Togo seems to be squashed in between neighbouring Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin. Yet this tiny sliver of a country manages to squeeze in dense forests, savannah, coastal lagoons, long sandy beaches and swampy plains.

Togo formed part of the Slave Coast, from where captives were shipped abroad by European slavers during the 17th century. In 1922, the country was divided into a French-controlled eastern region and a British-occupied western sector, each of which was governed under a League of Nations mandate. After a UN-sponsored referendum in 1956, the British sector merged with the neighbouring colony of Gold Coast to form Ghana, while later in the year, the French part chose to become the autonomous Republic of Togo. It was granted full independence in 1960.

Since 1967, when a military coup brought Lieutenant-Colonel Etienne Gnassingbe Eyadema to power, until his death in February 2005, the country has suffered from this ruler's authoritarian style of government which has spawned numerous opponents and several coup attempts. When Etienne Gnassingbe Eyadema died, the military's immediate installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as President provoked widespread international condemnation. After standing down, Mr Faure won the elections two months later, which led to renewed questions about Togo's commitment to democracy.

Despite its uncertain political situation, the country boasts captivating wonders and offers a nice succession of landscapes.

The capital city Lomé lies on the Gulf of Benin and is the only capital in the world situated right next to a border. Modern hotels line the beach, while the city's past can be uncovered among the pockets of colonial architecture and its traditions discovered in the famous fetish market, which sells traditional remedies and carved figures to ward off evil. Togo's national parks are home to buffaloes, elephants and antelope, as well as numerous tropical bird species. Coffee and cocoa farms, waterfalls and palm plantations characterise the country's plateau, which rises behind the coast. In northeastern Togo, the traditional mud-tower settlements of the Batammariba in the Koutammakou landscape gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 2004.