Togo — books & literature

The story of Togo

Present-day Togo was settled by various peoples between roughly the 11th and 16th centuries, including Ewe communities who moved into the south. From the 16th to the 18th century the coast became a hub of the European slave trade, part of the region known to traders as the 'Slave Coast'. In 1884 Germany established the protectorate of Togoland, developing it as a so-called 'model colony'. After Germany's defeat in World War I, British and French forces divided the territory, and in 1922 it became a League of Nations mandate split between the two powers. French Togoland gained independence on 27 April 1960 under President Sylvanus Olympio. Olympio was assassinated in a 1963 coup, and after further upheaval, Lieutenant Colonel Gnassingbé Eyadéma seized power in 1967, ruling for nearly four decades until his death in 2005. His son, Faure Gnassingbé, has led the country since. Today Togo is a narrow coastal state balancing French colonial legacy with Ewe, Kabiye, and voodoo traditions that remain central to daily life.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1100-1500

   Ewe and other peoples settle the region that becomes Togo.

2. circa 1600-1800

   The coast serves as a major European slave-trading outpost, part of the "Slave Coast".

3. 1884

   Germany establishes the protectorate of Togoland.

4. 1914

   British and French forces invade at the start of World War I; Germany surrenders Togoland.

5. 1922

   Togoland becomes a League of Nations mandate, split between Britain and France.

6. 1960

   French Togoland gains independence on 27 April under President Sylvanus Olympio.

7. 1963

   President Olympio is assassinated in Africa's first post-independence military coup.

8. 1967

   Lieutenant Colonel Gnassingbé Eyadéma seizes power in a bloodless coup.

9. 2005

   Eyadéma dies after 38 years in power; his son Faure Gnassingbé becomes president.

Top 10 things to know about Togo

1. Togo is one of the narrowest countries in the world , less than 115 km wide between Ghana and Benin.
2. The capital, Lomé, sits directly on the Gulf of Guinea coast.
3. The official language is French, but Ewe and Kabiye are widely spoken among dozens of local languages.
4. Togo was Germany's first African colony, nicknamed the "model colony".
5. Voodoo (vodun) originated in this coastal region and remains widely practiced alongside Christianity and Islam.
6. The Gnassingbé family has led Togo continuously since 1967 , first Étienne "Gnassingbé" Eyadéma, then his son Faure.
7. The national flag has five green-and-yellow stripes representing the country's regions, with a red canton and white star.
8. Coffee, cocoa, cotton, and phosphates are among Togo's key exports.
9. The Akodessawa Fetish Market in Lomé is one of the world's largest markets for traditional voodoo items.
10. The Evala wrestling festival in the Kara region is a centuries-old rite of passage for young men.

Famous people from Togo

Say it in Togo's language

Did you know?

• ★Togo is so narrow that it is less than 115 km wide at its coastal border between Ghana and Benin.
• ★Voodoo (vodun) is believed to have originated along this stretch of West African coast.
• ★The Gnassingbé family has held Togo's presidency continuously since 1967, across father and son.

Togo culture

• Voodoo (vodun) ceremonies and beliefs are woven into daily life alongside Christianity and Islam.
• The Evala wrestling festival in the Kara region is a major rite-of-passage celebration for young men.
• The Akodessawa Fetish Market in Lomé sells traditional spiritual and medicinal items and draws visitors from across the region.
• Staple dishes include pâte (a corn or cassava dough) served with fish, peanut, or okra-based stews.

Why read Togo's books

Togolese literature carries the voice of a small nation that has lived through colonial rule, slave-coast history, and decades under one family's leadership , themes its writers, from exile and at home, return to again and again.