Niamtougou

Niamtougou is a market town in and district capital of Doufelgou District (Préfecture), in the Kara Region of Togo. It is located 28 km (17 mi) north of Kara on the nation's main North-South road, Route Nationale No. 1.

Geography

Niamtougou is composed of six villages that are in close proximity to each other: Niamtougou, Koka, Baga, Ténéga, Yaka, and Agbandé.

Government

Niamtougou is the district capital of Doufelgou District and houses facilities of the Interior, Education, and Rural Development Ministries. The district's administrative offices, including the office and residence of the District Governor (Préfet), are located in Koka.

Economy

The Niamtougou Market is second only to the Kétao Market in its importance in the Kara Region. While "market day" is weekly on Sunday, there is significant daily activity.

Transportation

Niamtougou International Airport - Togo's second largest airport after the Tokoin International Airport in Lomé - is located in Baga, 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Niamtougou center. As of July 2014 it did not have regularly scheduled commercial flights. Niamtougou is on the nation's main North-South road, Route Nationale No. 1. Secondary roads leaving Niamtougou connect to the agricultural communities of Siou, Pouda, Massadéna, and Tchitchirra and the crossroads market town of Kouméa.

Togo

Togo (ⁱ/ˈtoʊɡoʊ/), officially the Togolese Republic (French: République Togolaise), is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital Lomé is located. Togo covers 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi), making it one of the smallest countries in Africa, with a population of approximately 7.5 million.

Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with a climate that provides good growing seasons. The official language is French, with many other languages spoken in Togo, particularly those of the Gbe family. The largest religious group in Togo consists of those with indigenous beliefs, and there are significant Christian and Muslim minorities. Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie and Economic Community of West African States.

From the 11th to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the coastal region was a major trading center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, Germany declared Togoland a protectorate. After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960.