Cameroon
The Cameroon flag was established May 20, 1975. This was after Cameroon became a unitary state. It was a part of France until gaining its independence in 1960. The flag is broken up into three main parts. The left third of the flag is a green vertical stripe. The right third is a yellow vertical strip and the middle third is a red vertical stripe with a yellow star in the middle. The green is representative of a of the lush, rich forests and vegetation of the southern region of the country. It is also said to represent the hope of the future. The red represents independence and unity. The yellow stands for the savannas in the north and the sun, which is their source of happiness. The star also represents the country’s unity. The colors are pan-African and Cameroon is only the second modern African state to use them.
Togo
This flag is similar to the Cameroon flag in that it also was established when it gained independence from France. This took place on April 27, 1960. The Togo flag also contains the pan-African colors, but they are arranged differently. There are five stripes alternating with green and yellow. There is a red box in the upper left-hand corner that contains a white star in the middle. The red on the Togo Flag is symbolic of the loyalty and patriotism the people should feel towards their country. The green shows hope, fertility, and agriculture. The yellow is representative of mineral wealth and faith in the ability of hard work and strength to bring prosperity. The white star represents life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo’s independence. In addition, there are five stripes to show the five distinct geographical regions of the nation.
