|
| (Click to enlarge) |
| Togo |
| (Mapping Specialists, Ltd.) |

For more information on Togo, visit Britannica.com.
Land and People
From south to north, Togo is made up of five successive geographic regions. In the extreme south is a narrow sandy coastal strip (c.30 mi/50 km long), which is fringed by lagoons and creeks. A region (c.50 mi/80 km wide) of fertile clay soils lies north of the coast. The third region is made up of the clay-covered Mono Tableland, which reaches an altitude of c.1,500 ft (460 m) and is drained by the Mono River. North of the tableland is a mountainous area comprising the Togo and Atakora mts. and including Mt. Agou (c.3,940 ft/1,200 m), Togo's loftiest point. The fifth region, in the extreme north, is the rolling, sandstone Oti Plateau. The country is almost entirely covered with savanna, which has somewhat thicker vegetation in the south and thinner vegetation in the far north. In addition to the capital, other cities include Sokodé, Kpalimé, Anécho, and Atakpamé.
Togo is comprised of more than 35 ethnolinguistic groups, including the Ewe and the Mina in the south and various Voltaic-speaking peoples, the largest of which is the Kabre, in the north. Some 50% of the inhabitants follow traditional African religious beliefs, 30% are Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), and 20% Muslim. French is the country's official language and is used in business; Ewe and Mina are widely spoken in the south and Kabiye and Dagomba in the north.
Economy
Agriculture is Togo's chief economic activity, engaged in by about 65% of the workforce. The principal food crops are yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, and sorghum. The leading cash crops are cotton, coffee, and cocoa. Sheep, goats, hogs, and cattle are raised, and fishing is important. Large-scale mining of phosphate deposits at Akoumapé (in the southeast) began in 1963 and is now Togo's most important industry. Small quantities of chromite, bauxite, limestone, and iron ore are also mined, and marble is quarried. The country's other industries consist mainly of agricultural processing, handicrafts, and the manufacture of basic consumer goods. Attempts to implement economic reforms, begun in the late 20th cent. and including increasing privatization and foreign investment, have met with limited success.
A hydroelectric plant completed in 1988 on the Mono River was a collaborative effort between Togo and Benin. Togo's limited road and rail transportation facilities are concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country; Lomé is the main port. The cost of Togo's imports is usually much higher than its earnings from export sales. The main imports are machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, and petroleum products; the leading exports are cotton, phosphates, coffee, and cocoa. The principal trade partners are Ghana, Burkina Faso, France, and China.
Government
Togo is governed under the constitution of 1992. The president, who is head of state, is popularly elected to a five-year term; there are no term limits. The prime minister, who is head of government, is appointed by the president. The unicameral legislature consists of an 81-seat National Assembly whose members are popularly elected for five-year terms. Administratively, Togo is divided into five regions.
History
For the history of Togo before it became independent on Apr. 27, 1960, see Togoland. At the time of independence, Sylvanus Olympio was the country's prime minister, and when Togo adopted a presidential form of government in 1961, he became its first president. Until 1966 there were tense relations with neighboring Ghana, led by Kwame Nkrumah, who sought to merge Togo with Ghana-a plan that Togo strongly resisted. The government's inability to find employment for most of the 600 men who had served in the French army and then returned to Togo in the early 1960s led to a coup on Jan. 13, 1963, during which Olympio was assassinated.
Nicolas Grunitzky, Olympio's brother-in-law and an important political figure in the 1950s who had gone into exile (1958) in Dahomey (now Benin), returned to Togo and became president. Grunitzky unsuccessfully attempted to unify the country by including several political parties in his government. On Jan. 13, 1967, he was toppled in a bloodless army coup led by Lt. Col. Gnanssingbé Eyadèma, who became president in Apr., 1967, after an interlude of conciliar government. Eyadèma was confirmed overwhelmingly as president in elections in 1972. He proved to be intolerant of growing opposition, repressing dissent in trade unions and other areas of public life. Government efforts to exert increased control over the economy in the late 1970s included land-reform projects and state supervision of the textile trade. A new constitution that was approved in 1979 ended emergency military rule, proclaimed the Third Togolese Republic, and renewed Togo's status as a single-party state. Eyadèma was also elected to another term as president.
Civil wars in neighboring Ghana and Burkina Faso resulted in large refugee migration into Togo; in addition, the revolutionary governments in those nations isolated Togo by closing their borders. In 1986, Eyadèma survived a coup attempt and was elected to a third term as president. In 1991, a national conference was convened to force Eyadèma to resign, to set up a transitional government, and to schedule multiparty democratic elections. The Togolese army then began a violent campaign on Eyadèma's behalf to return him to power. In 1992, Eyadèma was given back much of his power and the transitional government was dissolved. Nonetheless, a new constitution approved that year succeeded in somewhat reducing presidential power.
In 1993, Eyadèma won reelection in a contest that was boycotted by the main opposition parties. As a result, economic sanctions were imposed by the European Union. He won again in 1998, and in 1999 his party swept parliamentary elections; once again, the elections were boycotted by the opposition. The 2002 parliamentary elections were also boycotted by the opposition, and were again swept by the government party. Also in 2002 the constitution was amended to permit the president to seek a third term, and in the presidential election in 2003 Eyadèma was returned to office. The opposition accused the government of electoral fraud; the most popular opposition leader was living in exile and barred from running.
In Feb., 2005, Eyadèma died. The army engineered the appointment of Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, Eyadèma's son, to the presidency, contrary to the constitution, which called for the speaker of parliament to succeed to the office. Parliament subsequently approved the move and amended the constitution to avoid a new election. These moves were protested internationally and sparked confrontations between Togolese demonstrators and police; Togo also was threatened with the loss of foreign aid. Under pressure Gnassingbé agreed at the end of the month to step down.
Abass Bonfoh was appointed interim president until the April presidential election, in which Gnassingbé was declared the winner. The election was denounced by the opposition as rigged, but other West African nations called on the two sides to compromise and form a national unity government. The electoral result sparked violence, in which several hundred died, between the opposition and the government's supporters and forces, and some 38,000 fled to neighboring Benin and Ghana, but Gnassingbé, strongly supported by the military, took office. The new government that was formed in June included some moderate opposition members but failed to be the broader unity government West African nations had encouraged, and the most powerful posts went to Gnassingbé's allies.
Negotiations in 2006 led to an agreement (August) that called for a government of national unity that included the opposition; in September, Yawovi Agboyibo, a human-rights activist, was named prime minister. In Oct., 2007, all political parties took part in the legislative elections, making them the first truly contested such elections in two decades. Observers said the elections were generally free and fair, but the constituencies were gerrymandered and unequal and the governing party won an unexpectedly large numbers of seats (50) with not quite a third of the vote, leading to opposition charges of vote-counting irregularities. Ruling-party loyalist Komlan Mally became prime minister in Dec., 2007, but he was seen as ineffective and resigned in Sept., 2008. Gilbert Houngbo, a career diplomat, replaced Mally. In the Mar., 2010, presidential election, Gnassingbé was declared the winner with more than 60% of the vote, but the opposition denounced the results, saying that there were voting irregularities, including ballot stuffing.
Bibliography
See H. W. Debrunner, A Church between Colonial Powers: A Study of the Church in Togo (tr. 1965); S. Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Togo (2d ed. 1987).
| Background: | French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, ruled Togo with a heavy hand for almost four decades. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government was largely dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has maintained power almost continually since 1967 and maintains a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in February 2005, the military installed the president's son, Faure GNASSINGBE, and then engineered his formal election two months later. Democratic gains since then allowed Togo to hold its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. After years of political unrest and fire from international organizations for human rights abuses, Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community. |

| Location: | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana |
| Geographic coordinates: | 8 00 N, 1 10 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 56,785 sq km land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Land boundaries: | total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km |
| Coastline: | 56 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 30 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| Terrain: | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
| Natural resources: | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
| Land use: | arable land: 44.2% permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 70 sq km (2003) |
| Total renewable water resources: | 14.7 cu km (2001) |
| Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): | total: 0.17 cu km/yr (53%/2%/45%) per capita: 28 cu m/yr (2000) |
| Natural hazards: | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna |
| Population: | 6,019,877 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41.5% (male 1,252,662/female 1,245,379) 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 1,640,982/female 1,714,278) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 65,427/female 101,149) (2009 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.7 years male: 18.3 years female: 19.2 years (2009 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.711% (2009 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 36.44 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | NA (2009 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 42% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 4.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 56.24 deaths/1,000 live births male: 63.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 48.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 58.69 years male: 56.56 years female: 60.88 years (2009 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.79 children born/woman (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 3.3% (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 130,000 (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 9,100 (2007 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009) |
| Nationality: | noun: Togolese (singular and plural) adjective: Togolese |
| Ethnic groups: | African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1% |
| Religions: | Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51% |
| Languages: | French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60.9% male: 75.4% female: 46.9% (2003 est.) |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 9 years male: 11 years female: 7 years (2000) |
| Education expenditures: | 2.6% of GDP (2002) |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Togolese Republic conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland |
| Government type: | republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule |
| Capital: | name: Lome geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Administrative divisions: | 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes |
| Independence: | 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 27 April (1960) |
| Constitution: | adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992 |
| Legal system: | French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal (adult) |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE, with the support of the military; following international condemnation for the unconstitutional move he then stepped aside pending elections, and Abass BONFOH served as interim president; Faure GNASSINGBE later won popular elections in April 2005 head of government: Prime Minister Gilbert HOUNGBO (since 7 September 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held by 2010); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas LAWSON 1%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 14 October 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - RPT 39.4%, UFC 37.0%, CAR 8.2%, independents 2.5%, other 12.9%; seats by party - RPT 50, UFC 27, CAR 4 |
| Judicial branch: | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
| Political parties and leaders: | Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yawovi AGBOYIBO]; Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA; Democratic Party for Renewal or PDR; Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]; Union of Forces for a Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lorempo LANDJERGUE chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia McMahon HAWKINS embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20512-2300 telephone: [228] 261-5470 FAX: [228] 261-5501 |
| Flag description: | five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
| Economy - overview: | This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate. The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on follow through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. Togo is working with donors to write a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) that could eventually lead to a debt reduction plan. Economic growth remains marginal due to declining cotton production, underinvestment in phosphate mining, and strained relations with donors. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $5.105 billion (2008 est.) $5.064 billion (2007) $4.97 billion (2006) note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $3.009 billion (2008 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 0.8% (2008 est.) 1.9% (2007 est.) 3.9% (2006 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $900 (2008 est.) $900 (2007 est.) $900 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 40% industry: 25% services: 35% (2008 est.) |
| Labor force: | 1.302 million (1998) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | NA% |
| Population below poverty line: | 32% (1989 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Investment (gross fixed): | 18.4% of GDP (2008 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $551.5 million expenditures: $620.1 million (2008 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 9.8% (2008 est.) |
| Central bank discount rate: | 4.25% (31 December 2007) |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate: | NA |
| Stock of money: | $624.9 million (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of quasi money: | $383.9 million (31 December 2007) |
| Stock of domestic credit: | $590.7 million (31 December 2007) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Agriculture - products: | coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish |
| Industries: | phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 3% (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 203 million kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 607 million kWh (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2007 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 505 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2006 est.) |
| Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 98.7% hydro: 1.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 17,770 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 1,547 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - imports: | 16,650 bbl/day (2005) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2007 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$433 million (2008 est.) |
| Exports: | $1.001 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa |
| Exports - partners: | Ghana 16.8%, Burkina Faso 14.5%, Germany 9.2%, Benin 9.1%, Netherlands 5.9%, Mali 5.8%, India 4.7% (2007) |
| Imports: | $1.725 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners: | China 36.3%, Estonia 9.6%, US 7.6%, Netherlands 7.3%, France 7% (2007) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $502 million (31 December 2008 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $2 billion (2005) |
| Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Currency code: | XOF |
| Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004) note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 82,100 (2006) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1.19 million (2007) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile-cellular system domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 15 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998) |
| Radios: | 940,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: | 73,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .tg |
| Internet hosts: | 769 (2008) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2001) |
| Internet users: | 320,000 (2006) |
| Airports: | 8 (2008) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2008) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2008) |
| Railways: | total: 568 km narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
| Roadways: | total: 7,520 km paved: 2,376 km unpaved: 5,144 km (2000) |
| Waterways: | 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2008) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 10 by type: cargo 9, refrigerated cargo 1 foreign-owned: 6 (Bangladesh 1, Denmark 1, Egypt 1, Lebanon 1, Syria 2) (2008) |
| Ports and terminals: | Kpeme, Lome |
| Military branches: | Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Ground Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine du Togo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, FAT), National Gendarmerie (2009) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2006) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,365,505 females age 16-49: 1,374,993 (2008 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 929,395 females age 16-49: 943,967 (2009 est.) |
| Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: | male: 70,775 female: 70,051 (2009 est.) |
| Military expenditures: | 1.6% of GDP (2005 est.) |
| Disputes - international: | in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; in 2006 14,000 Togolese refugees remain in Benin and Ghana out of the 40,000 who fled there in 2005 |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 5,000 (Ghana) IDPs: 1,500 (2007) |
| Illicit drugs: | transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem |

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| Togolese Republic
République Togolaise
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| Motto: "Travail, Liberté, Patrie" (French) "Work, Liberty, Homeland"[1] |
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| Anthem: Salut à toi, pays de nos aïeux (French) "Hail to thee, land of our forefathers" |
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Location of Togo within the African Union
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| Capital (and largest city) |
Lomé 6°7′N 1°13′E / 6.117°N 1.217°E |
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| Official language(s) | French | |||||
| Vernacular languages | Gbe languages such as Ewe, Mina and Aja; Kabiyé; and others. | |||||
| Ethnic groups | African 99% (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1% |
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| Demonym | Togolese | |||||
| Government | Republic | |||||
| - | President | Faure Gnassingbé | ||||
| - | Prime Minister | Gilbert Houngbo[2] | ||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | |||||
| Independence | ||||||
| - | from France | April 27, 1960 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 56,785 km2 (125th) 21,925 sq mi |
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| - | Water (%) | 4.2 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2009 estimate | 6,619,000[3] (101st1) | ||||
| - | Density | 116.6/km2 (93rd²) 301.9/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $6.415 billion[4] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $898[4] | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $3.611 billion[4] | ||||
| - | Per capita | $505[4] | ||||
| HDI (2010) | ||||||
| Currency | CFA franc (XOF) |
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| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | |||||
| Drives on the | right | |||||
| ISO 3166 code | TG | |||||
| Internet TLD | .tg | |||||
| Calling code | +228 | |||||
| 1 Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected. Rankings based on 2005 figures CIA World Factbook – Togo ² Rankings based on 2005 figures (source unknown) |
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Togo, officially the Togolese Republic
i/ˈtoʊɡoʊ/, is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 sq mi) with a population of approximately 6.7 million.
Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with a climate that provides good growing seasons. The official language is French, with many other languages spoken in Togo, particularly those of the Gbe family. The largest religious group in Togo are those with indigenous beliefs, and there are significant Christian and Muslim minorities. Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie and Economic Community of West African States.
From the 11th to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions. From the 16th century to the 18th century, the coastal region was a major trading centre for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, Germany declared Togoland a protectorate. After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained its independence from France in 1960.[5]
In 1967, Gnassingbé Eyadéma led a successful military coup, after which he became president. At the time of his death in 2005, Eyadéma was the longest-serving leader in modern African history, after having been president for 38 years.[6] In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president. In April 2012, Togo was ranked 156th in Gross National Happiness - GNH World Happiness report published by the earth institute.[7]
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During the period from the 11th century to the 16th century, various tribes entered the region from all directions: the Ewé from the east, and the Mina and Guin from the west. Most settled in coastal areas.
The slave trade began in the 16th century, and for the next two hundred years the coastal region was a major trading center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast".
In 1884 a treaty was signed at Togoville with the King Mlapa III, whereby Germany claimed a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland. In 1905, this became the German colony of Togoland. During World War I this German territory was invaded by British troops from the neighbouring Gold Coast colony and French troops coming from Dahomey.
Togoland was separated into two League of Nations mandates, administered by Britain and France. After World War II, these mandates became UN Trust Territories. The residents of British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast as part of the new independent nation of Ghana in 1957, and French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union in 1959.
Independence for French Togoland came in 1960 under Sylvanus Olympio. He was assassinated in a military coup on 13 January 1963 by a group of soldiers under the direction of Sergeant Etienne Eyadema Gnassingbe.[8] Opposition leader Nicolas Grunitzky was appointed president by the "Insurrection Committee", headed by Emmanuel Bodjollé.
On 13 January 1967, Eyadema Gnassingbe overthrew Grunitzky in a bloodless coup and assumed the presidency, which he held from that date until his sudden death on 5 February 2005 after 38 years in power, the longest occupation of any dictator in Africa. The military's immediate but short-lived installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbé, as president provoked widespread international condemnation, except from France. Some democratically elected African leaders such as Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria supported the move, thereby creating a rift within the African Union.[9]
Faure Gnassingbé stood down and called elections which he won two months later. The opposition claimed that the election was fraudulent. The developments of 2005 led to renewed questions about a commitment to democracy made by Togo in 2004 in a bid to normalise ties with the European Union, which cut off aid in 1993 over the country's human rights record.[citation needed] Up to 500 people were killed and around 40,000 fled to neighbouring countries in the political violence surrounding the presidential poll, according to the United Nations.[10]
Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade centre. The government's decade-long effort, supported by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to implement economic reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in line with expenditures, has stalled. Political unrest, including private and public sector strikes throughout 1992 and 1993, jeopardized the reform program, shrank the tax base, and disrupted vital economic activity.
The 12 January 1994 devaluation of the currency by 50% provided an important impetus to renewed structural adjustment; these efforts were facilitated by the end of strife in 1994 and a return to overt political calm. Progress depends on increased openness in government financial operations (to accommodate increased social service outlays) and possible downsizing of the armed forces, on which the regime has depended to stay in place. Lack of aid, along with depressed cocoa prices, generated a 1% fall in GDP in 1998, with growth resuming in 1999. Assuming no deterioration of the political atmosphere, growth is expected to rise.[citation needed]
Togo is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).[11]
Togo is a small West African nation. It borders the Bight of Benin in the south; Ghana lies to the west; Benin to the east; and to the north Togo is bound by Burkina Faso. Togo lies mostly between latitudes 6° and 11°N, and longitudes 0° and 2°E.
In the north the land is characterized by a gently rolling savanna in contrast to the center of the country, which is characterized by hills. The south of Togo is characterized by a savanna and woodland plateau which reaches to a coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes. The land size is 21,925 sq mi (56,785 km2), with an average population density of 253 people per square mile (98/km2).
The climate is generally tropical with average temperatures ranging from 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) on the coast to about 30 °C (86 °F) in the northernmost regions, with a dry climate and characteristics of a tropical savanna. To the south there are two seasons of rain (the first between April and July and the second between September and November), even though the average rainfall is not very high.
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Togo's transition to democracy is stalled. Its democratic institutions remain nascent and fragile. President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who ruled Togo under a one-party system, died of a heart attack on 5 February 2005. Gravelly ill, he was being transported by plane to a foreign country for care. He died in transit, whilst over Tunisia. Under the Togolese Constitution, the President of the Parliament, Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba, should have become President of the country, pending a new presidential election to be called within sixty days. Natchaba was out of the country, returning on an Air France plane from Paris.[12]
The Togolese army, known as Forces Armées Togolaises (FAT) – [or Togolese Armed Forces] closed the nation's borders, forcing the plane to land in nearby Benin. With an engineered power vacuum, the Parliament voted to remove the constitutional clause that would have required an election within sixty days, and declared that Eyadema's son, Faure Gnassingbé, would inherit the presidency and hold office for the rest of his father's term.[13] Faure was sworn in on 7 February 2005, despite international criticism of the succession.[14]
The African Union described the takeover as a military coup d'état.[15] International pressure came also from the United Nations. Within Togo, opposition to the takeover culminated in riots in which several hundred died. There were uprisings in many cities and towns, mainly located in the southern part of the country. In the town of Aného reports of a general civilian uprising followed by a large scale massacre by government troops went largely unreported. In response, Faure Gnassingbé agreed to hold elections and on 25 February, Gnassingbé resigned as president, but soon afterward accepted the nomination to run for the office in April.[16]
On 24 April 2005, Gnassingbé was elected President of Togo, receiving over 60% of the vote according to official results. His main rival in the race had been Emmanuel Bob-Akitani from the Union des Forces du Changement (UFC) [or Union of Forces for Change]. However electoral fraud was suspected, due to a lack of European Union or other independent oversight.[citation needed] Parliament designated Deputy President, Bonfoh Abbass, as interim president until the inauguration.[17]
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On 3 May 2005, Faure Gnassingbé was sworn in as the new president, after winning 60% of the vote, according to official results. The opposition again alleged electoral fraud, claiming the military had stolen ballot boxes from various polling stations in the south, and that telecommunications shutdowns were deliberately imposed to affect the results.[18] The European Union suspended aid to Togo in support of the opposition claims, unlike the African Union and the United States which declared the vote "reasonably fair." The Nigerian president and Chair of the AU, Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ, sought to negotiate between the incumbent government and the opposition to establish a coalition government, but rejected an AU Commission appointment of former Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda, as special AU envoy to Togo.[19][20] In June, President Gnassingbé named opposition leader Edem Kodjo as the prime Minister.
Reconciliation talks between government and opposition continued until Gnassingbé Eyadema's death in February 2005. In August both parties signed the Ouagadougou agreement calling for a transitional government to organize parliamentary elections. On 16 September, the president nominated Yaovi Agboyibor of the Action Committee for Renewal (CAR) prime minister, snubbing the major opposition party Union of the Forces of Change (UFC) which in reaction refused to join the government. Professor Léopold Gnininvi of the Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA) was appointed on 20 September 2006.
In October 2007, after several postponements, elections were held under proportional representation. This allowed the less populated north to seat as many MPs as the more populated south. The president-backed party Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) won outright majority with the UFC coming second and the other parties claiming inconsequential representation. Again vote rigging accusations were leveled at the RPT supported by the civil and military security apparatus. Despite the presence of an EU observer mission, canceled ballots and illegal voting took place, the majority of which in RPT strongholds. The election was declared fair by the international community and praised as a model with little intimidation and few violent acts for the first time since a multiparty system was reinstated. On 3 December 2007 Komlan Mally of the RPT was appointed to prime minister succeeding Agboyibor. However, on 5 September 2008, after only 10 months in office, Mally resigned as prime minister of Togo.
Faure Gnassingbé won re-election in the March 2010 presidential election, taking 61% of the vote against Jean-Pierre Fabre from the UFC, who had been backed by an opposition coalition called FRAC (Republican Front for Change).[21] Though the March 2010 election was largely peaceful, electoral observers noted "procedural errors" and technical problems, and the opposition did not recognize the results, claiming irregularities had affected the outcome.[22][23] Periodic protests followed the election.[24] In May 2010, long-time opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio announced that he would enter into a power-sharing deal with the government, a coalition arrangement which provides the UFC with eight ministerial posts.[25][26]
Togo is divided into 5 regions, which are subdivided in turn into 30 prefectures and 1 commune. From north to south the regions are Savanes, Kara, Centrale, Plateaux and Maritime.
Although Togo's foreign policy is nonaligned, it has strong historical and cultural ties with western Europe, especially France and Germany. Togo recognizes the People's Republic of China, North Korea, and Cuba. It re-established relations with Israel in 1987.
Togo pursues an active foreign policy and participates in many international organizations. It is particularly active in West African regional affairs and in the African Union. Relations between Togo and neighboring states are generally good.
The military of Togo, in French FAT (Forces armées togolaises, "Togolese armed forces"), consists of the army, navy, air force, and gendarmerie. Total military expenditures during the fiscal year of 2005 totaled 1.6% of the country's GDP.[27] Military bases exist in Lomé, Temedja, Kara, Niamtougou, and Dapaong.[28] The current Chief of the General Staff is Brigadier General Titikpina Atcha Mohamed, who took office on May 19, 2009.[29]
New figures from the November, 2010 census gave Togo a population of 6,191,155, more than double the total counted in the last census. That census, taken in 1981, showed the nation had a population of 2,719,567. The capital and largest city, Lomé, grew from 375,499 in 1981 to 837,437 in 2010. When the urban population of surrounding Golfe prefecture is added, the Lomé Agglomeration contained 1,477,660 residents in 2010.[30][31]
Other large cities in Togo according to the new census were Sokodé (95,070), Kara (94,878), Kpalimé (75,084), Atakpamé (69,261), Dapaong (58,071) and Tsévié (54,474). With an estimated population of 6,619,000 (as of 2009), Togo is the 107th largest country by population. Most of the population (65%) live in rural villages dedicated to agriculture or pastures. The population of Togo shows a strong growth: from 1961 (the year after independence) to 2003 it quintupled.[32][33]
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Largest cities or towns of Togo http://www.geonames.org/TG/largest-cities-in-togo.html |
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| Rank | City name | Region | Pop.
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Lomé |
1 | Lomé | Maritime | 749 700 | |||||
| 2 | Sokodé | Centrale | 117 811 | ||||||
| 3 | Kara | Kara | 104 207 | ||||||
| 4 | Kpalimé | Kpalime | 95 974 | ||||||
| 5 | Atakpamé | Plateaux | 80 683 | ||||||
| 6 | Bassar | Kara | 61 845 | ||||||
| 7 | Tsévié | Maritime | 55 775 | ||||||
| 8 | Aného | Maritime | 47 579 | ||||||
| 9 | Mango | Savanes | 37 748 | ||||||
| 10 | Dapaong | Savanes | 33 324 | ||||||
In Togo, there are about 40 different ethnic groups, the most numerous of which are the Ewe in the south who make up 32% of the population.(Although along the southern coastline they account for 21% of the population), Kotokoli or Tem and Tchamba in the center, Kabye people in the north (22%). The Ouatchis are (14%)of the population. Sometimes the Ewes and Ouatchis are considered the same, but the French who studied both groups considered them different people.[34] Other Ethinic groups include the Mina, Mossi, Aja (about 8%) and Akan people. There is also a European population who make up less than 1%.
Approximately 51% of the population has indigenous beliefs, 29% is Christian, and 20% Muslim.[5]
French is the official language of Togo and is the language of commerce. The many indigenous African languages spoken by Togolese include: Gbe languages such as Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabiyé (in the north), as well as Kotokoli or Tem, Aja, Akessele, Bassar, Losso, and others.[5]
Health expenditure was at US$ 63 (PPP) per capita in 2004.[35] The infant mortality rate is approximately 50 deaths per 1,000 children in 2012.[36] Male life expectancy at birth was at 60.6 in 2012, whereas it was at 65.8 for females.[37] There were 4 physicians per 100,000 people in the early 2000s.[35] Approximately one half of the population lives below the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day.[38]
As of 2010, the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Togo is 350, compared with 447.1 in 2008 and 539.7 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 100 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 32. In Togo the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 2 and 1 in 67 shows us the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women.[39]
Education in Togo is compulsory for six years.[40] In 1996, the gross primary enrollment rate was 119.6%, and the net primary enrollment rate was 81.3%.[40] The education system has suffered from teacher shortages, lower educational quality in rural areas, and high repetition and dropout rates.[40]
Togo's culture reflects the influences of its many ethnic groups, the largest and most influential of which are the Ewe, Mina, Tem, Tchamba and Kabre.
Despite the influences of Christianity and Islam, over half of the people of Togo follow native animistic practices and beliefs.
Ewe statuary is characterized by its famous statuettes which illustrate the worship of the ibeji. Sculptures and hunting trophies were used rather than the more ubiquitous African masks. The wood-carvers of Kloto are famous for their "chains of marriage": two characters are connected by rings drawn from only one piece of wood.
The dyed fabric batiks of the artisanal center of Kloto represent stylized and coloured scenes of ancient everyday life. The loincloths used in the ceremonies of the weavers of Assahoun are famous. Works of the painter Sokey Edorh are inspired by the immense arid extents, swept by the harmattan, and where the laterite keeps the prints of the men and the animals. The plastics technician Paul Ahyi is internationally recognized today. He practices the "zota", a kind of pyroengraving, and his monumental achievements decorate Lomé.
In Togo, breakfast normally consists of a porridge called aklui zogbon that is eaten with a doughnut tasting round ball called botoquoin.[citation needed] For lunch, they have white rice and tomato sauce with a side of chicken and or fish.[citation needed] In daily life, many Togolese indulge in a staple called akoemhe or akume, as the natives call it. La Pate are essentially balls of rice or corn that are mashed into a white dough-like paste. Akoemhe is eaten because it is extremely filling, so the Togolese eat it with several different sauces to give it flavour and variety.[41]
On 12 August 2008, Benjamin Boukpeti (born to a Togolese father and a French mother) won a bronze medal in the Men's K1 Kayak Slalom, the first medal ever won by a member of the Togolese team at the Olympics.
As in much of Africa, football is the most popular sporting pursuit. Until 2006, Togo was very much a minor force in world football, but like fellow West African nations such as Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon before them, the Togolese national team finally qualified for the World Cup. Emmanuel Adebayor was the force behind that unexpected qualification.[citation needed]
Although Togo's qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was historic, its participation was marred by incidents and headlines. There were problems within the Togolese Football Association (Fédération Togolaise de Football – FTF) as well as between players and the Football Association. The culmination of that conflict led to the resignation of the national team coach, Otto Pfister, and the threat made by the players not to play their game against Switzerland on 16 June 2006. Ultimately, the FIFA stepped in to satisfy the players' requirements and the first boycott of a FIFA World Cup game never happened.
Until his dismissal from the team over a long-standing bonus dispute,[42] Adebayor was largely considered the side's star player. He currently plays for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur on loan from Manchester City. Togo was knocked out of the tournament in the group stage after losing to South Korea, Switzerland and France.
Togo's 2006 World Cup appearance was marred by a dispute over financial bonuses, a situation that almost led to the team boycotting their match against Switzerland. Eventually, Togo did fulfill all three fixtures, failing to qualify for the second round of the competition. Over the following months, the stalemate continued to mar Togolese football, and eventually resulted in the dismissal of strike pair and Kader Coubadja-Touré, and defender Daré Nibombé in March 2007, ostensibly for "indecent remarks concerning the FTF management."[43]
On the 8th January 2010, The Togo National Football team's bus was fired upon in Angola whilst attending the African Nations Cup being held there. The bus driver, assistant coach and team spokesman died, and two players were also injured. This led to Togo withdrawing from the tournament at the behest of the Togolese government.
On the 12th April 2010, Emmanuel Adebayor retired from duty with the Togo National team.
On 26 November 2011, former Togo goalkeeper Charles Balogou was among six people killed when a bus, carrying players and officials from the Etoile Filante delegation, plunged into a ravine 130 kilometers north of Lomé and caught fire. Togo football federation spokesman Aime Ekpe said another 25 people from the delegation — 19 of them players — plus the driver were injured in the crash.[44]
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n. - Togo
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토고 (서아프리카의 공화국; 수도 Lome)
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