Togo is a small country in West Africa, bordered by Benin, Burkina Faso, and Ghana, with a coastline along the Gulf of Guinea. It was a central place for the acquisition of slaves during the 15th century. Togoland was a German protectorate, divided into French Togoland and British Togoland after World War I. In 1960, Togoland gained independence as the nation of Togo. It has a history of political violence, but is generally safe for travellers. The Tamberma Valley is a popular attraction. It’s cheaper to fly into neighboring Ghana or Benin and take ground transport to Togo.
Togo is a small country in West Africa. It covers 21,900 square miles (56,800 square km), making it just a little smaller than West Virginia. The country borders Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana and has a coastline along the Gulf of Guinea.
A number of different tribes inhabited the lands of Togo before European contact. The three largest of these were the Mina, the Guin and the Ewe. In the late 15th century the Portuguese came into contact with Togo and intermittent trade occurred. When the slave trade began to take hold in Europe in the 15th century, Togo became one of the central places for the acquisition of slaves. Coastal tribes would have captured slaves from tribes further north, bringing them to the coast to sell to Europeans.
In the late 19th century Togo became a German protectorate, known as Togoland. Togoland would become Germany’s model holding company in Africa, sustaining itself quite profitably, mainly through coffee and cocoa. At the end of World War I and the fall of Germany, Togoland was divided into two sections, French Togoland and British Togoland. In the 19th British Togoland would join what would become the nation of Ghana.
In 1955, French Togoland was granted autonomous status within the French union. Elections followed, and in 1960, Togoland gained independence as the nation of Togo. The next few years were quite tumultuous, although they initially stuck to democratic systems. The president-elect, who had used his personal militia to target his opposition and had dissolved all other parties, was assassinated in 1963. In the same year the opposition parties were reinstated and a new president was elected. A military coup overthrew it in 1967, and the colonel who orchestrated it eventually became president in a one-party referendum.
Colonel Eyadéma held the presidency, despite a failed coup in 1986 by Togolese who had earlier fled to Ghana. In the early 1990s anti-government sentiment rose again and a number of opposition groups were formed. The government made openings to compromise with these groups and in 1992 a new, more democratic constitution was enacted. The substance of this constitution was largely ignored, however, eventually leading to demonstrations that provoked a violent response from the government.
A second attempt was made in the late 1990s to hold multi-party elections, but these were largely seen as corrupted by opposition parties, who boycotted them. The vast majority of seats in government went to Eyadéma’s ruling party and the protest continued. Eyadéma died in 2005, after ruling the country for almost 40 years, and his son was declared president by the military leaders of Togo. The international community denounces it, exerting pressure on the leadership of Togo, leading to elections. Officially these elections still resulted in Eyadéma’s son Faure Gnassingbé becoming president, even as widespread allegations of wrongdoing call the results into question.
While Togo has had a history of political violence, it is generally relatively safe for travellers. The culture is friendly and colourful, and the beaches are widely regarded as some of the best in Africa. One of Togo’s biggest attractions is the Tamberma Valley, a huge valley filled with fortified villages built in the 1600s by people to defend against slave-holding factions.
Flying directly into Togo is possible from a number of cities, but it’s generally a bit cheaper to fly into neighboring Ghana or Benin and take ground transport to Togo. It takes about three hours to drive from Accra, Ghana to Lome, and while the roads aren’t perfect, they are in good repair.
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