Togo, a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, is known for its palm-lined beaches and hilltop villages. Koutammakou, inhabited by the Batammariba people, is a traditional settlement of fortress-like clay huts dating to the 17th century. In the capital, Lomé, are the multistory Grand Marché bazaar and the Fetish Market, offering traditional talismans and remedies relating to the vodun (voodoo) religion. Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is bordered by Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana, and by the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Southern Togo’s landmass begins with extensive lagoons and mangrove-covered marshes that sweep northward into savanna (flat grassland) and a wooded plateau. A swath of rolling hills sweeps across the central areas, and in the far north, the land is low, rolling savanna. In the southwest, the Togo Mountains dominate the landscape. Those mountains stretch northeast into central Togo. The highest mountain is Mount Agou with a height of 3,235 ft (986 meters).
There are also a number of relatively small lakes, the largest of which is Lake Togo, a shallow lagoon, separated from the ocean by a narrow strip of land.
As for rivers, the most significant is the 250 miles (400 km) long Mono River and its tributaries. The River Oti is one of the main tributaries of the River Volta.
Key Cities
Key cities in Togo include: Lome, Sokode, Kara, Atakpame, Palime, Bassar, Tsevie, Aneho.
Historical, Cultural facts & Religion
The history of Togo can be traced to archaeological finds which indicate that ancient local tribes were able to produce pottery and process iron. During the period from the 11th century to the 16th century, the Ewé, the Mina, the Gun, and various other tribes entered the region. Most of them settled in coastal areas. Togo’s culture reflects the influences of its 37 tribal ethnic groups, the largest and most influential of which are the Ewe, Mina, and Kabye. French is the official language of Togo, but many native African languages are spoken there as well. The religion of Togo has remained faithful to the country’s pagan history. This is the reason why 51% of the country’s population has indigenous belief or ancestor worship called voodoo, while the Christian and Muslim populations consist of 20% and 19%, respectively.
Brief Country History
The land that is now the country of Togo was inhabited by the Ewe tribal people starting in the 12th century. The first Europeans to arrive were the Portuguese in the 15th century. The area became a major part of the slave trade with the coast of Togo being part of the Slave Coast.
In 1884, Togo became a German colony. It was one of Germany’s best colonies as it was Germany’s only self-supporting colony. In 1914, France and Britain invaded and France took control of the country. In 1957 Togoland joined with the Gold Coast to become the independent country of Ghana. French Togoland became a separate republic a few years later and became Togo in 1960. The first ruler of Togo was General Gnassingbe Eyadema. He ruled as a dictator for almost 40 years.
Language (s) Written & Spoken
Togo is a multilingual country, which according to one count has 44 languages spoken. The official language is French. Two indigenous languages were designated politically as national languages in 1975: Ewé (Ewe: Èʋegbe) and Kabiyé.
Important Types of Commerce in Togo
The West African nation of Togo covers an area of 22,008 square miles making it one of Africa’s smallest countries. Lome, the capital city, is located on the Gulf of Guinea. The country also has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. The population of Togo, according to the estimates of 2017, was about 7.9 million people. Togo is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country’s economy has been greatly affected by political instability which has undermined development for a long time. In 2017, the country received a credit facility of $238 million from the IMF. In 2017, Togo had a GDP of $4.76 billion while in 2016 it was $4.39 billion. The country relies heavily on agriculture, which accounts for a huge proportion of the country’s exports.
Language Services US and others will provide working with Togo
The country is multilingual with over 44 languages spoken. With this language diversity in the country, the services of a professional translation and interpretation company is frequently needed. French as the official language of Togo, is the main language of communication in schools, in government administration. For a company to tap into Togo it is required to tie up with professional language translation services covering all languages spoken in Togo.
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