Today's
Where in the World series takes us to Togo! We have a sandwich restaurant in our area named Togo's, so this country's name always makes me hungry. I have no idea if the restaurant realized there was a country named Togo when they named themselves, but it is pretty funny nonetheless.
But I digress...
A Brief Explanation of the Country
Togo is located in West Africa, bordering Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso (which I'm sure totally clears things up for you). Why is my African geography knowledge so much worse than my geography knowledge of anywhere else? Tell me it's not just me?
Togo has a tropical, sub-Saharan climate, typically staying in the low to mid 80's (Fahrenheit), which is really good for growing agriculture. They mainly speak French, as well as some tribal languages. Religion consists mainly of indigenous tribal beliefs, but there are also large numbers of Christians and Muslims living here.
Togo's main "export" during the 11th-16th centuries was slaves to the European nations, earning it the nickname of "The Slave Coast". Towards the end of 1800's, Germany started protecting Togo. After WWI, this protectorate was transferred to France. In 1960, Togo gained it's independence from France.
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| Togoland, circa 1908 |
Togo's main exports these days are cocoa beans, coffee, and cotton. They remain a country of low economic status though, and tend towards political unrest. Amid their attempts to have a presidential democracy, there has been much military turmoil.
A typical Togolese diet consists of porridge, rice, tomato sauce, and chicken.
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| Togolese women in Sokode |
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| Sokode (2nd largest city in Togo) |
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| Kara (3rd largest city) |
Football (soccer) in Togo is extremely popular, as it is in most African countries, although the first Olympic medal to be won by a Togolese was in Kayak Slalom in the 2008 Olympics. They typically have not qualified for the Football World Cup, with the exception of the 2006 games, in which they finished in 30th place.
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| Togo National Football Team at 2006 World Cup |
Animals of Togo
Togo's animals are pretty typical to what you would expect to find in Africa: lions, elephants, cheetahs, etc. Here are some other animals they have that I've never heard of:
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| Cape Hryax |
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| Chlorocebus |
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| Giant Pangolin (a type of anteater) |
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| Blauducker |
And also a picture of an elephant. Just because they're cool. ;)
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| African Bush Elephant |
Back when we lived in CA, we had a Togo's sandwich place, too...totally brings back memories!
ReplyDeleteI love these posts of yours...I learn something new every day!