13 January: Togo Liberation Day

Today is Togo liberation day - so here are some facts about Togo.

1. Before it became independent in 1960, Togo was controlled by Germany, then Britain, and then France.
2. Togo is one of the smallest countries on Earth. It covers about 21, 900 square miles (56,785 square kilometers) and has a population of 7,154,237.
3. It borders with Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the west and Benin to the east.
4. The Capital and largest city is Lomé. Other important cities are Sokode, Kpalimé, Atakpame, and Bassari.
5. Lomé is the country's only working port along its 56km of coastline.
6. Togo means ‘house of sea’ in the indigenous Ewe language.
7. The Flag was designed by artist Paul Ahyi. It has five equal horizontal bands of Green alternating with Yellow. There is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner. The red represents the Blood shed by the martyrs of independence, and the white star, hope. The green represents the forests, agriculture and hope for the future. The yellow bands represent the natural resources of the land.
8. Cocoa,  Coffee, and Cotton generate about 40% of export earnings with cotton being the most important crop.
9. Togo is a large producer of phosphate, which brings in another 40% of its export earnings. Togo is the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate.
10. The highest mountain in Togo is Mount Agou at 986 metres (3,235 ft).