Facts About the Savanes Region
The Savanes region is a rarely-visited region of Togo that borders Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso. The largest city is Sansanné-Mango, with a population of approximately 40,000 as of 2010.
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Colonial History
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During colonization in the late 1800s, Togo became a protectorate of Germany known as Togoland. After Germany was defeated in World War I, British and French troops invaded and France took control. The name "Savanes" resulted. French remains a commonly spoken language in the region. The country was granted independence from France in 1960.
Geography
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Savanes, as is suggested by its name, is characterized largely by hills and grasslands. The climate is tropical. In late fall and winter, a desert wind starting in the Sahara blows through the region, carrying large amounts of dust. The region has an area of 8,553 square kilometers, a third of which is made up of natural reserves.
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People and Ownership
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The population of Togo as a whole is 99 percent native Africans, and Savanes is no exception. The Moba/Gourma and Anuform are the two major ethnic groups in the region. The land is often divided and governed by tribal usage rights; the concepts of contracts and ownership are still not widespread in the rural areas that occupy most of the region.
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References
- Photo Credit togo flag icon. (with clipping path) image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
