Togo

The region was home to a variety of peoples and small states before it became, in the late nineteenth century, the German colony of Togoland. After Germany's defeat in the First World War, the territory was split between Britain and France, and the British portion later joined Ghana while the French portion became modern Togo, gaining independence in 1960 under Sylvanus Olympio. He was soon assassinated, and the country came to be dominated for decades by Gnassingbe Eyadema and, after him, his son.

Togo is long and narrow, stretching about 500 kilometres inland from a coastline of only some 50 kilometres on the Gulf of Guinea. Behind the sandy coast and its lagoons lies a fertile plateau, rising to a range of hills that crosses the centre of the country, and beyond them the land flattens into the dry savanna of the north. This south-to-north span gives the small country a range of climates, from the humid tropical coast to the drier interior near the Sahel.

The flag of Togo has five horizontal stripes alternating green and yellow, with a red square in the upper hoist bearing a white five-pointed star. These are the pan-African colours: the green is said to represent agriculture and hope, the yellow the country's mineral wealth, and the red the blood shed for independence, while the white star stands for purity and the nation. The five stripes are sometimes linked to the country's regions, giving the flag a distinctive striped design.

Togo is religiously diverse, with a large share of the population following traditional African religions, including the Vodun beliefs shared with neighbouring Benin, alongside significant Christian and Muslim communities. Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant, is strong in the south, the result of missionary activity, while Islam is more common in the north. These faiths often coexist, and traditional practices, with their shrines, festivals, and reverence for ancestors and spirits, remain a vital part of the culture.

Togolese cuisine is West African in character, built on starchy staples and flavourful sauces. In the south, a dough of maize or cassava is eaten with sauces, while in the north pounded yam, or fufu, is a staple, served with rich soups made from vegetables, leaves, peanuts, or okra and accompanied by meat or fish. Grilled and fried fish from the coast and lagoons, beans, rice, and generous use of chili and palm oil characterise the everyday food of the country.

Agriculture is the mainstay of Togo's economy and the livelihood of most of its people. Cotton, coffee, and cocoa are important export crops, while food crops such as maize, cassava, yams, and millet feed the population, grown largely by smallholder farmers. Togo is also notable for its substantial deposits of phosphate, a mineral used in fertiliser, which is one of its leading exports. Fishing along the short coast adds to the resources of a small but varied country.

The German colonial era as Togoland, the division between Britain and France, and independence in 1960 shaped the nation. The assassination of the first president and the long subsequent rule of Gnassingbe Eyadema, one of the longest-serving leaders in African history, followed by the succession of his son, have defined Togo's modern politics, marked by limited political opening and recurring protests. The country has nonetheless remained relatively stable compared with some of its neighbours.

Togo has a population of around 9 million people, made up of many ethnic groups, the largest being the Ewe in the south and the Kabye in the north, speaking a range of languages with French as the official tongue. The population is young and concentrated in the south, especially around the capital and main port, Lome, which sits right on the coast at the country's southwestern corner. Most Togolese live by farming, and the small nation packs considerable ethnic and cultural variety into its narrow shape.