Togo is a very beautiful country in Africa. It is known for its tourist centers and also wonderful culture. There is a lot of general knowledge about Togo, but there are untold stories about Togo that will surprise you. Do you know that the first settlers in Togo were from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Ghana?
We will be uncovering some historical, cultural, food, and religious facts, and more in the article. If you want to visit Togo or just want to know more about that beautiful country, this article will surely be an eye-opener for you.
1. There is only one UNESCO World Heritage Site in Togo which is the Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba. It contains tower mud houses.
2. Voodooism is widely practiced in Togo.
3. The red part of the flag of Togo symbolizes the blood people have shed for the country and its independence.
4. The white part of the Togo flag represents hope.
5. The name Togo is derived from the Ewe language and it means behind the river.
6. In the Kabye land, a festival of initiation for young ladies called Evala is held every July.
7. The world’s largest voodoo market is the Akodessewa Fetish Market, Akodessewa, located in the country’s capital city, Lomé.
8. Togo has a very diverse culture with about 40 ethnic groups many of which are West Arica immigrants.
9. Togo is part of the Gulf of Guinea Regional Office together with other countries like Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria among others.
10. Togo was also part of the slave coast of Africa.
11. The five stripes of Togo’s flag symbolize its main regions.
12. Held every August in the Kpalime region is a multi-day festival called Gbagba. This festival is held to worship animist deities, to signal the end of the farming cycle with harvest, and to celebrate the beginning of the rest period.
13. The oldest building in Togo is the Palais de Lomé which was built from 1898-1905.
14. The first settlers in Togo were the Ewe clans from Nigeria and Ane clan from Ivry Coast and Ghana.
15. Faure Essozimma Gnassingbé Eyadéma is the longest-serving president of Togo lasting for 38 years.
16. Lomé the capital city of Togo is referred to as the ‘pearl of West Africa’.
17. The largest Ivory seizure in Africa that occurred in 2015 was in Lomé when more than 4 tons of elephant tusks were apprehended.
18. Togo is regarded as one of the top producers of the world’s phosphates.
19. In Togo, only men and boys are allowed to walk while holding hands.
20. During ceremonial functions in some parts of Togo, food is not served except in animist rituals. But beer and gin must be present in all ceremonies.
21. Children do not go to school till they are 5 years old.
22. The major cash crops of Togo are cocoa, coffee, and cotton.
23. Germany ruled Togo from 1884 till 1914 before World War 1.
24. Togo is a multilingual country that speaks about 44 languages with French being its official language.
25. Gadao is a 3-day festival held in the city of Sokodo in the month of March to thank their ancestors for harvests, and the role of warriors.
26. The motto of Togo is travail, liberté, and patrié which translates to work, liberty, and homeland.
27. Togo was formerly known as French Togoland before it became the Togolese Republic in 1960.
28. Togo has a lot of symbols which include the African lion and rose flower.
29. The green part of the flag of Togo represents hope and agricultural prosperity.
30. After World War 2, France and Great Britain took over Togo then known as Togoland. This colony was then divided into two; the Eastern and Western parts.
31. After the last execution in Togo in 1978, Togo was classified as an Abolitionist in Practice.
32. The Voodoo festival is held every September in the Glidji village to celebrate the indigenous beliefs and the start of a new year.
33. Togo’s first and only appearance at the World Cup was in 2006, but they lost all the 3 games and did not move past the group stage.
34. The Hôtel du Février towering at a height of 102 meters is the highest building in Togo and also one of the tallest in Africa.
35. Fiogan Joel Kwasi Mensah Mlapa IV has been the monarch of Togo since 2018.
36. The first Portuguese to have found Togo were João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar between 1471 and 1473.
37. In Togo, waist beads are seen as a fashion to attract men.
38. Togo is one of the world’s poorest countries with about 81.2% of Togo’s rural population living under the global poverty line.
39. After the division, the western part joined Ghana when they gained their independence, while the eastern part became Togo in 1960.
40. Lomé is the major exporter of cocoa, palm kernel, coffee, and copra in Togo.
41. In the year 2017, the Togolese fled Togo due to human rights abuses after the then-recent political protests.
42. Waterborne diseases are very common in Togo because only about 63% of the Togolese have access to neat water for consumption.
43. When you want to greet an elder in Togo, take off your hat if you have one on, and shake hands with them. It is often advised to hold your elbow and shake with two hands as it is a sign of respect.
44. Germany wanted to make Togoland a model colony because they had no mineral resources. This was because they didn’t know of their phosphates.
45. The Ewe tribe emigrated from Nigeria is the largest ethnic group of Togo followed closely by the Kabye tribe.
46. On the map, Togo is seen as a long strip of land squeezed between Benin and Ghana.
47. Capital punishment in Togo was abolished in 2009.
48. If worn from a young age, the dijono is believed to help build bodily development by promoting the shape of a young lady.
49. The economy of Togo is mainly derived from agriculture, some of its crops include cassava, millet, cotton, coffee, corn, and rice among others.
50. With French being the official language of Togo, English is not spoken in Togo by many.
51. The wearing of a waist bead is also a tradition known as djonou which is believed to guarantee the wearer protection of her ancestors.
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