Togo occupies 56,785 square kilometers along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. The country measures approximately 579 kilometers north to south and between 50 and 155 kilometers east to west at its narrowest and widest points. Ghana forms the western border, Benin the eastern border, and Burkina Faso the northern border. The coastline extends 56 kilometers. Mont Agou rises to 986 meters as the highest point. The Mono River forms part of the eastern boundary with Benin. The Oti River flows through the northern region. Lake Togo lies northeast of the capital near the coast. The Togo Mountains represent the southern extension of the Atakora range.
Lomé functions as the capital and largest city, positioned on the Gulf of Guinea at the southwestern corner. Sokodé holds the position of second largest city in the central region. Kara sits in the north as a regional center. Kpalimé lies in the southwest near Mount Agou. Atakpamé occupies a position in the Plateaux Region. Dapaong serves as the northernmost major town. Tsévié stands north of Lomé along the main highway. Aného stretches along the coast east of Lomé. Bassar operates as a center in the Kara Region. Mango functions as a town in the far north.
Germany established Togoland as a protectorate in 1884 following the Treaty of Togoville signed in that year. British and French forces partitioned German Togoland in 1914 during World War I. The League of Nations assigned mandate status to both sections in 1922. The United Nations converted these to Trust Territory status in 1946. British Togoland voted to join Ghana in 1956. French Togoland gained independence from France on April 27, 1960. Sylvanus Olympio became the first president. Military officers assassinated Olympio on January 13, 1963. Nicolas Grunitzky assumed the presidency from 1963 to 1967. Gnassingbé Eyadéma took power in a coup d'état on January 13, 1967. Eyadéma governed until his death on February 5, 2005. Faure Gnassingbé succeeded his father as president in 2005 and remains in office.
The Ewe people constitute the largest ethnic group, concentrated primarily in the south and coastal areas. The Kabye inhabit the northern regions with significant concentration around Kara. The Tem people, also called Kotokoli, live in central Togo. The Mina reside along the coast. The Gourma occupy areas in the north. The Bassar people live in the Kara Region. The Lamba and Moba groups inhabit northern areas. The Akebu and Ana represent smaller groups in specific localities. The Batammariba, sometimes called Somba, live in the Koutammakou region in the northeast.
French functions as the sole official language under the constitution. Ewe serves as the most widely spoken indigenous language in the south. Kabye predominates in northern regions. Tem operates as a lingua franca in central areas. Mina speakers concentrate along the coast. Each ethnic group maintains its own language.
Togoville holds historical significance as the site where the 1884 treaty was signed. The town sits on the northern shore of Lake Togo. Voodoo shrines exist throughout Togoville as active religious sites. Koutammakou received UNESCO World Heritage designation in 2004 for its landscape and Batammariba fortified mud tower houses called Takienta. These cylindrical compounds feature two stories with granaries and living spaces. Sacred forests in Koutammakou serve religious functions for the Batammariba. The Akodésséwa Fetish Market operates in Lomé as a center for traditional religious items. The Tamberma Valley contains sacred compounds similar to those in Koutammakou.
Fazao-Malfakassa National Park covers 1,920 square kilometers in central Togo. Kéran National Park spans 1,636 square kilometers in the north. Fosse aux Lions National Park encompasses 17 square kilometers near Kara. The Cascade de Womé waterfall stands near Kpalimé. The Cascade d'Akloa waterfall also lies in the southwestern region near Kpalimé.
The Grand Marché in Lomé operates as the central market with sections for textiles, food, and household goods. Lomé Cathedral, formally the Sacred Heart Cathedral, was built during the colonial period. The Independence Monument stands in Lomé commemorating 1960. The National Museum in Lomé houses ethnographic collections. The Marché des Féticheurs refers to the fetish market used for traditional medicine and religious purposes.