Togo is located in West Africa. Neighboring countries are Benin in the east, Ghana in the west and Burkina Faso in the north. The state is only 52km wide at the coast. Togo was colonized by the German Empire in the late 19th century. Contrary to international agreements, it was occupied in the first months of the World War. A small part was separated and administered by the British, and the Ewe settlement area was divided. From 1920 the rest was under French control as a League of Nations mandate. Like many African countries, Togo was granted independence in 1960. The country was dominated by the autocratic President Gnassingbé Eyadéma for almost forty years. He was a good friend of the Bavarian Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauss in the 1980s. At the same time, the country was one of the largest “suppliers” of recognized asylum seekers at that time. Today, the CSU still has the closest connections to this part of the black continent through its party-affiliated Hanns Seidel Foundation. His son Faure Gnassingbé followed as president in 2005. He won every election since then, which wasn't very kosher.
Cascade d'Akloa near Badou, the highest waterfalls in the country.
The journey is by minibus from Atakpamé or Kpalimé (duration: approx. 4
hours).
From Badou by motorbike to Tomegbé (7° 30′ 38″ N 0° 36′ 17″
E), buy a ticket (!) from the villagers and take a guide with you. After
a one-hour hike through tropical forests and small rice and coffee
plantations, you reach the waterfall.
Cheapest place to stay: Auberge
Cascades Plus. There is also an overpriced hotel with air conditioning.
Tamberma villages, UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the
Tata-Somba house type.
1 Mont Agou (6° 52′ 0″ N 0° 46′ 0″ E), the
highest mountain in Togo, located in a very beautiful landscape.
Grottes de Nano, rock villages at 2 Dapaong (10° 51′ 57″ N 0° 12′ 10″
E).
2 Forêt de Missahohoe (6° 57′ 9″ N 0° 34′ 56″ E) (formerly:
Missahöhe) former German sanatorium (Château Viale), building still
there, German cemetery, area a little cooler (more pleasant) than on the
coast through the large forest cover. Easily accessible from Kpalimé.
3 Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (9° 3′ 14″ N 0° 58′ 34″ E),
extensive area with many regional animals (best travel time:
January-March). Safari tours are offered in the dry season from November
to April.
Arrival from Sokodé, where there are also accommodations.
Entry requirements
All nationals who do not come from ECOWAS
countries require a visa, which is also issued at Lomé airport in the
form of a seven-day “visa-on-arrival”. It may be extended up to ninety
days for tourism purposes. This process can take several days; if the
permitted length of stay is exceeded, a penalty is due. Applications
must be submitted to the Service des Etrangers et Passeports (6° 11′ 21″
N 1° 12′ 31″ E) immeuble GTA-C2A, Lomé.
Since July 1, 2022, only
electronic visas will be issued for short-term stays before arrival and
must be applied for online. The fees to be paid by credit card are up to
15 days: 25,000 CFA (one entry), 35,000 CFA (multiple times), up to 30
days: 45,000 CFA, up to 60 days: 60,000 CFA. The photo pages of the
passport must be submitted scanned, which also shows that the validity
is 3 months longer than the planned stay. Hotel bookings, bank
statements or invitation letters are optional.
Responsible in
Germany are:
Consular section of the embassy, Berlin. Website only in
French. Also responsible for Austria. Open: Mon., Wed., Fri. 10 a.m. - 3
p.m.
Swiss citizens should contact the Section consulaire de
l'Ambassade, Rue de Lausanne 67-69, 1202 Genève. Email:
nfo@mission-togo.ch. Open: Mon.-Fri. 9.30 a.m. - 12.30 p.m., 3 p.m. -
4.30 p.m.
A yellow fever vaccination and proof of it is required
when traveling to neighboring countries.
Duty free quantities
100 cigarettes or cigarillos or 100 g of tobacco or 50 cigars.
1
bottle of wine and 1 bottle of liquor
500 ml toilet water or 250 ml
perfume
Foreign currencies must be declared. Cash amounts of over
one million CFA must be declared upon entry and 500,000 CFA upon
departure; amounts are only permitted up to a maximum of three million.
By plane
1 Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport (aéroport
international de Lomé-Tokoin, IATA: LFW) . The airport, named after the
former president, handles about 600,000 passengers each year. Flights
from Europe to Accra, the capital of neighboring Ghana, are often much
cheaper.
2 Niamtougou International Airport (aéroport international
de Niamtougou, IATA: LRL) . After the complete renovation, which is
still ongoing in autumn 2018, international connections to West and
North Africa are to be introduced.
By train
Rail traffic has
been suspended in Togo for years.
By bus
There are bus
connections from Lomé to almost all cities in the country as well as to
the large cities of neighboring countries, such as Accra (Ghana),
Cotonou (Benin), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Lagos (Nigeria) or Abidjan
(Ivory Coast).
On the street
Togolese border guards are not
above demanding bribes.
One of West Africa's most important roads
from Abidjan to Lagos crosses Togo, as RN2, along the coast between
Ghana and Benin. Further north you can reach Burkina Faso via the N1,
which crosses the country from north to south for 660 kilometers.
Benin
See the information about buses and roads in the said state
article.
Ghana
See the information about buses and roads in
the said state article.
Motorcycle taxis (Semijan or similar) are the most common means of
transport in Lomé, but there are also shared taxis (taxi collectif) and
normal taxis. Minibuses usually go to the other regions of Togo.
Police checks are carried out throughout the country, especially from 6
p.m. Stop and show your identification with your passport. Vehicle
searches are also common.
French is the official language and is quite common. Other important
languages are Ewe, Kabye and Mina. Although English is learned in
school, it can only be taken for granted when there are large tourist
offers.
There are 39 languages in the country. The number of
native tribes is even greater.
The currency is the Central African Franc (CFA), tied to the Euro at
a ratio of 655.96.
Authorities and banks are open Monday to
Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Normal bank cards don't work; only Visa credit cards are actually useful
for obtaining cash.
Gambling is allowed. Among other things, the LydiaLudic chain, which is also active in other African countries, operates slot machine arcades.
If you are very interested in Togolese culture and tradition, it is
of course recommended to have as much contact as possible with the local
population. This not only avoids unpleasant situations due to ignorance
of polite forms, but also enables a deeper insight than any planned
package tour. A good way to prepare for a stay in Togo is to contact
Togolese in Germany or Togolese clubs in Germany.
Universities
University of Lomé. It was founded in 1970 and offers study places to
around 40,000 students. A large selection of subjects can be chosen and
there are several collaborations with German and other foreign
universities (e.g. Bayreuth, Tübingen). Enrollment for foreign students
in Togo is relatively easy, at least as long as it involves one or two
semesters abroad as part of a German course of study. If you are
interested in studying at the university, we recommend that German
citizens contact the DAAD lecturer at the university and clarify the
registration formalities.
Université de Kara, in northern Togo.
Police emergency call: ☎ 117 (from landline), ☎ 161 (from mobile
phone)
Emergency call for the fire brigade: ☎ 118
Gendarmerie: ☎
172 or ☎ +228 2221 3743
Commissariat Centrale: ☎ +228 2221 2871
The Federal Foreign Office's safety instructions for Togo should be
read before your stay, and it is also advisable to register on the
Internet in the Federal Foreign Office's "Electronic registration of
Germans abroad" list. There are particularly strict laws in Togo
regarding drugs (max. 20 years, with high minimum sentences) and
homosexuality (3 years). The condition of the prisons is catastrophic.
The country as a whole is safe as long as you adhere to certain
rules of conduct, including:
Taking photographs of public
buildings, uniformed personnel and military facilities is strictly
prohibited.
If possible, do not move around the city or go on a trip
alone during the night. Petty crime is much more common in the capital
than in the countryside.
Be careful with motorcycle taxis! Since
there are no official controls, pay attention to the condition of the
motorcycle if possible and change taxis if you feel uncomfortable. Since
there is no marking of official motorcycle taxis (such as in Benin),
every taxi driver can of course also have criminal intent. Therefore,
car taxis are more recommended, either as shared taxis (max. 500 CFA one
way) or as rented taxis (approx. 2500 CFA per hour).
During the day,
watch out for pickpockets, especially in the markets and in taxis;
valuables (cameras, smartphones, etc.) should not be carried openly.
Caught burglars are usually punished by lynching or even killed before
the police arrive or intervene.
Police or military checks: If you use
your own vehicle, always drive with all the necessary documents or their
certified copies (e.g. proof of insurance, Togo TÜV, internal driving
license). This saves you unnecessary discussions and bribes during
inspections. If the passport with visa is not taken with you, a
certified copy of all documents should be made at a local authority.
Many conflict situations can be avoided if you are accompanied by
locals.
Mineral water is available everywhere at reasonable prices, but you
should always make sure that the water bottles are originally sealed.
A first aid kit should be taken with you. A (port) doctor should be
contacted for appropriate vaccinations in preparation for travel. This
can also help with malaria prophylaxis. Particularly in the central and
southern parts of the country, the number of infections increases
sharply during the rainy season and the following months.
Menigitis caused by pneumococci and meningococci (type W) is
particularly common from December to April. There are several hundred
deaths every year.
There are major differences within the
country: in rural regions, medical care cannot be guaranteed in all
areas. In some cases the nearest hospital is over 20 kilometers away. In
the largest cities, in addition to small (private) doctor's offices and
health clinics, there are also larger hospitals. At the first symptoms
of illness, it is advisable to go to a small health center nearby and,
if necessary, have tests carried out there (e.g. malaria test via blood
test for a maximum of 600 fcfa). Ask locals for a recommendation
beforehand! If it is a common disease, medication can usually be
purchased cheaply from a pharmacy (cost of malaria treatment: approx.
6000 CFA).
If you have more serious health problems, you should
consider treatment abroad. The public hospitals are underfunded and can
therefore only meet extremely low medical and hygienic standards
compared to Germany. Therefore, find out more about the hospitals on
site (e.g. in Lomé with several hospitals) and, if necessary, go to a
private clinic. These are usually very expensive by local standards, but
offer better services. Be careful when providing information about your
insurance. Services can become significantly more expensive if you know
about the insurance (prices: from 250 euros per night!). Additional
insurance for health protection abroad is therefore recommended; it is
usually not expensive.
Airmail traffic between the capital and Europe usually only takes
four to six days.
phone
Country code: +228, for international
calls dial 00.
Landline area codes (by province) start with 2, mobile
numbers with a 9.
The landline network is operated by the Société des
Télécommunications du Togo. The number of landlines halved in 2013-8.
In Togo there are two mobile telephony providers in 2018: Togocel
and MOOV. The majority of Togoers now have their own cell phones and the
corresponding top-up cards can be bought on every street corner. In
rural areas there can be large dead spots.
Internet sticks for
laptops can be purchased (around 10,000-25,000 CFA) and often only work
at 3G speeds. Failures can also occur here.
There are internet
cafes in larger cities.
The toponym "Togo", according to one version, comes from the word in the Ewe language, which means "area on the other side of the lagoon." According to another version, the name comes from the hydronym Togo. In 1905, the German colonial authorities named their colony Togoland, and in 1960 the country declared independence and received the name "Togolese Republic".
Little is known about the
ancient history of Togo. Archaeological finds indicate that the ancient
tribes knew how to make pottery and process iron. In the middle of the
15th century, the Portuguese arrived here, and the slave trade was
established. At the end of the 18th century, the city of Lome was
founded on the site of the settlement of the Ewe people.
In 1884,
Gustav Nachtigal signed an agreement with several local leaders to
establish a protectorate of the German Empire over Togo, along with part
of the territory of modern Ghana. Its borders were determined after the
capture by German troops of the interior of the country and the
conclusion of agreements with France and Great Britain. On January 1,
1905, the territory of modern Togo was declared the German colony of
Togoland.
During the First World War, Togoland was occupied by
Great Britain and France, and the Anglo-French Condominium was
proclaimed. On December 7, 1916, the condominium broke up, there was a
division into the English and French zones. On July 20, 1922, Great
Britain received a mandate from the League of Nations to govern the
western part of Togo, and France - the eastern part. In 1945, the
country received the right to send three representatives to the French
Parliament. After the Second World War, the UN trusteeship regime was
introduced. Management was retained by Great Britain and France.
On October 28, 1956, after a referendum, Togo received the official
status of an autonomous republic within France. In February 1958, France
granted Togo the status of a republic, retaining the right to control
matters of defense, foreign relations and finances. In April 1958, the
Togo Unity Committee party won the elections to the Chamber of Deputies.
The new government was headed by Silvanus Olympio.
On April 27,
1960, Togo declared independence. Silvanus Olympio became the President
of the Republic in 1961 with 99% of the votes. The opposition boycotted
the elections. On April 9, 1961, the Constitution of the Togolese
Republic was adopted, according to which the National Assembly became
the supreme legislative body of Togo.
In December 1961, the
leaders of the opposition parties were arrested, accused of preparing an
anti-government conspiracy, and a decree was issued dissolving the
opposition parties. On January 13, 1963, a military coup took place,
during which Silvanus Olympio was killed. A state of emergency was
declared in the country. The military transferred power to the interim
government headed by Nicholas Grunitsky. In May 1963, Grunitsky was
elected President of the Republic, the new leadership pursued a policy
of developing relations with France.
On January 13, 1967,
Gnassingbe Eyadema came to power as a result of a military coup. A ban
was imposed on the activities of political parties, in November 1969 the
party "Unification of the Togolese people" was created and a one-party
system was introduced. After the military regime, Eyadema was elected
President of the Republic, in 1986 Eyadema was re-elected as President
of Togo.
In 1983, a privatization program was launched, and in
1991, the activities of political parties were allowed. In total,
Eyadema ruled the country for 38 years, being re-elected several times.
In April 2004, negotiations were held in Brussels between the European
Union and Togo on the resumption of cooperation. In 1993, the European
Commission froze the partnership, treating Eyadema's re-election in
1993, 1998 and 2003 as a power grab.
Eyadema passed away on
February 5, 2005. According to the constitution, all the borders of the
country were closed, and the chairman of the National Assembly, Fambare
Ouattare Natchabé, was to become the acting chairman. But since he was
in Benin, the military handed over power to Eyadema's son, For Essozimnu
Gnassingbe. The constitution was amended to allow Gnassingbe to remain
in office as President of the Republic until 2008.
International
organizations called the actions of the military a coup d'état and
called for elections to be held in Togo. In February 2005, a protest was
held in Lome against the unconstitutional change of power. The
government of Togo responded by banning demonstrations.
Gnassingbe was "re-elected" as president in 2010, 2015 and 2020.
Togo has a land area of 56,785 km² and is a small state by African
standards: only a few African countries have an even smaller state area.
It has an elongated, narrow shape with an extent of about 550 km in the
north-south direction, but only 50 to 140 km in the west-east direction.
Of this, 16% is forested, 25% is arable land and 3.5% is pastureland.
The country is located in West Africa at 8 degrees north latitude
and 1° 10′ east longitude. It is divided into five regions: Maritime,
Plateaux, Centre, Kara and Savanes. The national border is 1,647 km
long. Of this, 644 km are on the border with Benin, 126 km on the border
with Burkina Faso and 877 km on the border with Ghana.
The
Ouatchi Plateau extends from the palm-lined lagoons and sandy beaches of
the 56 km long coastline to the higher tableland. The Togo-Atakora
Mountains, forested in the southwest of the interior, run northeast to
Benin. In the lower elevations in the north and south there is a
savannah with antelopes and elephants.
The highest mountain in
the country is Mont Agou at 986 m above sea level. The longest river is
the Mono with a length of 467 km. It runs from north to south and can be
used as a waterway for 50 km.
The climate is tropical and humid all year round with average
temperatures of 30 °C in the north and 27 °C on the coast in the south.
At night there is only a slight cooling down. In the north there is
almost a savannah climate. It gets hottest in February and March. In
December and January, the dusty Harmattan blows from the north.
In the north there is a rainy season from May to October of the West
African monsoon, which reaches its strongest intensity in August. This
is also the coolest month with midday temperatures of around 30 °C.
January is the driest, with humidity around 22%. The average
temperatures are then around 35 °C, with around 39 °C reaching around
midday in March.
In the south there are two rainy seasons, from
April to June and from September to November. The rainiest months are
June and October. The humidity in June is around 80 percent. The driest
month is December. It is warmest in March with midday temperatures
around 32 °C. The coolest month is August with temperatures of around
27°C.
Togo is roughly divided into two main catchment areas. The north drains into the Volta system via the Oti (38% of the country's area). The south drains via the Zio and especially via the Mono.
Togo had 8.5 million inhabitants in 2021. Annual population growth was +2.4%. A surplus of births (birth rate: 32.3 per 1000 inhabitants vs. death rate: 8.2 per 1000 inhabitants) contributed to population growth. The number of births per woman in 2020 was statistically 4.2, that of the West and Central Africa region was 5.0. The life expectancy of Togo's residents from birth was 61.3 years in 2020 (women: 62.2, men: 60.4). The median age of the population was 19.4 years in 2020.
Togo is a multi-ethnic state that is heterogeneously composed of
almost as many ethnic groups as language groups. The population of the
different ethnic groups ranges from a few hundred to a few million
people. The sense of belonging to one's own ethnic group has increased
since independence, but has also repeatedly led to tensions.
The
main ethnic groups are the Ewe (around 40%) in the south and the Kabiye
(16%) in the center and north. The Ewe already dominated the state
system in the German colonial period, and many civil servants,
specialists and businessmen were Ewe. From 1967 onwards, this dominance
ended and the country's second largest ethnic group, the Kabiye, was
given a higher position, as many military personnel and security forces
were recruited from the ranks of the Kabiye during the Gnassingbé
Eyadéma dictatorship.
Minorities are the Tem, the “Remnant Togo
Peoples” such as the Akebu (13.2%) as well as Gurma (9.7%) and Yoruba
(6.8%). Around 0.99% of the population comes from Europe or has other
ethnic origins. In addition to smaller ethnic groups in Togo, the group
of Togolese minorities mentioned here also includes other African
minorities, who essentially come from Togo's neighboring countries. In
2017, 3.6% of the population was born abroad.
Togo's national languages are Ewe and Kabiyé, although the only
official language is French, which is a legacy of French colonial rule.
In addition to Ewe, Kabiye and various Kwa and Gur languages, the
official language French is also spoken. There are also the “residual
Togo languages”, such as Akebu and a few others. Their membership in
different language families is not completely clear.
39 living
languages are spoken in the country. In addition to these languages,
languages such as Akan from Ghana and Yoruba (Nigeria) from neighboring
countries or other West African countries are spoken by smaller
minorities due to trade contacts with surrounding countries and
migration movements. No independent language for the deaf has developed
in Togo, so French sign language is used in Togo. Around 100,000 people
speak German as a foreign language.
There is freedom of religion. Almost half of the population adheres
to traditional religions - especially the Ga religion and the Yoruba
religion. The Voodoo religion is also very important. Secret societies,
especially those of the Ewe, exercise great influence within the ethnic
group societies.
The approximately 26 percent of Christians
belong to the Roman Catholic Church, while around 9 percent of the
population are Protestants. Around 20% of the population belong to Sunni
Islam, including Fulani and Hausa. There are some small Jewish
communities in the coastal regions.
In 2021, 43 percent of Togo's residents lived in cities. There is a
pronounced migration movement from the countryside to the cities.
However, there is ever-increasing unemployment there, especially among
young people. Young men in particular are emigrating abroad with the aim
of finding work in Europe or North America.
According to
calculations by the Togolese statistics office for 2020, the largest
cities are: Lomé 2,174,000 inhabitants, Kara 115,000 inhabitants, Sokodé
109,000 inhabitants, Kpalimé 90,000 inhabitants and Atakpamé 81,000
inhabitants. Overall, 42% of the population lived in cities in 2019 -
and the trend is rising.