Togo

Togo, country of western Africa. Lomé, the capital, is situated in the southwest of the country and is the largest city and port. Until 1884 what is now Togo was an intermediate zone between the states of Asante and Dahomey, and its various ethnic groups lived in general isolation from each other. In 1884 it became part of the Togoland German protectorate, which was occupied by British and French forces in 1914. In 1922 the League of Nations assigned eastern Togoland to France and the western portion to Britain. In 1946 the British and French governments placed the territories under United Nations trusteeship (see Trusteeship Council). Ten years later British Togoland was incorporated into the Gold Coast, and French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union. Togo gained independence in 1960. The economy rests largely on agriculture, although the country’s extensive phosphate reserves are also significant.

Togo consists of six geographic regions. The low-lying, sandy beaches of the narrow coastal region are backed by tidal flats and shallow lagoons, the largest of which is Lake Togo. Beyond the coast lies the Ouatchi Plateau, which stretches about 20 miles (32 km) inland at an elevation of some 200 to 300 feet (60 to 90 metres). This is the region of the so-called terre de barre, a lateritic (reddish, leached, iron-bearing) soil.

The variety of soils and climates enables Togo to grow a wide range of products. A large proportion of the population is engaged in agricultural pursuits, many of which are subsistence-based; agricultural products also factor prominently in the Togolese foreign exchange income. Staple crops include corn (maize), cassava (manioc), rice, yams, sorghum, millet, and peanuts; export crops include cocoa beans (harvested from cacao trees), coffee, shea nuts, cotton, and palm kernels. Prior to 1996 a government agency, the Office of Agricultural Products of Togo, held a monopoly on the foreign sale of Togolese products. Since then government policy has shifted toward encouraging increased cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Founded in 1967, the African Ballet of Togo has aimed at popularizing the finest traditional dances. The country’s national archives and national library are centred in Lomé, as is the Palais de Lomé, the former residence of colonial-era rulers that now is home to a contemporary art museum and a botanical park.