Map

Leader

Goodluck Jonathan inherited the presidency in May 2010 on the death of his predecessor, and went on to win elections in April 2011.

Travel

Immigration: Citizens of Economic of West African States (ECOWAS) do not require entry permits into Nigeria. All visitors not exempted from entry permits are advised to apply and obtain appropriate visas from the nearest Nigerian Mission - Embassy, High Commission or Consulate before entry into Nigeria as visas cannot be issued at the port of entry. Early application is advisable to avoid delay.

Vaccination: Health authorities recommend vaccination against cholera and yellow fever from all visitors. Anti-malaria prophylactic is also recommended.

Export of Antiquities: No art treasure may be taken out of the country without written approval from the appropriate Nigerian authorities. This approval must come from the Department of Antiquities, National Museum, Lagos, or Jos. The law prohibiting the export of all forms of antiquity, including all ritual art objects even of contemporary make, is strictly enforced.

Business Hours: Government offices in Nigeria are open from 7.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Monday through Friday, while commercial houses are open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Most Offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, but many shops are open on Saturdays and some banks open on Saturdays as well.

TRAVEL ADVISES:

• Best period

The weather is fairly stable throughout the year. Nigeria has a rainy season and a dry season.

• Safety

When traveling between cities in Nigeria, it is best to start the journey early and arrive before nightfall, especially if you are traveling by bus or car.

History

The history of Nigeria can be traced to prehistoric settlers living in the area as early as 11,000BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is today Nigeria. An example of one of the civilizations that settles in Nigeria is the Nri Kingdom. Islam reached Nigeria through the Hausa States in the 11th century AD. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region.

Nigeria was colonized by Britain in 1885, and became a British protectorate in 1901. Colonization lasted until 1960 until an independence movement succeeded in gaining Nigeria its independence. Nigeria was officially founded in October 1, 1960.

Nigeria first became a republic when it was founded, but succumbed to military rule in 1966 after a military coup. General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi took power. A separatist movement later formed the Republic of Biafra in 1967, leading to the three year Nigerian Civil War. Nigeria became a republic again after a new constitution was written in 1977. The republic was short lived, being overthrown by Major General Muhammadu Buhari in 1983. He was later overthrown and a new republic was founded. In 1993, the republic was dissolved again by Sani Abacha. Abacha later died in 1998 and General Abdulsalami Abubakar took power. A fourth republic was later established in 1999 and military rule ended. Today, the president of Nigeria is Goodluck Johnathan. He governs a population of 168.8 million people. He is tasked with rebuilding Nigeria's petroleum-based economy and fighting off the Islamic militant group Boko Haram.

Arts & Culture

• Music

The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of Folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. Styles of folk music are related to the multitudes of ethnic groups in the country, each with their own techniques, instruments, and songs. Little is known about the country's music history prior to European contact, although bronze carvings dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries have been found depicting musicians and their instruments. The largest ethnic groups are the Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba. Traditional music from Nigeria and throughout Africa is almost always functional; in other words, it is performed to mark a ritual such as a wedding or funeral and not for pure entertainment or artistic enjoyment. Although some Nigerians, especially children and the elderly, play instruments for their own amusement, solo performance is otherwise rare. Music is closely linked to agriculture, and there are restrictions on, for example, which instruments can be played during different parts of the growing season.

Work songs are a common type of traditional Nigerian music. They help to keep the rhythm of workers in fields, river canoes and other fields. Women use complex rhythms in housekeeping tasks, such as pounding yams to highly ornamented music. In the northern regions, farmers work together on each other's farms and the host is expected to supply musicians for his neighbours.

The issue of musical composition is also highly variable. The Hwana, for example, believe that all songs are taught by the peoples' ancestors, while the Tiv give credit to named composers for almost all songs, and the Efik name individual composers only for secular songs. In many parts of Nigeria, musicians are allowed to say things in their lyrics that would otherwise be perceived as offensive.

The most common format for music in Nigeria is the call-and-response choir, in which a lead singer and a chorus interchange verses, sometimes accompanied by instruments that either shadow the lead text or repeat and ostinato vocal phrase. The southern area features complex rhythms and solo players using melody instruments, while the north more typically features polyphonic wind ensembles. The extreme north region is associated with monodic (i.e., single-line) music with an emphasis on drums, and tends to be more influenced by Islamic music

Epic poetry is found in parts of Nigeria, and its performance is always viewed as musical in nature. Blind itinerant performers, sometimes accompanying themselves with a string instrument, are known for reciting long poems of unorthodox Islamic text among the Kanuri and Hausa. These, and other related traditions, may be descended from similar Maghrebian and European traditions. The Ozidi Saga found in the Niger Delta is a well-known epic that takes seven days to perform and utilises a narrator, a chorus, percussion, mime and dance.

• Literature:

he literature in question is written literature in contradistinction from oral literature or orature, and it is in English and some Nigerian languages. At present, Nigerian literature in English is the one which attracts greater attention and has the greater influence nationally and internationally. This prominence is because the literature has been produced by the new westernised elite who often have greater literary competence in English than in their indigenous languages. Although some highly literate Nigerians (for example Professor Akin Isola) have chosen to write in their indigenous languages rather than English, the number of writers who have made such a choice is very small indeed.

Nigerian literature in English has raised more issues relevant to our contemporary situation than the literature in indigenous Nigerian languages. Whereas the latter has largely been anchored to the past, invoking images and symbols of our rich heritage, literature in English has aligned itself more forcefully and with greater artistic profit to the wide and more diverse literature of the world. Thus, it is the Nigerian literature in English, far more than its indigenous language counterpart, that has raised issues of culture-contact and culture-conflict, the place of tradition in the modern ethos, the problems of the administration of a modern polity, as well as notions of sexism and the place of the womenfolk in our new reality. It has also been concerned with the way forward if the Nigerian nation is to recover from its present problems, realise its full potentials and become a member of the comity of prosperous nations.

Nigerians have cultivated virtually every known genre of literature including fiction, poetry, drama, the travelogue, biography and autobiography. Nevertheless, the emphasis here will be on prose fiction, poetry and drama in which they have made very significant literary achievements.

• Film industry:

The Nigerian movie industry (Home video Industry) a.k.a Nollywood has been typically accepted to have started-- immediately following the success of Ken Nebue’s “Living in bondage”. From then on, its expansion and attendant complications are known (by fascinated parties). However , events preceding 1992, are not popular even although a few have tried to trace the history of Nollywood. Here is an abridged edition (yet richly enlightening) from one of several articles i published concerning this topic matter.

Film exhibition began to thrive for the duration of the Colonial era, with Glover Memorial Hall playing host to a array of unforgettable films viewed by “potential Nigerians”, in August 1903. However, the non-availability of proper data reflecting the title of the debut movie exhibited has created a lapse in the precedent stock. Notwithstanding the lacuna, the way have been paved for that exhibition of additional foreign films at the Hall at identical time as other designated venues.

The emotionally traumatizing “Master – Servant” relationship, apparent in the constant assaults, batteries, intimidation, segregation, victimization, carried out while using Colonial masters on the colonized, with darkened clouds of resentment, vengeance, thirst for freedom, offering option to splattering drops of such thoughts, instinctively projected consequently of the colonized intermittent in-subordinate actions, began to distribute one of many blacks. The British realized they had to thread with caution when they even now desired to take part in “god” inside their lives when films just like Tales of Manhattan, Trailer horn, Tarzan series began to stir up a revolution in the hearts of Blacks around the globe.

Aware of the lethal energy of insurgency which could be unleashed consequently of the movie medium, the British out of fearfulness for his or her lives and achievable the loss of the Queen’s sovereignty took the bull while using horn, and swiftly created a Colonial movie Censors Board (FCB) in 1933 to censor and classify films just before they were released for visual consumption while using public. Following the establishment of the board, Films just like “The primitive, primitive man, Dixie, Buffalo Bill, The Keys of the Kingdom, Sleepy village Girl were tagged ‘suitable’ to be watched , while Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Clive of India, The Isle of Forgotten Sins, home of Frankenstein were considered as unsuitable for viewing.

The Censor’s amount underwent a transformation process into the Federal Board of movie Censors (FBFC) from your aforementioned, along while using laws from which the changed amount derived its powers ranged from your 1948 Cinematograph Laws of Nigeria, the Cinematograph Laws of 1963, towards 1963/64 Cinematograph regulation and Regulations. The existing National movie and Video Censors Board came into existence by virtue of decree, now Act 85 of 1993. The advent of Nigeria’s Independence (1960) along while using Republican status (1963), heralded the dawn of a new era in all sectors.

“The Yoruba Travelling Theatre Group” of the 60′s and 70′s can be proven to given that the “Fountain Head” of movie productions in Nigeria. The veterans with excellent Theatrical skills and excellent performances took their works outside of the stage, and dove into the sea of movie productions making utilization of the Celluloid format. Notable movie makers on the Roll phone of Honour for the duration of the Celluloid boom era of the 70′s include Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugbomah, late Herbert Ogunde, Adeyemi Afolayan a.k.a Ade adore (father of Kunle Afolayan of the Irapada fame), Ladi Ladebo, Moses Adejumo, Adebayo Salami and Afolabi Adesanya.

The list of documented films created for the duration of the 70′s era and transcending somewhat into the 80′s is simply astonishing and goes to demonstrate that the Movie Industry has been near to much longer, contrary towards ‘1992 perception syndrome’ most are already injected with . Such works include Kongi Harvest (1971), Alpha (1972), Bull Frog in the sunlight (1974),  Amadi (1975), Ajani Ogun (1975),  Muzik Man (1976),  Bisi, Daughter of the River (1977), Ija Ominira (1978), Aiye (1979), Kadara (1980), Jaiyesimi (1980) Efunsetan Aniwura (1981), Cry independence (1981),Ija Orogun (1982) Owo L’Agba (1982

The cost of creating films in that era was financially back breaking, with Nigerians much more aggravating the efforts of the filmmakers by opting to measure out films of occidental and oriental origin at the Cinemas and Exhibition centres, rather versus the locally created ones. The Cowboy films were exhilarating to measure out while the Chinese films paraded among others, the Legendary “Bruce Lee” in (Lo Wei’s, The enormous superior (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), means of the Dragon (1972), key in the Dragon (1973), The video game of passing away released in 1978) who exhibited fighting techniques dexterity, clearly a fighting technique alien, yet fascinating to us at that time.

• Famous places:

Arochukwu is a famous tourist destination with the cave of the famous long juju oracle as a particular attraction.

The cave is believed to hold the long metal pipe through which the gods speak to the people. A traditional religionist would find the oracle quite an attraction. It is, first and foremost, a religious centre with a well-laid down administrative structure headed by a Chief Priest.

Ogbunike Cave can be described as the very wonder of nature. The Cave, segmented into sections, is found in Anambra State, some few kilometres away from the Onitsha market town. There are different stories about the various sections that constitute the cave. The stories are better told by the native tour guides.

Wikki Warm Springs is a famous attraction in the Yankari National Park. It is particularly prized for its warm water. It is available both night and day for tourists who cherish swimming.

• Architecture history:

Modern architecture in Nigeria presents a bizarre picture of indiscriminate transplantation of foreign buildings, and a complete abandonment of traditional architecture. Apparently, the transplanted architecture does not respond to the physical and cultural needs of Nigerians, and, at all events, the peoples' attitude to it portrays ignorance, confusion and resignation. This thesis argues that rather than this wholesale transplantation, Nigeria's traditional architecture should be studied to rediscover those principles that are vital for the development of a satisfactory modern architecture. The thesis is confined to Igboland, and traditional Igbo architecture is studied in the context of the physical and cultural environments under which it evolved and developed.

Map

Leader

President: Macky Sall

Mr Sall served as prime minister under his predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade

Macky Sall won presidential elections in March 2012, replacing President Abdoulaye Wade, who controversially ran for a third term in office.

Travel

Visas for Senegal are required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.

Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements for Senegal.

Visa note:                      

A WHO vaccination card, with current yellow fever and cholera vaccinations, may be required if travelling from an endemic area.

In order to get your Senegalese visa, you must first pre-enroll online. Then you will print the registration receipt to carry with your passport and all the requirements to get the actual visa upon arrival at Dakar Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport. Upon arrival at the airport the traveler must go to the "Visa Airport" area where biometric information will be taken and the visa will be printed and affixed to the passport. Upon arrival at the airport go to the "Visa Airport" area where you complete the biometric enrollment. The visa will then be printed and affixed to your passport.

When you arrive in Senegal you will need:

- The original Registration Receipt and Approval of pre-enrollment documents

- Passport valid for at least six months + a photocopy of the first five pages

- Round-trip or onward ticket or proof of departure

- Hotel confirmation or accommodation certificate (or a copy of proof of ownership if the traveler is the owner of the house to be visited in Senegal)

- Business travelers must also carry a letter of invitation from the company/person to be visited.

- A minor traveling alone must also have a notarized letter of parental consent.

According to the US Department of State, evidence of yellow-fever vaccination is also required for entry into Senegal. A meningitis vaccination is highly recommended if the traveler is arriving from or has recently traveled to an endemic area. Travelers unable to provide proof of vaccinations may be required to pay for and receive vaccinations at the Dakar airport.

Learn more about Senegal Visa Pre-Enrollment . 

TRAVEL ADVICES

• Best period

We recommend visiting Senegal during its dry season, between December and April. Heavy rains during other times of the year mean that some national parks may close and overland travel can be difficult.

When planning your trip, you will want to take Ramadan into consideration. While the evening festivities are among the most exciting and memorable experiences available to visitors, most restaurants are closed during the day, and the country’s nightlife goes dormant for the monthlong fast. The dates of Ramadan are based on the lunar cycle and vary from year to year.

• Safety

Be careful with money, particularly in the open-air markets of Dakar and other cities. Pickpockets occasionally attack in teams, so be alert and make sure that your purse or pockets have a snap or zipper. Highway robberies are sometimes committed in rural areas at night, so daytime travel is preferable.

The U.S. Department of State’s consular website has a great deal of information about safety in Senegal. Additionally, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has created a security ratings system called the Ibrahim Index, wherein scores are based on each country’s quality of government. Before traveling to Senegal or anywhere on the continent, check the index and do your research.

History

The history of Senegal is commonly divided into a number of periods, encompassing the prehistoric era, the precolonial period, colonialism, and the contemporary era.

The Toucouleur people, among the early inhabitants of Senegal, converted to Islam in the 11th century, although their religious beliefs retained strong elements of animism. The Portuguese had some stations on the banks of the Senegal River in the 15th century, and the first French settlement was made at St.-Louis in 1659. Gorée Island became a major center for the Atlantic slave trade through the 1700s, and millions of Africans were shipped from there to the New World. The British took parts of Senegal at various times, but the French gained possession in 1840 and made it part of French West Africa in 1895. In 1946, together with other parts of French West Africa, Senegal became an overseas territory of France. On June 20, 1960, it formed an independent republic federated with Mali, but the federation collapsed within four months.

Arts & Culture

• Music :

Senegal's music is best known abroad due to the popularity of mbalax, a development of Serer sabar drumming popularized by Youssou N'Dour.

During the colonial ages Senegal was colonized by France and many, though not all, Senegalese identified as French instead of any African ethnicity. Post-independence, the philosophy of negritude arose, which espoused the idea that the griot traditions of Senegal were as valid, classical and meaningful as French classical music. The first President of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor (also a poet) was one of the primary exponents of this.

Ethnically the population of Senegal is 43.3% Wolof, 23.8% Fula, 14.7% Serer, 14.7% Jola, 3% Mandinka and 1.1% Soninka, with 1% European and Lebanese and 9.4% classed as "other" Senegalese music has been influenced by that of the Malian Empire though it tends to be fast and lively whereas the sounds of Malian griots are sedate, classical.

• Literature

The Literature of Senegal is among the most important in West Africa. Most works are written in French, but there are also works in Arabic and Wolof.

Senegalese literature has long been known worldwide through the writing of poet and statesman Léopold Sédar Senghor, a great defender of the French language and of Negritude.

Other now-classic authors include novelists Cheikh Hamidou Kane, Birago Diop, Boubacar Boris Diop, and Ousmane Sembène. The latter is known for bringing some of his own novels to the screen. Major essayists include Cheikh Anta Diop and anthropologist Tidiane N'Diaye.

Women writers have been particularly active. In 1980, Mariama Bâ described polygamous society with great sensitivity in Une si longue lettre. Aminata Sow Fall, in La Grève des Bàttu (1986), showed that the lower classes were not without resources. More recently, Fatou Diome has found success with Le Ventre de l'Atlantique (2004), a novel depicting, often with humor, the dreams of escape of Senegalese youth.

• Film industry

The cinema of Senegal is a relatively small film industry which experienced its prime from the 1960s through to the early 1980s, but has since declined to less than five feature films produced in the last ten years.

The first Senegalese film, Paulin Vieyra's L’Afrique sur Seine, was produced in 1955. Vieyra would follow up with further short films L’Afrique à Moscou (1957), Le Niger aujourd’hui (1958), Les présidents Senghor et Modibo Keita, Avec les Africaines à Vienne and "Présence Africaine" à Rome (1959) and Indépendance du Cameroun, Togo, Congo, Madagascar (1960), a documentary covering the independence of these countries.

• Famous monuments

Maison des esclaves (House of slaves)

Great Mosque of Touba

African renaissance monument

• Architecture history

Lebou fishing people who settled in Dakar in the eighteenth century were looking for a safe haven. They founded their new site in 1795 and called it Ndakarou. Dakar occupies the southern end of the Cap Vert peninsula. On a plateau about hundred feet above the sea, the administrative structures left from the colonial era include the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce with its yellow bricks, and the Court House, which was built in 1906. The tall modern buildings, handsome residences.

Map

Leader

Faure Gnassingbe Eyadema succeeded his father when died in 2005, having ruled the country with an iron fist for 38 years.

Travel

Visa & travel advice

• Best period:

It is best to visit Togo during its cooler months (though it is always pretty hot): April to July and September to November.

• Safety:

Foreigners traveling to Togo have no reason to be afraid of theft or attack, but you must use common sense. Togolese people often advise tourists against areas they think might be dangerous, such as the beach in Lomé. Listen to the locals and avoid walking alone at night.

Each applicant must provide two completed visa application forms accompanied by two passport-size color photographs (one per form).

For each visa application for a child under the age of 18, the Parental Permission (Autorisation Parentale) form (located in the Miscellaneous Forms Section of this website) must be complete by both of the child's parents. No application for a child will be completed without this form.

The completed forms and photographs may be brought directly to the Embassy or may be forwarded by mail. They must be accompanied by the applicant(s) passport(s).

A visa fee of $140.00 per visa must also be enclosed.

The $140.00 fee can be paid with a money order or certified check. Personal checks will not be accepted.

If the applicant seeks to process the application via the mail, a pre-paid, self-addressed return mail envelope must be provided. This might be USPS, FEDEX or UPS.

The duration of a visa is 90 days. If the traveler wishes to extend, his or her stay beyond 90 days, the traveler must contact the Ministry of Interior in Togo before the visa expires.

History

The Voltaic peoples and the Kwa were the earliest known inhabitants. The Ewe followed in the 14th century and the Ane in the 18th century. The Danish claimed the land in the 18th century, but by 1884 it was established as a German colony (Togoland). The area was split between the British and the French under League of Nations mandates after World War I and subsequently administered as UN trusteeships. The British portion voted for incorporation with Ghana. The French portion became Togo, which declared its independence on April 27, 1960.

Togo's first democratically elected president, Sylvano Olympius, was overthrown in 1963. He was shot and killed by Sgt. Etienne Eyadema while he attempted to scale the walls of the American Embassy to seek asylum. The government of Nicolas Grunitzky was overthrown in a bloodless coup on Jan. 13, 1967, led by Lt. Col. Etienne Eyadema (now called Gen. Gnassingbé Eyadema). A National Reconciliation Committee was set up to rule the country, but in April, Eyadema dissolved the committee and took over as president. He suspended the constitution, banned political parties, and created a cult of personality around his presidency; his official biography describes him as a “force of nature.” Under pressure from the West, Eyadema legalized opposition parties in 1993, but the first multiparty presidential election in Aug. 1993 (which gave Eyadema more than 96% of the vote) was considered fraudulent, as was his 1998 reelection. In Feb. 2005, Eyadema died—he had been Africa's longest-serving ruler (38 years). A day after his death, the military installed his son, Faure Gnassingbe, to serve out his term. Gnassingbe took office on Feb. 7 amid strong international condemnation. Under internal and external pressure, Gnassingbe stepped down later that month and agreed to elections on April 24. Violent protests surrounded the elections, and these protests grew when the results were announced: Gnassingbe won 60% of the vote while main opposition candidate Bob Akitani received 38%. On May 4, Gnassingbe was sworn into office. In June, Gnassingbe appointed opposition leader Edem Kodjo as prime minister.

Arts & Culture

• Music

 The music of Togo has produced a number of internationally known popular entertainers including Bella Bellow, Akofah Akussah, Afia Mala, Itadi Bonney, Wellborn, King Mensah and Jimi Hope.

The Togolese national anthem is Salut à toi, pays de nos aïeux (Land of our forefathers), written by Alex Casimir-Dosseh. From 1979 to 1992 it was replaced by an anthem composed by the party of the Rally of the Togolese People. French is the official and commercial language of Togo.

Togo's southern plain is its most populous area, where the capital, Lomé, is situated on the Gulf of Guinea but, like its neighbours, Ghana and Benin, its territory extends hundreds of miles northward, passing through a central hill region into the northern savanna that borders Burkina Faso. Its population of over 6 million people, which is 65% rural and agrarian, is composed of about 21 ethnic groups. Approximately 51% of the population has indigenous beliefs, 29% is Christian, and 20% Muslim.

Internationally known performer King Mensah, a former performer at the Ki-Yi M'Bock Theatre in Abidjan, toured Europe and Japan before opening his own show in French Guiana and then moving to Paris and forming a band called Favaneva. Peter Solo The man of Vodoo Game Music from Togo The idea of integrating these haunting lines, sung in honor of the Divinities, to an energetic 70's Afro-funk was an obvious extension in Peter's mind of the analogy he found between this voodoo tradition and trance inducers such as Blues, Funk, as well as the Rhythm'n Blues of James Brown, Otis Redding and Wilson Picket.Peter heard this new sound coming through him and named it Vodoo Game.

• Literature: 

The literary history of the country reflects this period of uncertainty and arbitrary geographical division, as witnessed by Félix Couchoro, an excellent author from Dahomey-Togo-Benin, who was amongst the very first African authors of the Continent. He has published several novels since 1929, however his decision to write in French did not mean he was "a Francophile". At odds with the French intelligentsia, he became one of the first authors to be conveniently "forgotten" by French Africanists until recently. Apart from Félix Couchoro, the first literary texts from Togo date from the early 1950s. Le Fils du fétiche [The Son of the Fetish] by David Ananou, published in 1955, is often considered to be one of Togo's first novels. Several novelists and poets have contributed to the expansion of Togolese literature in subsequent years : Victor Aladji, Gnoussira Analla, Julien Atsou Guenou, Koffi Mawuli Agokla, Towaly and Tété Michel Kpomassié who tells of the time he spent with the Inuit in his autobiography L'Africain du Groenland. Yves-Emmanuel Dogbé also deserves credit for his work both as an author and founder of the publishing house "Akpagnon", that has fostered Togolese literature since the 1960s. The early writings for theatre in French also began in the 1950s. In 1956 Anoumou Pedro Santos published the play Fasi which was awarded a prize in Dakar the following year. The playwrights Modest D'Almeida, Gilbert Laclé and Henri Ajavon began writing soon after Independence. Since then, several plays have been written chiefly by Senouvo Agbota Zinsou, Kossi Efoui and Koffi Gomez, the latter being in charge of the theatre company Renaissance in Lomé.

So far, only a small number of Togolese women writers have been published, but their contribution is both varied and interesting.

• Film industry:

The first mentioning of film related activity in Togo dates back to 1913-1914 when a young German actress, Meg Gehrts and a German producer, Max Schomburgk, visited Togoland, in those days a German colony. They produced three documentaries with Gehrts as the main lead. 

Togo has hardly seen any cinematic developments during the 20s up until the 70s. The first all Togo film was "Kouami" (1975) a 30 minute short by Metonou Do Kokou. During the eighties and nineties several shorts were produced, mostly co-productions with Germany and France. 
The only local filmmaker with international repute is Anne Laure Folly. She directed several documentaries; "The Guardian of the Forces" (1991); "Femmes du Niger" (Women of Niger),1993; "Deposez les armes"(1999); "Femmes aux yeux ouverts" (Women With Open Eyes) (1994) an award winning documentary and "The Forgotten" (1997). Her picture about Sarah Madoror (1998) was screened at the Milan festival in 1999. That same year at the same festival Folly Koffi Gaba's "Aneho Ville Musee" (1998) was screened. 

Togo has a long way to go in developing a viable film industry. Like in most African countries the governmental restrictions, lack of funds and strong video competition will frustrate all efforts in creating local films.

• Famous places:

The only reason we stopped in Niamtougou was the market. It is a huge market selling everything from food through to household goods. It is a sprawling affair alongside the main road and down off one of the side roads. The order of the day it to negotiate a price if you want to buy something.

Taberma Valley:

This area, known as Koutammakou, is home to the Taberma ethnic group, whose name means good builder. There are 37 different ethnic groups in Togo, of which the Taberma are one minority who live in the north of Togo and neighbouring Benin.

lake togo

A short day out from Lomé takes you to Lake Togo, about 30 km.In a superb setting you can sit and eat at the Auberge du Lac and really watch the world go by( or perhaps a few fishermen). Even better late afternoon to sip a cold beer and watch the sun go down

• Architecture history:

The city of Lomé and the coastal region are deeply influenced by the architectural programs of the successive colonial regimes. Vestiges of the German administrative buildings, several cathedrals and many churches, as well as private houses can be found throughout the country, though German influence was less pervasive in the north. The British period featured no architectural innovation, but more than forty years of French administration left its mark, most prominently in the work of Georges Coustereau. The works of this Frenchman are to be found throughout the country and include the national independence monument and an unusual church in the small town of Kpele-Ele.

Map

Leader

President : Alassane Ouattara

President Ouattara was elected in November 2010

Alassane Ouattara was internationally recognised as the winner of the presidential election in November 2010, but the incumbent, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to give up power and had to be removed by force.

Travel

Visa & travel advice

Ivoirian Visa - The Ivoirian Embassies and Consular Offices are the only Competent Ivoirian Government Agencies, who are allowed to issue Ivoirian visas in another country. any risks which might arise when boarding flights or at Ivoirian ports of entry due to possible miscommunication, travellers are strongly recommended to apply with the Ivoirian Embassy and Consular Offices in United Kingdom to get Ivoirian visas before travelling.

• Best period

The weather is tropical along the coast and semi-arid in the far north. There are three general seasons: warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), and hot and wet (June to October).

• Safety

Travel to Côte d’Ivoire is currently strongly cautioned against until the political situation has stabilized; at the end of 2010, elections were under way but results were slow to be announced. Despite the 2007 agreement, the country is still divided, with the rebel New Forces still controlling the northern and some western parts of the country. There is a risk of spontaneous demonstrations and political unrest that could escalate into violence. Power cuts may also be intermittent. Visitors should not travel after dark.

History

The date of the first human presence in Ivory Coast (also officially called Côte d'Ivoire) has been difficult to determine because human remains have not been well preserved in the country's humid climate. However, the presence of old weapon and tool fragments (specifically, polished axes cut through shale and remnants of cooking and fishing) in the country has been interpreted as a possible indication of a large human presence during the Upper Paleolithic period (15,000 to 10,000 BC),or at the minimum, the Neolithic period. The earliest known inhabitants of Côte d'Ivoire, however, have left traces scattered throughout the territory. Historians believe that they were all either displaced or absorbed by the ancestors of the present inhabitants. Peoples who arrived before the 16th century include the Ehotilé (Aboisso), Kotrowou (Fresco), Zéhiri (Grand Lahou), Ega and Diès (Divo).

Arts & Culture

• Music :

The music of Ivory Coast includes music genres of many Ethnic communities, often characterised by vocal polyphony especially among the Baoulé, talking drums especially among the Nzema people and by the characteristic polyrhythms found in rhythm in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Popular music genres from Ivory Coast include zoblazo, zouglou and Coupé-Décalé. A few Ivorian artists who have known international success are Magic System, Alpha Blondy, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Meiway and Christina Goh.

• Literature :

The first mention of French in the Ivory Coast possibly dates back to 1687 when two young people from Assini were sent to Paris by King Zéna and put under the protection of Louis XIV, or perhaps to 1882 when the wife of the manager of the first coffee plantation granted to a French person by King Amatifou, opened a school. However, it is important to look beyond such anecdotes and acknowledge the significance, richness and diversity of the local Voltaic languagues such as Mandé, Krou, Akan etc.. They dominated the life of the region in time past and continue to do so. The anthologies of short stories, legends and proverbs from the Ivory Coast, collected and translated into French by François Joseph Amon d'Aby, Marius Ano N'guessan and others, prove the point. Nevertheless, literature written in French has developed rapidly since the middle of the 20th Century. Some of the early writers include Aké Loba, Pierre Duprey de la Ruffinière and Zégoua Gbessi Nokan, but the best known literary figure from the Ivory Coast is without a doubt Bernard Dadié, one of the finest African writers of his generation, regardless of nationality. It is to him that the first play from the Ivory Coast, Assémiwen Déhylé (1936) can be attributed, as well as one of the first novels, Climbié and several other successful works. Other authors have also contributed to the depth and astonishing diversity in literature from the Ivory Coast. Among them should be mentioned Ahmadou Kourouma, Jean-Marie Adiaffi, Isaïe Biton Koulibaly, Zegoua Gbessi Nokan, Tidiane Dem, Amadou Kone, Grobli Zirignon, Paul Yao Akoto, Jérôme Carlos, Maurice Bandaman and many others.

• Film industry

Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical African states. Falling cocoa prices and political turmoil, however, sparked an economic downturn in 1999 and 2000. On 25 December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government led by President Henri Konan BEDIE. Presidential and legislative elections held in October and December 2000 provoked violence due to the exclusion of opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA. In October 2000, Laurent GBAGBO replaced junta leader Robert GUEI as president, ending 10 months of military rule. In October 2001, President GBAGBO initiated a two-month-long National Reconciliation Forum, but its ability to conciliate Ivorians with one another remains unclear.

• Famous monuments

Basilica Notre dame de la paix

Saint-Paul's cathedral

Tai National Park

• Architecture history

Côte d'Ivoire is a juxtaposition of the urban and rural. Its cities, particularly the fashionable Abidjan, are replete with modern office buildings, condominiums, European-style boutiques, and trendy French restaurants. They stand in sharp contrast to the country's many villages—accessed mainly by dirt roads—whose architecture is comprised of huts and simple abodes reminiscent of an ancient time. While the cities are described as crowded urban enclaves with traffic jams, high crime rates, an abundance of street children, and a dichotomy of rich and poor, the villages are filled with farmers tending their fields, native dress, homemade pottery, and traditional tribal rituals. Most traditional village homes are made of mud and straw bricks, with roofs of thatched straw or corrugated metal. The Baoule live in rectangular structures, while the Senufo compounds are set up in a circle around a courtyard. High fences surround many Malinke village of mud-brick homes with cone-shaped straw thatched roofs. The artistic Dan paint murals with white and red clay onto their mud-brick homes.