Holidays in Togo

Understanding Togo

History

In an 1884 treaty signed at Togoville, Germany declared a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland This became the German colony Togoland in 1905 After the German defeat during World War I in August 1914 at the hands of British troops coming from the Gold Coast and the French troops coming from Dahomey, Togoland became two League of Nations mandates, administered by the United Kingdom and France After World War II, these mandates became UN Trust Territories The residents of British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast as part of the new independent nation of Ghana, and French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union

Togo's size is just less than 57,000 square kilometres 22,000 sq mi It has a population of more than 6,600,000 people, which is dependent mainly on agriculture The mild weather makes for good growing seasons Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation

Togo gained its independence from France in 1960 In 1967, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, the former leader of the country, led a successful military coup, after which he became President Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in African history after being president for 38 years at the time of his death in 20054 In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president About a third of the population live below the international poverty line of US$125 a day

People

In Togo, there are about 40 different ethnic groups, the most numerous of which are the Ewe in the south 46% Although along the south coastline they account for 21% of the population, Kotokoli and Tchamba in the center, Kabyé in the north 22% Another classification lists Uaci or Ouatchis 14% as a separate ethnic group from the Ewe which brings the proportion of Ewe down to 32% However, there are no historic or ethnic facts that justify the separation between Ewes and Ouatchis On the contrary, the term Ouatchi relates to a subgroup of Ewes which migrated south during the 16th century from Notse the ancient Ewe Kingdom capital This classification is inaccurate and has been contested for being politically biased; Mina, Mossi, and Aja about 8% are the remainder; and under 1% are European expatriates who live in Togo as diplomats and for economic reasons The Ouatchis are a sub-group of the Ewe just as the Anlo in the Republic of Ghana are a subgroup of the Ewe ethnic group

Climate

The climate is generally tropical with average temperatures ranging from 27°C on the coast to about 30°C in the northernmost regions, with a dry climate and characteristics of a tropical savanna To the south there are two seasons of rain the first between April and July and the second between October and November

Landscape

Highly variable stretching from north to south Gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Talking in Togo

French is the national language Any visitor to Togo will find their time much eaiser if they speak at least some French

What to do in Togo

Sports, especially football, are the main entertaining activity in Togo You can watch the football soccer league games played in the weekends check listings Apart from football, there are several night clubs that can keep you awake at night, and the capital is full of them; the Chess BSBG is among the most popular TV programs are not the best in the world, with movies and sitcoms that have been played for years Plus, the beach offers another type of fun Many activities and parties are organized there, with people coming from all over Lomé to enjoy the beautiful weather in the weekends Despite those great things at the beach, you really have to choose a good spot, to avoid stepping or sitting on the unwanted

Buying stuff in Togo

There are of course, Yovo white person surcharges, but prices can be and should be negotiated The general rule of thumb is that when you haggle, start with a quarter or a third of the original asking price, you will usually meet at 50% Be consistent! I have found that this does not necessarily apply to food purchases at the fruits and vegetable stands Ask around how much you would expect to pay for a mango, an avacado or a pineapple

Costs

A liter of gasoline will cost you around 600 CFA, a liter of water around 300 CFA A baguette is around 175 CFA and half a pound of local coffee will cost 1200 CFA A beer in the supermarket will cost your around 350 CFA, at an expat restaurant this will be around 1000 CFA A coca-cola will cost you between 200 and 400 CFA in the supermarket "Western food", mostly imported from France, can be found in supermarkets but is more pricey than in Europe

Food and eating in Togo

Akume is a made from corn flower The "national" dish of West-Africa is Fufu, in Togo it consists of white yams pounded into a doughy consistency You will find plent of Fufu Restaurants in the cities as well as roadside stands Akume and Fufu is usually eaten with your hands and come with different sauces From smoked fish to spicy tomato to peanut Plantaines can also be found in various forms; grilled, cooked, mashed or fried In the season, Mangos, Papayas, and Pineapples are for sale everywhere

Drinking in Togo

Lemonade and Bissap juice are the most popular drinks There are many bars almost around all corners in Lomé where you will be able to have a beer

Accommodation in Togo

Cities in Togo