Togo
seems to be squashed in between neighboring Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin. Yet this tiny sliver of a country manages to squeeze in
dense forests, savannah, coastal lagoons,
long sandy beaches and swampy plains.
Despite its uncertain political situation, the country boasts
captivating wonders and offers a nice succession of landscapes.
The capital city
Lomé lies on the Gulf of Benin and is the only capital in the world situated right next to a border. Modern hotels line the beach, while the city’s past can be uncovered among the
pockets of
colonial architecture and its traditions discovered in the famous
fetish market, which sells traditional remedies and carved figures to ward off evil.
Togo’s
national parks are home to buffaloes, elephants and antelope, as well as numerous tropical bird species. Coffee and
cocoa farms, waterfalls and palm plantations characterize the country’s plateau, which rises behind the coast. In northeastern Togo, the traditional
mud-tower settlements of the Batammariba in the Koutammakou landscape gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004.
GeographyTogo shares borders with Burkina Faso to the north, Benin to the east and Ghana to the west, with a short coast on the Atlantic in the south. The country is a narrow strip, rising behind coastal lagoons and swampy plains to an undulating plateau. Northwards, the plateau descends to a wide plain irrigated by the River Oti. The central area is covered by deciduous forest, while savannah stretches to the north and south. In the east, the River Mono runs to the sea; long sandy beaches shaded by palms characterize the coastline between Lomé and Cotonou in Benin.
Next Page »
