=2020-09-20 |publisher=Anness Publishing |isbn=978-0-7548-3480-9 |language=en}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Flags of Togo}}
* {{FOTW|id=tg|title=Togo}}

{{Africa topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Africa]]}}

{{Togo topics}}

[[Category:Flags introduced in 1960|Togo]]
[[Category:Flags of Africa|Togo]]
[[Category:Flags with cantons|Togo]]
[[Category:Flags with green, red and yellow|Togo]]
[[Category:Flags with stars|Togo]]
[[Category:National flags|Togo]]
[[Category:National symbols of Togo]]
[[Category:Quadcolor flags|Togo]]