A bitter divide has existed between north and south since before independence. Most southern resentment is directed toward a minority in the north, the Kabye people from the Kabye Plateau, because of their domination of the military. The Kabye and other northerners in turn resent their own underdevelopment in contrast to the high development, especially educationally, of all southerners. The dominant southern group is the Ewe, who make up more than 40% of the population. As elsewhere in Africa, the extended family is important and tribalism and nepotism are key factors in everyday life. Some Togolese ethnic groups, such as the Mina, have matriarchal societies. The "Nana Benz," the market-women of LomΘ market, who control the retail trade, have considerable private money. Politics, however, remain a male preserve.
