|
Natural History of Togo
Togo is a small West African country running from the Atlantic
Ocean to the border of Burkina Faso (4¡ N to 10¡ N) between
Ghana and Benin. Although small in area (56, 000 square km),
Togo contains a variety of landscapes and ecological regions.
The country is divided into six geographical regions from the
coast to the northern border. The southern-most region is
characterized by sandy beaches, estuaries and lagoons. This is
the driest region of Togo, receiving only 600 to 800 mm of rain
annually. To the north is the barre-soil Ouatchi plateaus.
Farther north is the higher Mono tableland, which is drained by
the Mono River and its tributaries. This region receives between
1200 and 1400 mm of rain annually. The Chaine du Togo mountains
are the fourth region and dissect the country in a southwest -
northeast direction. The southern most part of this mountain
chain receives the highest rainfall in Togo, up to 1800 mm per
year. To the north of the Chaine du Togo Mountains is a
sandstone plateau drained by the Oti River. Finally, the
northern-most region is the northwest granite regions near the
city of Dapaong. Togo is more heavily wooded than neighboring
Benin, but most of the country has been altered for agricultural
use and grasslands are the dominant vegetation type.
Togo is divided into five administrative regions based loosely
on the geographical regions. The five regions are the Maritime,
Plateau, Central, Kara, and Savanna regions.
< Back to Home |
|