Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Culture & Daily Life
West Africa is one of the most intriguing gatherings of cultures on the planet. As a
traveller, understanding even a little about the complicated issues that West Africans
deal with on a daily basis - the role of traditional culture in modern life, the position
of women in society and the complicated mosaic of multicultural relationships, for ex-
ample - can go a long way towards gaining a foothold in the region. The region's
cuisine, too, offers fascinating insights into one of Africa's least-known corners.
Cameroon alone has around 280 ethnic groups; tiny Togo counts 40 ethnic groups among its five million
people; and Guinea-Bissau, a country of fewer than one million people, has 23.
