- Continental region – West Africa
- Currency symbol of Togo-West African CFA franc,( CFA)
- Capital City –Lome
- Official languages – French
- Population – 7.889 million (2018)
- Country dialling code – (+228 )
- Official website – Togo
- Top 3 biggest industries –Phosphate Mining; Agricultural Processing; Cement;
- Google Maps link –Togo
- Where is it? –Togo, a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, is known for its palm-lined beaches and hilltop villages.
Togo In Pictures
- How did the country get its first name? – In 1884 Germany claimed its first section of the the coastal land, signing a paper with King Mlapa III in Togoville. By 1905 the enslaved colony was known as Togoland.
- How did the country get its current name? – Togo’s name comes from togodo, which means ‘behind the lake’ in Ewe – a reference to Lake Togo.
- When and by whom the country was first discovered? – João de Santarém 1471
- Who were the first Inhabitants? – Multiple tribes seem to have occupied the land before the first Portuguese sightings in 1471 including the Mina, Gun and Ewé tribes.
- When it was first recognized as a country? – April 27, 1960 U.N. Recognition of Togo’s Independence, 1960.
- Who was the first leader of the country? – Sylvanus Épiphanio Olympio 1960-1963
Five Significant Events
- Togoland split in two: 7 December 1916 Togoland was divided into British and French zones after the collapse of the Anglo-French condominium. (https://www.britannica.com/place/Togo/History#ref55367)
- Independence 1960: Apr 27, Togo, a UN Trust territory under French administration, gained independence. Sylvanus Olympio became the 1st chief of state.(https://www.timelines.ws/countries/TOGO.HTML)
- Togo military leader 1967: Togo military leader Gnassingbe Eyadema (d.2005) began ruling the country.(https://www.timelines.ws/countries/TOGO.HTML)
- Strikes 1991-93: A democracy movement was suppressed, strikes ruined the economy and the infrastructure deteriorated.(https://www.timelines.ws/countries/TOGO.HTML)
- Elections 1998: Jun 21, Elections were held in Togo. When returns showed Pres. Eyadama trailing one of his generals took over the ballot counting. Soldiers killed hundreds. Vote counting stopped, and Eyadema was declared winner.(https://www.timelines.ws/countries/TOGO.HTML)
Five Places to Visit in Togo
1. Kpalime: Palm trees burst from the mud-caked tin shacks and low-lying bungalows of Togo’s outdoorsy hub. A town set beneath the jungle-dressed ridges of the Plateaux Region, and peppered with German colonial relics and the occasional European-style church spire, it’s famed for its backcountry and bazaars.(https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-togo/5/)
2. Koutammakou: Hailed as the ‘Land of the Batammariba’ by the UNESCO organisation that gave it that coveted World Heritage Site status back in 2004, the Koutammakou of northern Togo is a region of rustic villages built from adobe walls and thatched roofs.(https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-togo/5/)
3. Lome: Lome is a throbbing market town that sways to the beat of African drums and the rhythm of endless markets.(https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-togo/5/)
4. Togoville: Rarely does a city bless a country with its name, and even rarer is it for just a small clutch of Voodoo shrines and mud brick huts to inspire the moniker for the entire nation.(https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-togo/5/)
5. Agbodrafo: The second town on the banks of Lake Togo that’s worth a visit, Agbodrafo is known for its popular resort hotel: The Hotel le Lac.(https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-togo/5/)