Togo Geography
Sat. view of Togo
Togo is a small Sub-Saharan nation comprising a long strip of land in West Africa. Togo's geographic coordinates are a latitude of 8° north and a longitude of 1°10′ east. It is bordered by three countries: Benin to the east, with 644 km of border; Burkina Faso to the north, with 126 km of border; and Ghana, with 877 km of border. To the south Togo has 56 km (35 mi) of coastline along the Bight of Benin of the Gulf of Guinea in the North Atlanti Ocean. Togo stretches 579 kilometres (360 miles) north from the Gulf and is only 160 km (100 miles) wide at the broadest point. In total, Togo has an area of 56 785 km², of which 54 385 km² is land and 2 400 km² is water.
The country consists primarily of two savanna plains regions separated by a southwest–northwest range of hills (the Chaîne du Togo).
Togo is commonly divided into six geographic regions. In the south are low-lying sandy beaches. The coastal region is narrow and followed by tidal flats and shallow lagoons. There are also a number of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Togo.
Further north lies the Ouatchi Plateau. This plateau is about 30 kilometres wide and located at an altitude of 60 to 90 metres above sea level. Terre de barre is another name for this region, in use because of the reddish leached soil which is rich in iron.
Northeast of the Ouatchi Plateau lies a tableland. At its highest this region is about 500 metres above sea level. The area is drained by the Mono River and tributaries, including Ogou River.
To the west and the southwest of the tableland lie the Togo Mountains. These mountains run across the centreal region of Togo, ranging from the southwest to the northeast. The mountain range reaches into Benin where it is known as the Atakora Mountains and Ghana where it is known as the Akwapim Hills. The highest mountain of Togo is Mount Agou with a height of 986 metres. North of the Togo Mountains lies a sandstone plateau through which the Oti River flows. The vegetation is characterized by savanna. The River Oti which drains the plateau is one of the main tributaries of the River Volta. In the far northwest of Togo lies a higher region which is characterized by its rocks: granite and gneiss. The cliffs of Dapaong (Dapango) are located in this part of Togo..
Climate
The climate is generally tropical with average temperatures ranging from 27°C on the coast to about 30°C in the northernmost regions, with a dry climate and characteristics of a tropical savanna. To the south there are two seasons of rain (the first between April and July and the second between October and November), even though the average rainfall is not very high.
The country consists primarily of two savanna plains regions separated by a southwest–northwest range of hills (the Chaîne du Togo).
Togo is commonly divided into six geographic regions. In the south are low-lying sandy beaches. The coastal region is narrow and followed by tidal flats and shallow lagoons. There are also a number of lakes, the largest of which is Lake Togo.
Further north lies the Ouatchi Plateau. This plateau is about 30 kilometres wide and located at an altitude of 60 to 90 metres above sea level. Terre de barre is another name for this region, in use because of the reddish leached soil which is rich in iron.
Northeast of the Ouatchi Plateau lies a tableland. At its highest this region is about 500 metres above sea level. The area is drained by the Mono River and tributaries, including Ogou River.
To the west and the southwest of the tableland lie the Togo Mountains. These mountains run across the centreal region of Togo, ranging from the southwest to the northeast. The mountain range reaches into Benin where it is known as the Atakora Mountains and Ghana where it is known as the Akwapim Hills. The highest mountain of Togo is Mount Agou with a height of 986 metres. North of the Togo Mountains lies a sandstone plateau through which the Oti River flows. The vegetation is characterized by savanna. The River Oti which drains the plateau is one of the main tributaries of the River Volta. In the far northwest of Togo lies a higher region which is characterized by its rocks: granite and gneiss. The cliffs of Dapaong (Dapango) are located in this part of Togo..
Climate
The climate is generally tropical with average temperatures ranging from 27°C on the coast to about 30°C in the northernmost regions, with a dry climate and characteristics of a tropical savanna. To the south there are two seasons of rain (the first between April and July and the second between October and November), even though the average rainfall is not very high.
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