Lomé

2008/9 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Africa; Cities

Lomé
Panoramic view of Lomé
Panoramic view of Lomé
Lomé (Togo)
Lomé
Lomé
Location of Lomé in Togo
Coordinates:
Country Togo
Region Maritime
Population (1998)
 - Total 700,000

Lomé, estimated population 700,000 (1998), is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial centre and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels. It also has an oil refinery.

History

The city was founded in the eighteenth century by the Ewe people. In 1882, the village, known then as Bey Beach, became a major trading centre with the arrival of Chico and Octaviano Olympio as agents for the British trading firm A. and F. Swanzy.

Bey Beach became the capital of Togo when the German rulers transferred capital status from Aneho in 1897. The city then grew quickly until it was taken by the French Army in 1914 during World War I.

Demographics

Demographic evolution of Lomé
1892 : 1 500 inhabitants
1896 : 2 000 inhabitants
1900 : 3 000 inhabitants
1904 : 4 000 inhabitants
1907 : 6 000 inhabitants
1911 : 8 000 inhabitants
1930 : 15 000 inhabitants
1938 : 18 000 inhabitants
1950 : 33 000 inhabitants
1955 : 43 000 inhabitants
1960 : 85 000 inhabitants
1970 : 186 000 inhabitants
1981 : 375 499 inhabitants
1990 : 450 000 inhabitants
1997 : 573 000 inhabitants
2006 : 737 751 inhabitants

Attractions

Lomé lies in the extreme south west of Togo, up against the Ghanaian border. Attractions in the city include Lomé Grand Market, the Togo National Museum in the Palais de Congrés, a fetish (voodoo) market, Lomé Cathedral, beaches and the former wharf.

Education

The University of Lomé (previously called University of Benin) is located in Lomé Tokoin Campus.

Transportation

The city is served by the Lomé-Tokoin Airport. The tallest building in Lomé and in all of Togo is the 2 Fevrier Sofitel Hotel building. The former railway line to Blitta runs from the city.

Neighborhoods

Boulevard du 13 Janvier, Lomé
Boulevard du 13 Janvier, Lomé

Neighborhoods in Lomé include Ablogamé, Adawlato, Amoutivé, Bé, Dékon, Forever, Kodjoviakopé, Noukafou, Nyékonakpoé, Tokoin and Xédranawoe.

Neighbourhoods in the north of the city are almost separated from the centre by a lagoon.

Greater Lomé

Cities and towns in the Greater Lomé Metropolitan Area include: Aflao (Ghana), Agbalépédogan, Akodésséwa, Anfamé, Baguida, Kanyikopé, Kélékougan, Lomé II, Totsigan and Totsivi.

International agreements signed in Lomé

Lomé Convention

The Lomé Convention is a trade and aid agreement between the European Union (EU) and 71 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. It was first signed on February 28, 1975 in Lomé.

Lomé Peace Accord

The Lomé Peace Accord was a peace agreement between the warring parties in the civil war in Sierra Leone. With the assistance of the international community, Sierra Leone President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and Revolutionary United Front leader Foday Sankoh signed the Peace Accord on July 7, 1999. However, the agreement did not last and the Sierra Leone Civil War continued for two more years.

Sister Cities

Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lom%C3%A9"
This Wikipedia DVD Selection has a sponsor: SOS Children , and is a hand-chosen selection of article versions from the English Wikipedia edited only by deletion (see www.wikipedia.org for details of authors and sources). The articles are available under the GNU Free Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.