Geography

Togo is a long, narrow country. It stretches about 320 miles (515 kilometers) northward from a short coastline of about 32 miles (51 kilometers) on the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean. Togo is bounded on the west by Ghana, on the north by Burkina Faso, and on the east by Benin. It covers an area of 21,925 square miles (56,785 square kilometers).

Togo has a low coastal plain with marshes and lagoons. The largest of the lagoons is Lake Togo. The coastal zone is characterized by tall grasses and low trees. The Togo Mountains cross the central part of the inland plateau. Mount Baumann, at 3,235 feet (986 meters), is the country's highest point. In the north dry, dusty plains alternate with grasslands. The main rivers are the Mono and its tributaries, including the Ogou.

Togo's climate is tropical. The south has two rainy seasons and the north has one. In the north the dry, hot wind called the harmattan blows from the Sahara during much of the year.

Plants and animals

Most of Togo is savanna, or grassland with scattered trees and shrubs. The southwestern highland regions are covered with dense tropical forests. Thick reeds grow along the coastal lagoons.

The wildlife of Togo is varied and includes elephants, lions, monkeys, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and many types of birds and insects. Fish caught off the coast include mackerel, bass, sea bream, red snapper, triggerfish, dorado, ray, and sole. Shrimps and lobsters are also found in the offshore waters.

People and culture

Togo has many ethnic groups. The two largest ones are the Ewe in the south and the Kabre in the north. About half of the people practice traditional African religions. About a third are Christians, and most of the rest are Muslims. French is the official language, but Ewe is widely spoken. The majority of the population lives in small villages. Lomé, the capital and largest urban center, is on the coast.

Each of Togo's peoples has a craft specialty. The Kente, for example, are known for weaving ceremonial clothes, the Bassars make metal jewelry, and the Kotokolis paint distinctive designs on shields and wooden trays. Lomé is a center for West African musicians. The national ballet company offers interpretations of traditional dances.

Economy

A poor country, Togo has a largely agricultural economy. The majority of the people are farmers who produce only enough food to meet their own needs. The main food crops include cassava, yams, millet, sorghum, and corn (maize). Fishing is also an important source of food. Coffee, cocoa, cotton, and peanuts (groundnuts) are grown mainly for export. Cattle, sheep, and pigs are raised in the plateau region and the north. Forests are a source of tropical hardwoods and other products

Mining dominates industry in Togo. The country is one of the world's leading producers of phosphates, which are used for making fertilizers. They are a leading export. Lomé is Togo's main port.

History

Little is known of Togo's early history. Sometime before the 14th century the Ewe and Kabre people settled in the region. Beginning in the 14th century other peoples migrated to the area from present-day Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. Denmark controlled the coast in the 18th century, when slave trading was active. Until 1884 the area was an intermediate zone between the military kingdoms of Ashanti and Dahomey. In that year the area came under the protection of Germans in the region.

British and French forces occupied the territory during World War I (1914–18). In 1922 the League of Nations assigned the western part of the territory to Britain and the eastern part to France. In 1946 British Togoland and French Togoland became trust territories of the United Nations. In 1956 the British territory was made part of the Gold Coast (now Ghana), and the French territory became a self-governing republic within the French Union.

In 1960 French Togoland achieved independence as the Republic of Togo. The new nation maintained economic relations with France. In 1963 the government was overthrown and the president was killed. Four years later General Gnassingbe Eyadema seized power. He led a military government through the 1970s. In 1979 Eyadema agreed to hold a presidential election, but he ran without opposition and was reelected.

By the early 1990s Eyadema faced growing protests within Togo and pressure from other countries. In response he legalized political parties and agreed to a democratic constitution. In 1993, in the country's first multiparty elections, Eyadema was reelected amid charges of fraud. He was elected again in 1998. Population (2000 estimate), 5,019,000.