Monthly Archives: February 2021

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2023) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

Dunwoody residents who need to renew their U.S. passports have several options to maintain their ability to travel overseas.

Hundreds of thousands of Georgians renew their passports each year for business or leisure travel abroad, and demand for U.S. passports is increasing as the economic expansion continues.  The Metro Atlanta area is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, with more jobs and higher pay increases than the national averages.  The U.S. State Department reported more than 487,000 passports were issued in Georgia during fiscal 2019 – which is 1 ½ times more than the 311,000 passports issued in 2013.

The island of Bermuda has joined the global movement to attract remote workers and students as long-term visitors through a temporary residential visa program.

Remote workers currently working from home or overseas, as well as university students currently studying from home, can apply for the Bermuda One-Year Residential Certificate. Applicants must have the means to support themselves through financial means based outside of Bermuda.

The Mid-Atlantic territory within the British Commonwealth is one of several jurisdictions that introduced “digital nomad” programs during 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism typically accounts for 28 percent of Bermuda’s gross domestic product. It hosted more than 770,000 visitors in 2018 while leisure spending by air and cruise passengers neared $500 million. However, Bermuda tourism plummeted in 2020 as most countries closed their borders to non-residents.

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and is an important global city that attracts visitors from all over the world.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area—which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia—is America’s sixth-largest metropolis and has a population of 6.3 million people.  Cities within this area (apart from the District of Columbia) include Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Reston—all in Virginia—along with the Maryland towns of Bethesda, College Park, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area has become increasingly diverse and has a growing population of West African immigrants, especially in the Virginia and Maryland suburbs.  Maryland has one of the largest population of immigrants from Togo and the city of Baltimore is home to the Togolese Association of Baltimore.  Washington, D.C. is an important center of higher education and many West African immigrants have come here to study at its nineteen colleges and universities in the area.  Togo’s current president, Faure Gnassingbé, received a Master of Business Administration degree from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

San Francisco, known as the “City by the Bay”, is one of America’s most famous and beautiful cities.  Located in Northern California, San Francisco is just one of the many cities that together make up the San Francisco Bay Area, or Bay Area for short.  The 14-county combined statistical area (that comprises the Bay Area) has nearly 10 million people, making it the fifth-most populous region in the United States.  The Bay Area includes cities such as Oakland, Hayward, Berkeley, Vallejo, Concord, Pleasanton, Fremont, San Jose, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sausalito, and San Rafael.  The economy of the Bay Area is one of the most vigorous and entrepreneurial on the planet.  Silicon Valley (in the southern part of the Bay Area) has attracted engineers from all over the world, including those from West Africa.  Many of these immigrants are now bringing their knowledge back to their home countries, helping transform the economies of West Africa.  Although there are several thousand West African immigrants living the Bay Area, there are only a small number of immigrants from Togo.  As a former colony of France, most Togolese immigrants live in France and other European countries.  San Francisco residents preparing for a trip to Togo can study French at one of the city’s private language schools.

Seattle is the largest city in America’s Pacific Northwest region and located in the state of Washington.  The Seattle metropolitan area has a population of 4 million people and is the fifteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Known as the “Emerald City”, Seattle is situated in a magnificent natural environment, surrounded by evergreen forests, mountains, and water.  The Seattle metropolitan area is the headquarters of 11 Fortune 500 companies including famous consumer brands like Starbucks, Nordstrom, Costco, Amazon, and Microsoft.  The Seattle metropolitan area includes the cities of Tacoma, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Kirkland, and Redmond.  Seattle has several thousand immigrants from West Africa that have come here to study, open businesses, and work in various industries including health care, education, manufacturing, and engineering.  Others have come here as refugees, the diversity lottery program, or to be with their family members.  There are several thousand immigrants from Togo throughout the United States but only a small number live in the Seattle area.  Residents of Seattle interested in learning more about Togo can access the resources of the African Studies department of University of Washington.    

Editor's Note (UPDATED February 25, 2023) -- U.S. passports are taking up to seven weeks to process using the government's expedited service.  It is possible to get a passport in less time by scheduling an appointment with the Passport Agency by calling 877-487-2778 and appearing in person at their office.

Sandy Springs residents who need to renew their U.S. passports have several options to maintain their ability to travel overseas.

Hundreds of thousands of Georgians renew their passports each year for business or leisure travel abroad, and demand for U.S. passports is increasing as the economic expansion continues. The Metro Atlanta area is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States, with more jobs and higher pay increases than the national averages. The U.S. State Department reported more than 487,000 passports were issued in Georgia during fiscal 2019 – which is 1 ½ times more than the 311,000 passports issued in 2013.

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  If Greater Los Angeles were its own country, it would be the 15th largest economy in the world (its GDP is more than twice the size of the combined economies of Nigeria and Togo).  Known for its endless sprawl, Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank, Long Beach, Carson, Irvine, Anaheim, and Inglewood.  Los Angeles is one of the most multicultural cities on the planet and attracts people from all over the world.  There are several thousand West Africans throughout Southern California, including some immigrants from Togo.  Although Togo is a small country, it has been growing in stature as it develops into a logistics hub for West Africa.  In recent years Ethiopian Airlines has offered a direct flight from Los Angeles to Lomé (Togo’s capital), however, this route has been suspended due to cutbacks in airline capacity.  Lomé and Los Angeles have the busiest seaports in their respective regions.    

Chicago is America’s third-most-populous city and its metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland, has a population approaching 10 million people.  Chicago is a vibrant international city with a robust economy that is the corporate headquarters for 57 Fortune 1000 companies.  While manufacturing and food processing provide a strong foundation for its economy, the city is also an important financial center and is home to the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Chicago metropolitan area covers 14 counties across three states—Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin—and includes cities like Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero, Skokie, Gary (Indiana), and Kenosha (Wisconsin).  Chicago has a large population of West African immigrants numbering 50,000 people that includes a few hundred immigrants from Togo.  This community is represented by nonprofit organizations like the Association of Togolese in Chicagoland and Ewe Association of Chicago (the Ewe people, along with the Kabye, are the two largest ethnic groups in Togo).  There are also other organizations in Chicago such as Alliance Française that hold events celebrating the culture of Togolese people and other groups across French-speaking Africa. 

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  The area is well known as a center of higher education and has more than 80 postsecondary institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple, Drexel, Villanova, and Thomas Jefferson University.  Philadelphia has a large population of West Africans immigrants, which includes immigrants from Togo.  Philadelphia also has numerous West African restaurants, grocery stores, and shops in an area of the city known as “Little Africa”.  Togo is one of 21 African countries where French is the official language.  Visitors from Philadelphia traveling to Togo can prepare for their trip by taking French language courses at one of the city’s language schools like Alliance Française.

Greater Houston is the fifth most-populous metropolitan area in the United States and has a population of over 7 million residents.  Houston is one of America’s most ethnically diverse cities.  With over 145 different languages being spoken in this global city, it is no surprise that Houston has plenty of great restaurants offering delicious cuisine from all over the world, including several West African restaurants.  This is a fast-growing and youthful city that attracts entrepreneurs, corporate businesspeople, international investors, and students.  Houston is home to the country’s oil and gas industry, and Ghana is now a player in this industry thanks to the discovery of oil in the Jubilee oil field.  Greater Houston encompasses nine counties and includes the cities of Sugar Land, Baytown, Conroe, Pasadena, Pearland, The Woodlands, and Galveston.  Greater Houston is well known for its large West African immigrant population that includes some immigrants from Togo.  The city is home to Ewe Association of Houston (the Ewe people are one of the largest ethnic groups in Togo).  Togo is an important logistics hub for West Africa and Ethiopian Airlines had nonstop flights to the country from Houston before the coronavirus outbreak.  Togo also has one of the busiest container ports in West Africa.