Capital
City
Lomé
Lomé, city, southwestern Togo, largest city and capital of the country,
on the Bight of Benin (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean). It is Togo's
chief port and its principal administrative, transportation, and
economic center. Most of Togo's international trade passes through
Lomé's port, which was enlarged and deepened in 1968 to accommodate
oceangoing vessels. The main exports are cotton, coffee, cacao, and
palm nuts; most of Togo's exports of phosphates pass through the
nearby port of Kpémé. Textiles and processed food are major
manufactures of Lomé. Railroads extend inland to Kpalimé,
Atakpamé, and Sokodé and along the coast to Aného. Lomé
is the seat of the University of Benin (1965) and the
National School of Administration (1958).
Lomé grew after 1897 as the capital of German Togoland and as a
port exporting raw materials. It passed to Anglo-French control
(1914-1922) and to French control (1922-1960), before becoming
the capital of independent Togo in 1960. Population (1994 estimate)
600,000.