Any Travels

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. From the southern spur of the central hills a plateau stretches gradually southward to a coastal plain. The 31 mile (54 km) long coastline consists of flat sandy beach thickly planted with coconut trees and partially separately from the mainland by a series of lagoons and lakes which are former estuaries of several rivers.

Places of Interest:

Togoville
On the northern banks of Lake Togo, Togoville is interesting for its history. Slaves from Togoville where transported to Haiti and brought Voodoo to that island. Voodoo is still very big here.

The main sights are the Artisanal, where you can see artisans at work, the chucrh nearby with great glass stained windows and the Maison Royal. It's not a lot, but the the location on the lake is great.

Aneho
A 45-minute ride east of Lome brings you to Aneho, the colonial capital of Togo until 1920. Although today it looks a little worse for wear, it can be interesting to pick your way through the remaining buildings to watch the daily activities of the fishermen.

At night is when Aneho is at its best. It's only then that the city begins coming to life: a variety of food vendors and musicians come out and begin filling the air with scents and sounds. It makes for great beer-sipping and people-watching.

Culture

Togo's population of 4.97 million people (2003 est.) is composed of about 21 ethnic groups. The two major groups are the Ewe in the South and the Kabye in the North. Population distribution is very uneven due to soil and terrain variations. The population is generally concentrated in the south and along the major north-south highway connecting the coast to the Sahel. Age distribution also is uneven; nearly one-half of the Togolese are less than 15 years of age. The ethnic groups of the coastal region, particularly the Ewes (about 21% of the population), constitute the bulk of the civil servants, professionals, and merchants, due in part to the former colonial administrations which provided greater infrastructure development in the south. The Kabye (12% of the population) live on marginal land and traditionally have emigrated south from their home area in the Kara region to seek employment. Their historical means of social advancement has been through the military and law enforcement forces, and they continue to dominate these services.

Most of the southern peoples use the Ewe or Mina languages, which are closely related and spoken in commercial sectors throughout Togo. French, the official language, is used in administration and documentation. The public primary schools combine French with Ewe or Kabye as languages of instruction, depending on the region. English is spoken in neighboring Ghana and is taught in Togolese secondary schools. As a result, many Togolese, especially in the south and along the Ghana border, speak some English.

Like other African peoples, the Togolese have a strong oral tradition. Little has been done, however, to promote vernacular literature. Before independence there were a few Togolese writers using French. Since independence, regional (especially Ewe) literature emerged with the works of several novelists and playwrights. Founded in 1967, the African Ballet of Togo has aimed at popularizing the finest traditional dances.

Some 66 percent of Togo's labor force is engaged in agriculture; these farmers cultivate 40 percent of the country's land. The principal food crops are cassava, yams, corn, millet, and sorghum. The leading export crops are coffee (17,000 metric tons produced in 2000), cotton (200,000 metric tons), and cacao (9,000 metric tons). Livestock raising is important on the northern plateau. In 2000 the country had 740,000 sheep, 1.1 million goats.

Togo is a leading world producer of phosphates, which are by far the country's most significant mineral product. In 1999, 1.7 million metric tons of phosphate rock were mined. Industrial activity is limited but growing. The leading manufactures include cement, flour, palm oil, cotton textiles, beverages and soap.