The coat of arms of

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

was adopted on 14 March 1962. In the device, two standing red

lions The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus '' Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...

are to be seen, which symbolize the bravery of the people. Both lions are armed with bow and arrow, symbolizing a call for all citizens to be active in the

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...

of freedom of the country. Between the lions, a golden shield with the letters RT (République Togolaise) is displayed. Above it, the

flag of Togo 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 up ...

is displayed twice. On a ribbon stands Togo's motto: "Travail, Liberté, Patrie" (Work, Liberty, Homeland).Togolese constitution (2002) at African Legislatures Project
After Togo's 1991 National Conference, multiple versions of this emblem proliferated, even within the Togolese government. In June 2008, however, a Constitutional Court decision clarified which version was correct.

Official blazon

The coat of arms of the Republic of Togo consists of the following: - an oval escutcheon argent and a bordure vert, in chief the national emblem, two flags addorsed and the motto on a riband; in fess point, in sable, the initials of the Republic of Togo on background engrailed or; in base two lions addorsed gules; - the two young lions are a symbol of courage of the Togolese people. They hold the bow and the arrow, traditional means of combat, to show that the true freedom of the Togolese people is in their own hands and their strength lies in their own traditions; the lions, upright and addorsed, express the vigilance of the Togolese people on the guard of their independence, from dawn until dusk.

Earlier coats of arms

Proposed arms 1914

In 1914, the German government decided to assign coats of arms to its overseas colonies, including Togoland. Arms were designed, but

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

broke out before the project was finalised, and the arms were never actually taken into use. Giving the colonies their own insignia in time of war could let them have a symbol to rally around in case of rebellion. The arms proposed for the Protectorate of Togoland depicted a tree supported by two cobra snakes and the German imperial eagle on a chief. The eagle and the imperial crown on the shield was the same for all the proposed colonial arms.Schurdel, H.D. . Battenberg (1995). ''Flaggen & Wappen Deutschland - Heraldik, Hymnen, BRD & DDR Flaggen und Wappen, Deutsche Ostgebiete, ehem. deutsche Kolonien u.v.m.'' See also

coats of arms of German colonies This is a list of coats of arms of Germany. German Federal States File:Greater coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg.svg, Coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg File:Coat of arms of Bavaria.svg, Coat of arms of Bavaria File:Coat of arms of Berlin.s ...

Seal of
French Togoland French Togoland (French: '' Togo français'') was a French colonial empires, French colonial League of Nations mandate from 1916 to 1960 in French West Africa. In 1960 it became the independent Togolese Republic, and the present day nation of T ...

file: Seal of the French Territory of Togoland.svg, Seal of the Territory of Togoland

References

National symbols of Togo

{{Heraldry-stub

Official blazon

Earlier coats of arms

Proposed arms 1914

Seal of French Togoland French Togoland (French: '' Togo français'') was a French colonial empires, French colonial League of Nations mandate from 1916 to 1960 in French West Africa. In 1960 it became the independent Togolese Republic, and the present day nation of T ...

References

Seal of
French Togoland French Togoland (French: '' Togo français'') was a French colonial empires, French colonial League of Nations mandate from 1916 to 1960 in French West Africa. In 1960 it became the independent Togolese Republic, and the present day nation of T ...