The flag was officially adopted on April 27, 1960. It features a white “Star of Hope” on a field of red.
The four colors (green, red, white and yellow) are the Pan-African colors.
The colors of the flag are meant to symbolize
- Red: Represents blood shed by Martyrs to gain independence
- White: Represents hope, star of hope
- Green: Represents the forests, Agriculture, nature, and overall hope for the future
- Yellow: Represents natural resources of the country
Togo Flag History
The flag was designed by artist Paul Ahyi and approximates a golden rectangle closely. Ahyi (January 15, 1930 – January 4, 2010) 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 in Paris in 1959 and returned to Togo. He designed the flag of Togo while working on other contemporary works. The flag was adopted on April 28, 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.