The Togolese Republic, located in West Africa, borders Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, and against the Gulf of Guinea. Historically, Togo was comprised of various tribes, and it became part of the ?Slave Coast? for European countries who came raiding for slaves. Originally under a protectorate of Germany, Togoland became a mandate under the League of Nations administered by France and the United Kingdom.
In 1960, Togo became an independent nation, and was ruled by Eyadema Gnassingbe, Africa's longest dictator in power. In 2005, the country enacted democratic elections, with Faure Gnassingbe announced as the winner.
As a sub-Saharan economy, agriculture is the main industry in Togo, with approximately 65% of the population engaged in agriculture. Industrially, phosphate mining and export is important to the economy. Currently, Togo is the region's commercial and trade center, with its capital based in Lom?.
With a population of over 6.1 million people, Togo has more than 37 ethnic groups, including the Ewe, Mina, and Kabre. The official language of Togo is French, with several indigenous Togolese languages spoken commonly.
50% of the Togolese have religious affiliations of indigenous animist, with Christianity held by 29% of the population. The remainder of the population is religiously Islamic.
Central African Republic
Central African Republic, landlocked in Central Africa, borders Chad, Sudan, Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cameroon. The topography of the country consists of the Sudan-Guinean savanna, equatorial forests, and a Sahelo-Sudanese area. In 1960, Central African Republic gained its independence from France, and it is currently a republic which had its first democratic elections held in 1993. The Central African Republic's economy is highly dependent upon foreign assistance through NGOs. Although the country has agricultural self-sufficiency, the majority of the population exists at a subsistence level; in 2006, the country barely overcame the risk of starvation. Most of the economy is fueled by cash crops, and the per capita income in the country is approximately $300 annually. The export of diamonds is critical to the economy, accounting for 40% - 55% of the export revenues. With over four million people in the population, the Central African Republic has over 80 ethnic groups and languages. Approximately 11% of the entire population is HIV positive. In terms of religion, the most prevalent are indigenous beliefs, followed by the Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Muslim religions.
The Central African Republic is in essence an undulating plateau. Central and south is a series of forested, rolling hills, with some topping 2000 ft. A dense tropical rainforest in the southeast fronts the Ubangi River, and in the north, the land flattens into a treeless, desert like savanna grassland. On the western border with Cameroon the land rises into the high granite plateau of the Karre Mountains. The Bongos Massif in the far northeast extends into Sudan. Numerous tributaries of the Chair and Longone rivers crisscross the land, central and north, while the Ubangi River system dominates the south, as it forms much of the countries southern border with the DRC.
The Central African Republic is famed worldwide for its lowland gorilla population, Pygmy culture, and fabulous national parks.
In the 1800s, the local Pygmy population was all but decimated by the slave trade. The French to their credit were anti slavery and began to take control of this land in 1905 by establishing the colony of Ubangi Chair. In the 1940s the country became a French overseas territory, finally gaining its independence from France in 1958. From 1965 to 1979, the country suffered through the dictatorial reign of Colonel Jean Bedel Bokassa. A series of military coups followed, with multiparty elections finally held in 1993.
The country has the potential to be a major tourist destination, but generally, thats defeated by its poor infrastructure. However, for those that somehow venture, mostly Europeans, the pristine parks and wildlife are second to none, and hunting safaris sadly are still a big business.
National parks are home to forest elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos and countless other animals. One of the lowland gorillas last habitats is found in the rainforests of the south.
Due to consistent flooding, the land is lightly cultivated, and agriculture is mostly at the subsistence level. Diamond and Uranium mining, as well as timber harvesting remain important industries.
Within the Central African Republic, HIV/AIDS is still spreading, and the country is seriously afflicted by destabilizing financial and social problems.
April through October is the rainy season, and in the southern part of the country, annual amounts exceed 70 inches, and severe flooding is commonplace. The north is much drier, but some areas do receive near 30 inches of rainfall. Countrywide, temperatures are hot with very high humidity. Overall, mean high temperatures are in the mid 80s, however, daily highs are often in the high 90s, especially in the north. Lows average in the high 60s.
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