Africa

Togo

Situated on the west coast of Africa, Togo has land boundaries with Burkina Faso to the north, Benin to the east, Ghana to the west, and the south is bordered with the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean).

Togo is traversed in the centre by a chain of hills, the Atkora Mountains, extending roughly southwest into Ghana, northeastward into Benin and averages about 2,300 ft in height. The highest elevation is Mt. Agou (3,235 ft). To the north and west of these hills the Oti River drains in a southwesterly direction into the Volta River, which constitutes a part of the boundary with Ghana. To the north of the Oti River valley lies gently undulating savannah country...More Information on Togo.

Full country name: Togolese Republic
Area: 56,600 sq km (22,075 sq mi)
Population: 5.1 million
Capital City: Lome (pop 600,000)
People: 37 ethnic groups (the largest are Ewé, Mina and Kabyè); less than 1% European and Syrian-Lebanese
Language: French (official), Ewe and Mina in south, Dagomba and Kabye in north
Religion: indigenous beliefs (70%), Christian (20%), Muslim (10%)
Government: Republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Head of State:General Gnassingbe Eyadema
Head of Government: General Gnassingbe Eyadema

Also Read: A Short Background of Togo

History of Togo

The Ewes moved into the area which is now Togo from the Niger River valley between the 12th and 14th centuries. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Portuguese explorers and traders visited the coast. For the next 200 years, the coastal region was a major raiding center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name “The Slave Coast.” In an 1884 treaty signed at Togoville, Germany declared a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland...More on Togo's History.

Overview of Togo's Economy

GDP: US$6.2 billion
GDP per capita: US$1300
Annual Growth: 4.8%
Inflation: 15.7%
Major Industries: Phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Major Trading Partners: Canada, US, Taiwan, Nigeria, Ghana, China, France, Cameroon
Member of EU: No

Also Read: A short note on Economy of Togo

Political System of Togo

- Government of Togo
- Foreign relations of Togo
- Political Conditions Of Togo

Climate, Vegetation and Fauna

Togo has a humid, tropical climate, but receive less rainfall than most of the other countries along the Gulf of Guinea. In the south there are two rainy seasons, from March to early July and from the end of September to early November, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in the mountains of the west, southwest and centre. North of the Atkora Mountains, the rainy season lasts from April to October. Annual rainfall averages about 40 inches in the north and 70 inches in the south. Lomé average about 30 inches and Klouto get over 70 inches of rain annually. Average temperatures range from 22°C to 35°C (72°-95°F).


Envoirnment: At the southern end of the African continent’s western bulge, Togo sits on the Gulf...more.

Languages: French is the official language. Mina is widely used in commerce whereas other African languages spoken in Togo are Ewe, Kabre, Cotocoli and Hausa.

Education: Most of the schools in Togo are state schools, but there are also private schools, run by Christian...more.

Culture: Approximately 20% of Togolese are Christians, 10% are Muslims and the remainder...more.

Religion Of Togo: Half of the population believes in animism, a tribal sort of spiritualism practised through the worship of souls, 30% are Christians and the remaining 20% are Muslims.

People of Togo: Togo’s population of 4.97 million people (2003 est.) is composed of about 21 ethnic...more.


Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Everyone except nationals of the member countries of ECOWAS must have a visa to visit Togo. Proof of yellow-fever vaccination is required for entry at the airport, though it’s not usually checked at land crossings.
Health risks: Yellow fever, cholera, malaria, schistosomiasis
Time: GMT/UTC
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

Also Read: Money & Costs | Transportation in Togo | Public holidays in Togo | Events Of Togo

When to Go

Generally speaking, the choicest time to visit Togo is during the cooler period from November through February. The period from March to May can be a real scorcher, and it’s immediately followed by a rainy season that lasts until October. December to the end of February is the dry season, but the skies are often dusty with the harmattan winds. If you’re sticking close to the coastline, December to March is the area’s ‘tourist season,’ such as it is (which it isn’t, really, these days). Crowds are thicker than in other seasons but still aren’t much to fret over.

Also Read: Getting Around in Togo | Getting There & Away

What to See in Togo

Other Tourist Attractions in Togo

more...

What to do in Togo

The beaches around Lomé were once Togo’s main attraction, with thousands of mainly European tourists descending on them every holiday season. The beaches remain, but you won’t see many tourists clogging them up these days. Bear in mind that using the area’s beaches can be hazardous, as there’s a strong undertow and some locals use the sands as their toilet. Your best bet is to take a cab and head for the secluded and protected shores at Robinson’s Plage, 9km (6mi) east of the town centre. As for swimming pools, try the Hôtel Sarakawa’s Olympic-sized dip - the biggest in West Africa.

Hiking and camping are possible throughout the country, though oddly enough not always in the national parks. Check with the rangers before you set out. The flattish woodland savannah of La Fosse aux Lions makes for some lovely hiking excursions in the far northern reaches of the country, just south of Dapaong.

The earliest inhabitants of the area were Khoisan hunter-gatherers. They were largely replaced by Bantu tribes during a series of migrations. The southern part of the country was named Matabeleland after the Ndebele tribe who occupied the area in the early 1800’s under a loose confederation of Ndebele-speaking tribes headed by the Khumalo tribe under [...]
Countries in Africa Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Cote d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Religion in Africa Africans profess a wide variety of religious beliefs, with Christianity and Islam being the most widespread. Approximately 40% of all Africans are Christians and another 40% Muslims. Roughly 20% of Africans primarily follow indigenous African religions. A small number of Africans also have beliefs from the Judaic tradition, such as the Beta Israel [...]
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Politics in Africa Colonial Africa Colonialism had a destabilizing effect on what had been a number of ethnic groups that is still being felt in African politics. Prior to European influence, national borders were not much of a concern, with Africans generally following the practice of other areas of the world, such as the Arabian peninsula, where [...]
History of Africa Africa is home to the oldest inhabited territory on earth, with the human race originating from this continent. During the mid 20th century, anthropologists discovered many fossils and evidence of human occupation perhaps as early as 7 million years ago. The famous Leakey family, with ties to both Britain and Africa, discovered fossil [...]
Geography of Africa Africa is the largest of the three great southward projections from the main mass of the Earth’s surface. It includes within its remarkably regular outline an area, of c. 30,360,288 km² (11,722,173 mi²), including the islands. Separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, it is joined to Asia at its northeast extremity by the [...]
Etymology of Africa The name Africa came into Western use through the Romans, who used the name Africa terra - “land of the Afri” (plural, or “Afer” singular) - for the northern part of the continent, as the province of Africa with its capital Carthage, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia. The Afri were a tribe - possibly Berber [...]

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Africa Travel Guide