Togo

In brief

Togo is a country in West Africa. Its capital is Lomé. With 8.6 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 101st in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 56,785 km². It shares land borders with Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

GDP per capita stands at $1,384 (2025), 164th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 62.9 years (2024). 44% of the population lives in cities.

History of Togo

A German protectorate from 1884 under the name Togoland, the territory was split in 1919 between France and Britain; the British part joined Ghana in 1957. French Togo became independent on 27 April 1960. Its first president, Sylvanus Olympio, was assassinated in 1963. Gnassingbé Eyadéma ruled from 1967 until his death in 2005, and his son Faure Gnassingbé succeeded him.

Geography of Togo

Togo is a narrow strip of land more than 500 km long but with only about fifty kilometres of coast on the Gulf of Guinea, home to Lomé. The Togo Mountains cross the country; it mines phosphates.

Map of Togo

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Flag of Togo

The flag of Togo is red, green and yellow. Its official proportions are 13:21 (height to width).

• Green45%
• Yellow33%
• Red20%
• White3%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Five green and yellow stripes, with a red square bearing a white star, designed in 1960 by Paul Ahyi. Green evokes farming and hope, yellow mineral wealth, red the blood shed, the star peace.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Togo” and “Flag of Togo”.

See also: flags with a star.

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Fact file

Economy and society