British Togoland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Territory of British Togoland
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| 1916–1956 | |||||||||
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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British Togoland (left) beside French Togoland (now Togo) (right)
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| Status | Trust Territory of British Empire | ||||||||
| Capital | Ho | ||||||||
| Common languages | English, French, Ewe, Gur, and Ghana-Togo | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
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• Occupation
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27 August 1914 | ||||||||
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• Partitioning
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27 December 1916 | ||||||||
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• Admission by the Gold Coast
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27 December 1916 – 13 December 1956 | ||||||||
| 20 July 1922 – 20 April 1946 | |||||||||
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• U. N. Trust Territory
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13 December 1946 – 6 March 1957 | ||||||||
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• Addition to the Gold Coast
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13 December 1956 | ||||||||
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• Annexed to Her Majesty's dominions to form part of the Dominion of Ghana
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6 March 1957 | ||||||||
| Currency | British West African pound | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Ghana | ||||||||
British Togoland was a territory in West Africa. It was managed by the United Kingdom for many years. This land later joined with Ghana. Part of it became Ghana's Volta Region.
British Togoland was created during the First World War in 1916. Before that, it was part of a German territory called Togoland. After Germany lost the war, Togoland was split. One part became British Togoland, and the other became French Togoland.
At first, British Togoland was a "mandate" territory. This meant the League of Nations (an international group before the United Nations) asked Britain to look after it. In 1922, Britain officially took charge. French Togoland was managed by France.
After the Second World War, British Togoland's status changed. It became a "trust territory" under the United Nations. The United Kingdom still managed it.
In 1956, people in British Togoland voted on their future. This vote was called a "plebiscite." They had to choose between two options:
- Join the nearby British colony called the Gold Coast, which was about to become independent.
- Stay a trust territory and wait to see what happened with French Togoland.
Most people (58%) voted to join the Gold Coast. On December 13, 1956, the United Nations General Assembly agreed with this choice. They recommended that British Togoland join the Gold Coast when it became independent.
On March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast became the independent country of Ghana. At the same time, British Togoland officially joined Ghana.
The capital city of British Togoland was Ho. Today, Ho is the capital of Ghana's Volta Region. This region covers much of the land that was once British Togoland.
How British Togoland Was Governed
After World War II, British Togoland became a United Nations trust territory. This meant the United Nations oversaw its management by the United Kingdom. Before this, and even during the mandate period, British Togoland was managed as part of the Gold Coast. It was known as Trans-Volta Togo (TVT).
The Big Vote for the Future
In 1954, the British government told the UN they couldn't manage British Togoland after 1957. So, in December 1955, the UN General Assembly decided to hold a special vote. This vote would decide what would happen to British Togoland.
On May 9, 1956, the vote took place. It was supervised by the United Nations. People had to choose if they wanted to:
- Formally join the future independent Gold Coast.
- Continue as a UN Trust Territory.
A group called the Togoland Congress campaigned against joining the Gold Coast. Many Ewe people in British Togoland also voted against it. They wanted the Ewe people in both British and French Togoland to unite and form their own separate country, which is modern Togo.
The results of the vote showed that 42% of people, mainly the Ewe people and those supporting the Togoland Congress, voted against joining. However, 58% voted in favor of joining the Gold Coast.
See also
- Western Togoland
