Country Information Togo

 

Togo is located on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa. Except for large deposits of phosphates, it is a country poor in natural resources, which is why most locals work in agriculture. Poverty is widespread. About 8 million people live in the country. The capital, Lomé, is located directly on the coast and is considered the economic and cultural center of the country.

The country has a lot to offer in terms of landscape, as long sandy beaches with palm trees, valleys with small hill chains, and the savannah with its baobab trees alternate. The moist-tropical climate dominated by the equator fluctuates between 30 and 27 degrees, cooling off only slightly at night.

The two rainy seasons occur between April and June, and September and November. During these months, you should only visit the country if you can cope with humid heat. Otherwise, winter until the beginning of spring is the best time to travel. The high humidity requires light clothing, only the months of June and October are completely dominated by continuous rainfall and require waterproof clothes.

Due to the two rainy seasons, the country has a lush flora and fauna. Green hill chains in the interior of the country alternate with coconut and cocoa trees near the sandy beaches.

The number of wild animals has drastically decreased due to logging, widespread agriculture, intensive cultivation of crops, and a growing population. The number of elephants has been greatly reduced by the ivory trade. These animals primarily live in the Oti-Kéran protected area, which is located on the border of Benin and Burkina Faso. The Fazao-Malfakassa National Park also provides protection for the native fauna, which includes monkeys, hippos, leopards, giraffes, snakes, river horses, and monitor lizards among others.

On July 5, 1884, the African explorer Gustav Nachtigal hoisted the German flag and declared Togo a »German protectorate« thus making it the smallest colony of Germany.

At that time, the European powers were dividing up the African continent among themselves, and Germany also wanted a piece of the "place in the sun". The smallest German colony proved to be very profitable due to its agricultural products. Cotton, coffee, rubber, and peanuts were transported on railway lines (named as Coconut Railway and Cotton Railway) to the coast, which were built by the Germans.

After the outbreak of World War I, Germany lost its colony, as the western part of Togo was occupied by the British. Later, this part of the country joined the state of Ghana. The eastern part of the country fell into the hands of the French and gained its independence in 1960.

The 8 million inhabitants of Togo are referred to as Togolese and have the highest life expectancy in West Africa at an average of 58 years. The official language is French, in addition to Ewe, Mina, Dagomba, and many other languages of daily use. In total, there are about 40 living languages in Togo .

The official currency is the CFA Franc, which you can best exchange on site at the airport, in banks or exchange offices in larger cities. Please note that banks in Togo are closed between 12 and 14:30. The current exchange rate is 1 EUR = 655.9570 XOF.

In Togo you pay with your VISA Card or with cash. Hotels and large stores accept a credit card, but cash payment is generally preferred. As in Germany, the shops and facilities at the airport and in the country, where card payments are accepted, are equipped with the appropriate symbols, so you can immediately see where your VISA Card or Master Card can be used.

Credit cards used at an ATM in Togo are charged with fees that can range between 1.75 and 4 percent per transaction. There may also be transaction fees when the currency first needs to be converted and adjusted. If you have a travel credit card, you can withdraw money from ATMs worldwide, including in Togo, without any fees.

Keep an eye on your valuables and do not carry large amounts of money with you. Exchange only as much money as you really need and store it in a way that it cannot be seen by anyone at first glance.

In Togo, you will encounter a colorful and unconventional style of clothing. Most garments are made from an African fabric called "Pagne", which is often only wrapped around the hips. The bold colors and large-scale patterns in batik look are striking. Only for church visits and family celebrations there are one or two »good« garments.

Men and women wear different patterns and the wrapping technique of the fabric strips can tell whether a woman is married (skirts are made from two strips of fabric) or unmarried (the skirt consists of only one strip of fabric).

When traveling in Togo , you should wear light and long clothing to protect against insect bites and the unfamiliar sun exposure.

Travel to the Sahel region and the extreme north of the country is strongly discouraged. There is a risk of terrorist acts of violence. In July 2022, there were civilian victims for the first time, which is related to the northern neighboring country Burkina Faso.

Limit yourself to small amounts of cash on excursions and keep it safe. If you are at the beach, you should avoid unguarded sections. In the evening, you should no longer leave the accommodation to go to the beach. Also, in the city, you should refrain from nighttime excursions.

If you are involved in a robbery, you should not resist in order not to unnecessarily provoke the perpetrators. If you are traveling by car, do not leave it unattended. Most car robberies happen at night, but a car parked alone is also an easy target during the day.

The roads and local vehicles are mostly in poor condition. Street and vehicle lighting are rarely present, so you should better eliminate overland travel from the program. If you are involved in a traffic accident, you must definitely call the police.

It only took one to two days after the arrival of the first colonists in Togo for the inhabitants of the inner areas of the country to know who the strangers were, what they were dealing with, and what their intentions were. All this was made possible by a special way of communication, the art of drumming.

The drum languages of West Africa are of great cultural and historical significance. Although considered obsolete today, they are still among the surrogate languages, which can be translated as »substitute language«. They were used because of great distances and could convey messages based on rhythm, the musical component, and the dynamic profile of a sentence.

Since you will certainly not learn any of the local languages before your trip, your language skills should include English and French. With these, you can communicate in the country, cater for yourself, and enjoy your vacation.

Especially in the rural areas of the country, the power supply is only insufficiently available. Here, only eight percent of the population have access to electricity. Electricity is mostly used only for lighting and the use of mobile phones. Regular power outages ensure that cooking is often done outdoors and on an open fire.

If you are planning a vacation in a larger city, your hotel will of course have free access to electricity. You also do not need a travel plug adapter, as the mains voltage is almost identical to that in Germany. However, be prepared for daily power outages.

International calls can be conveniently made from hotels, as the country has a new digital telephone system based on satellite. You will also have no problems with a prepaid mobile phone, as the mobile network is now well developed. To keep costs as low as possible, you should use post offices or public phone booths for phone calls.

Of course, the development in the field of telecommunications in Togo cannot be compared with European standards. In 2020, there were 6.56 million connections, 6.52 million of which were to a mobile phone. While the average value in the EU is 1.2 mobile phones per person, this value in Togo is only 0.79. This shows that the digital age with SIM cards, the internet, and WiFi has not yet fully arrived in West Africa.

Since March 2022, the country has been connected to Portugal by the Equiano submarine cable. This is expected to attract data centers and companies to invest and contribute to the development of the industry.

Only 24 percent of the country's inhabitants have access to the internet. Togo is also lagging behind in the expansion of broadband internet connections. Only 1 percent of the population has their own connection faster than 256 kBit/s. This statistic included all connections via satellite, cable, or DSL. Those connecting to the internet via mobile were not counted in this survey.

Statistics show that the number of landline connections has dropped drastically since 2010. On the other hand, the number of mobile connections has increased since 2002.

In Togo there is a lack of everything in healthcare. If you come as a local emergency patient, you will only be treated if the necessary medications can be paid for. There is only one dialysis center throughout the country. There are no cancer specialists and the high infant mortality rate is due to a lack of obstetricians.

If you are planning to visit Togo, you should therefore take precautions. Since Togo is in the yellow fever infection area, you should have all standard vaccinations when traveling to the country. A yellow fever vaccination is mandatory from the ninth month of life. Additionally, you should get vaccinated against Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Rabies, Meningococcal, and Typhoid before starting your journey.

Cholera can be easily transmitted in Togo. However, only through inadequately treated drinking water or raw food. You can protect yourself from this disease by paying attention to sufficient hygiene. Furthermore, there is a high risk of malaria in Togo, which is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes.

Protect yourself from this disease by wearing long and light clothing and not leaving the house at dusk and night. The animals are active at this time. If you get a fever despite all precautions, present yourself at one of the hospitals as soon as possible.

At the beginning of your trip, check what is covered by your health insurance during a stay abroad. Make sure to include travel health insurance that covers repatriation in case of illness.

If you attend a business appointment in the country, simple travel health insurance is no longer sufficient. In this case, you need international health insurance that allows you to choose the place of treatment and doctor freely. This is particularly important in this country, as the healthcare system in no way measures up to the standards in Germany.

You can also take out international health insurance if you are already abroad. Unlike simple foreign health insurance, the international version includes vaccinations, care during pregnancy, dental prostheses, and preventive examinations.

Also remember that insurance abroad may not apply or be handled differently. Liability or accident insurance may not be valid in Togo Ask your insurance advisor before the trip and use the special country information.

When setting out on round trips or a direct holiday destination, you should read up well in advance and familiarize yourself with the country information to be well prepared. Start your vacation in Lomé, the capital of the country. About 1 million people live in Lomé, and therefore the infrastructure is much better than in the surrounding rural areas. The construction style is also more modern than in the surrounding areas due to many high-rise buildings. The roads are better developed, there are sometimes traffic lights and street lamps. Even trash cans can be found on the streets from time to time. However, look closely when strolling through the city. On the sidewalks, there are sometimes huge holes that are not as conspicuously cordoned off as in Germany.

When visiting the capital Lomé, you should definitely make a detour to the huge market. Also worth seeing are the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church and the colonial German palaces.

The German radio station, which was blown up in 1914 to prevent it from falling into French enemies, reminds with its ruins of bygone times. Perhaps you will also be inspired by excursions to the borderland of Benin, Aného or Grand-Popo or take a round trip and explore several cities in the nearby surroundings?

The smallest state in Africa also offers sights in the nature of the country. In the southwest, you can enjoy forested mountain slopes with many waterfalls. Countless fishing villages await your visit along the coasts. On Lake Togo, water sports enthusiasts can have fun, and those more interested in culture are in the right place at the craft center in Atakpamé. There you can admire pottery and batik works.

Locals eat simple dishes, mostly consisting of a large amount of carbohydrates and a dollop of sauce. Rice, spaghetti, and couscous alternately appear on the menu, covered with a type of tomato sauce.

A mass of mashed sweet potatoes is traditionally called Fufu and is the national dish of the country. On the streets, you can also get specialties like Sodja, which is reminiscent of tofu made from beans, and Klako, which are fried banana pieces with a spicy sauce.

In private accommodation, meat or fish is rarely served on the table. Milk and dairy products are also missing from the meals of the locals. Instead, a lot of eggs are eaten and used in all dishes.

Did you know that in the smallest country in Africa you eat exclusively with the right hand and directly from the pot? That rice and noodles are often served together may also be new to Europeans, and that breakfast often consists only of corn porridge is also one of the peculiarities of the country. The most important meals of the day are lunch and dinner.

But don't worry, even in this African country, there are restaurants where you can satisfy your hunger in the usual way. Enjoy French, Italian, European, and even occasionally German cuisine.