Photos du Togo
Discover le Togo
A small West African state, Togo saw the arrival of numerous ethnic groups fleeing the arrival of Europeans from the 15th century onwards. The Portuguese landed and developed the slave trade along the entire coast of the Gulf of Benin. They were joined by other Europeans, notably the English and the French. Initially under German protectorate, Togo was mandated to France and Great Britain after the First World War. British Togo became part of the Gold Coast, which became Ghana, and the French held elections. Sylvanus Olympio was elected and proclaimed the country's independence. Several coups d'état marked the country until Lieutenant-Colonel Gnassingbé Eyadema took power. In the 1990s, the country was plunged into a deep socio-economic crisis from which it would take a long time to recover. Today, Gnassingbé's son Faure has ruled Togo since 2005.
