It is bordered by Ghana to the west , Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. From the 11th to the 16th century, tribes entered the region from various directions. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the coastal region was a trading center for Europeans to purchase slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast ". In , Germany declared a region including a protectorate called Togoland.
Togo gained its independence from France in Togo is a tropical , sub-Saharan nation [8] whose economy depends mostly on agriculture. Archaeological finds indicate that tribes were able to produce pottery and process iron. The name Togo is translated from the Ewe language as "behind the river". Most of them settled in coastal areas. The Atlantic slave trade began in the 16th century, and for the next two hundred years the coastal region was a trading centre for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast ".
In , a paper was signed at Togoville with King Mlapa III, whereby Germany claimed a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland. Its borders were defined after the capture of hinterland by German forces and signing agreements with France and Britain. In , this became the German colony of Togoland.
The local population was forced to work, cultivate cotton, coffee, and cocoa and pay taxes. The Germans introduced techniques of cultivation of cocoa , coffee and cotton and developed the infrastructure. Following the Allied invasion of the colony in August , German forces were defeated, forcing the colony's surrender on 26 August On 7 December , the condominium collapsed and Togoland was subsequently partitioned into British and French zones, creating the colonies of British Togoland and French Togoland.
On 20 July , Great Britain received the League of Nations mandate to govern the western part of Togo and France to govern the eastern part. In , the country received the right to send three representatives to the French parliament. The residents of British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast as part of the independent nation of Ghana in French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union in , while France retained the right to control the defense, foreign relations, and finances.
