Music and Art as Historical Record

Togo has a much shorter history in comparison to other African nations. Historians are not quite sure of the exact numbers but there is no evidence of ancient civilization in Togo. There are still some non-written sources of history however as some tribes use music as a form of communication and storytelling.

Music is a very big part of the Togolese life. They have music playing often and the most popular instrument used is the drum. They tell stories and pass on history through their songs in the villages. These stories can be passed incorrectly because they are passed orally but are typically kept with accuracy. The songs are often sung in Ewe and Kabye which are common tribal languages of the Togolese people. The stories tell the history of the tribes and are typically kept close to the Togolese people.

The Togolese are master craftsmen that create little trinkets and wooden pieces that are also used for storytelling. They will use the pieces to help the story come to life. These stories are typically less reliable than the songs because they are not the same over and over. These stories are typically more detailed however and are passed on from one generation to the next. The elders will tell the younger kids the story in the villages and then eventually the kids will grow up and tell their kids the same stories.

One way the Togolese also used their craft skills was to create small wooden statutes. Many scholars believe these were used in their Voodoo practices as protection and fertility dolls. The Ewe were the main crafters of these statutes but were also created by other neighboring tribes. This is just one example of a piece of art that historians use to help piece together the history of a nation prior to its discovery by European nations and prior to a written history being taken.

http://www.zyama.com/ewe/ewe.doll.g.jpg 

Sources:
http://www.zyama.com/ewe/
http://www.african-music-safari.com/ewe-drumming.html
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/lesson-plans/togolese-tale-big-fire/

Geography

Togo is located in West Africa along the South Coast. The country sits on the Gulf of Guinea. Togo is a small nation in size and is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia. Lome is the capital of Togo and it is the nation's largest city. The coordinates are 6.1725 degrees N and 1.214 degrees E.

Togo is a long strip that is not very wide at the base. Because of this, it covers a large variety of topography. There are six distinct regions in Togo. There is the Plateau region, the Lake Regions, the Mountains Regions, the Rivers and the Coastline.

The south is known for its lagoons and marshes that turn into the savanna as one moves northward into the country. The center of the country is low lying hills while the northern parts of the nation are flat. In the southwestern portion of the country are the Togo Mountains. The stretch from the southwest into central Togo and the highest mountain has a height of 3, 235 feet.

Togo also has several small lakes including the largest lake which is Lake Togo. Lake Togo is in Lome near the Gulf of Guinea and is separated by a narrow strip of land. It is a shallow lagoon and is the destination for many tourists.

The longest and most significant river in Togo is the Mono river. It is 250 miles long and has many tributaries. The river was dammed in the 1980s and has helped to maintain the flow of the river and keep flooding to a minimum. The river flows into the Gulf.

Because the country has so much diversity in its regions, much of it has not been developed and remains forested. It has a tropical climate with some parts of the country receiving 35 inches of rain and other parts receiving 70 inches annually. The distinct regions have led to a separation in the culture and the people. In recent times this has shifted but in the past there was not as much of a sense of nationwide unity. The people of the different regions simply live very different lives. Togo is also protected by the nations around it and has been able to stay safe due to its location for most of history. They also are not susceptible to attack from the ocean because they do not have a very big coast. The geography of Togo has helped play a role shaping it into the nation it is today.

Sources

 Echenberg, Myron. "Togo." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed May 12, 2016. http://www.britannica.com/place/Togo.

"Togo Geography." Geography of Togo, Landforms. Accessed May 12, 2016. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/togo/tgland.htm#page.