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Togo is a tapered country in West Africa, sandwiched among Ghana on the west and Benin on the east, with a small border with Burkina Faso to the north, and a 56km shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The country extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is situated. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960. Weather: Tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north. To make a precise computation, however, in the south the climate is 23 degrees celsius to 32 degrees celsius (75 degrees fahrenheit to 90 degrees fahrenheit). In the north the climate is 18 degrees celsius to 38 degrees celsius (65 degrees fahrenheit to 100 degrees fahrenheit). The weather is mild and makes for good growing seasons. Togo is a sub-tropical, sub-Saharan nation. Landscape: Highly variable stretching from north to south. Gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with widespread lagoons and marshes.

Food: Akume; Corn crushed into flour and then put with water. This dish is generally served with sauces. Fufu; White yams crushed into a material fairly like mashed potatoes. Like akume, the dish usually comes with sauces. Respect: Greetings are a little more complex in Togo. Say hello to everyone when coming and going. Handshakes are key. Also maybe if you try to get to know them you will fit in. Make sure you make yourself feel like you are at home. Don't make it too homey, though, because you don't want to get on their bad side. Talk: The official language is French; however, there are many other languages spoken in Togo as well. Sport: As in much of Africa, football is the most popular sporting hobby. Until 2006, Togo was very much a minor force in world football, but like fellow West African nations such as Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon before them, the Togolese national team finally qualified for the World Cup.

Religion: About 50% of the population adheres to native, animist beliefs. Christianity is the 2nd leading pious group, to which 29% of the country's population belongs. The remaining 21% of Togolese pursue Islam. Culture: Togo's culture reflects the influences of its thirty-seven tribal groups, the largest and most powerful of which are the Ewe, Mina, and Kabre. In spite of the influences of Christianity and Islam, over half of the people of Togo follow native animistic practices and beliefs. Sculptures and hunting trophies were used rather than the more omnipresent African masks. The wood-carvers of Kloto are famous for their "chains of marriage": two characters are connected by rings drawn from only one piece of wood. Togo has 5,000,000+ populations, which is dependent mainly on agriculture.