Lomé

Capital, port, largest city, and main administrative and commercial centre of Togo, on the Bight of Benin; population (2003 est) 839,000. It is a centre for gold, silver, and marble crafts. Industries include steel production, oil refining, brewing, plastics, cement, textiles, paper manufacturing, and food processing; tourism is growing in importance. Main exports include cacao, palm nuts, cotton, and coffee. Lomé became capital of the independent Togo in 1960.

In 1975 a trade agreement known as the Lomé Convention was reached here, establishing economic cooperation between the European Economic Community (now the European Union) and 46 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries. The University of Benin was founded here in 1965 and the National School of Administration in 1958.

Lomé lies behind sand bars on a lagoonal coast where a deep-water port was constructed in 1968 as an outlet for Togo's international trade. Lomé is linked inland by road and rail with Palimé, Blitta, Atakpamé, and Sokodé.