Baguida

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Baguida is a city of the suburbs of Lomé, the capital of Togo, and was once itself the capital.

It is located approximately 13 kilometers east of Lomé -- between the neighborhoods of Damavo, Kagomé, Avépozo and the littoral -- on national highway 5 leading to Cotonou, Benin.

[edit] History

The village of Baguida was created at the end of the 17th century, by a hunter named Sani, a former resident of Bé, today one of Lomé's neighborhoods.

This region being located along the Atlantic shore, was at the time completely lush with vegetation and featured numerous game animals and fertile lands. Then, the river Zio ran nearby.

Sani and his brethren lived in this natural area, cultivating cereals, tubers and fabaceae plants. The village became very populated and propering, attracting colonisers who founded the capital of Togo between 1884 and 1887.

The city's influence stretched towards nearby villages: Avépozo, Kpogan, Noudokopé and Dévégom attracting new migrants from the neighborhoods of Adrométi, Hédzé and Apéyémé. German, French and British colonisers stayed there during their conquering of the territory.

On the 5th of July 1884, the signature of the treaty of Baguida made this settlement the first capital of Togo, German colony until 1893. Meanwhile, in 1891, the Togo was under guidance from the Bureau of Colonies, itself linked to the Ministry of German Foreign Affairs. From 1893 on, Aného succeeded Baguida as capital, and in turn passed the title on to Lomé in 1897.