Old maps tell Aneho's history better than many books. From the 17th century to today, the cartographic representation of Petit Popo and its region has evolved, reflecting the territory's political, economic and environmental transformations. Each era left its layer: Portuguese navigators traced the first outlines, the Germans measured and gridded, the French administered, and contemporary satellites document the erosion.
The first maps (17th-18th centuries)
Portuguese and Dutch navigators were the first to include the Guinean coast on their portolan charts. Petit Popo appears under various names: Popo, Petit Popo, Klein Popo. These maps are approximate but testify to the site's commercial importance. Dutch cartographer Johannes van Keulen, in his 1680 atlas, places Popo between the Volta and the Mono rivers with annotations about palm oil and textile trade.
The German surveys (1884-1914)
The German colonial administration undertook the first systematic surveys of the territory. Teams of surveyors equipped with theodolites mapped the colony. German maps, remarkably precise for their time, show villages, roads, waterways and administrative boundaries. The most detailed map of Togoland, drawn in 1907, shows Aneho as an active port with its metal wharf and main administrative buildings. Neighborhood names — Lolan, Nlessi, Adjido — already appear.
The French period and contemporary era
French maps (1914-1960) then Togolese ones refined the outline. The French National Geographic Institute conducted aerial surveys in the 1950s. Recent satellite photos reveal coastal erosion with clinical precision: the coastline has retreated several hundred meters in a century, swallowing the German wharf and threatening the cathedral. Google Earth images allow comparison of the coastline between 2003 and 2023.
Where to consult these maps
Aneho's old maps are dispersed across several institutions. The National Library of France holds 20th-century French maps. The Bundesarchiv in Berlin holds the German surveys. The National Archives of Togo in Lome keep post-independence maps. For researchers, the map library at the University of Lome is the most accessible entry point.