2008 Edition

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.

Area

total: 56,785 sq km land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Coastline

56 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.17 cu km/yr (53%/2%/45%) per capita: 28 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 1 10 E

Geography - note

the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Irrigated land

70 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Land use

arable land: 44.2% permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 30 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

Natural resources

phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Terrain

gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Total renewable water resources

14.7 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.7% (male 1,226,320/female 1,218,182) 15-64 years: 55.6% (male 1,588,354/female 1,666,274) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 63,508/female 96,035) (2008 est.)

Birth rate

36.66 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2002)

Ethnic groups

African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

4.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

10,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

110,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 57.66 deaths/1,000 live births male: 65.01 deaths/1,000 live births female: 50.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 58.28 years male: 56.2 years female: 60.43 years (2008 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60.9% male: 75.4% female: 46.9% (2003 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 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 (2008)

Median age

total: 18.6 years male: 18.2 years female: 19 years (2008 est.)

Nationality

noun: Togolese (singular and plural) adjective: Togolese

Net migration rate

NA (2008 est.)

Population

5,858,673 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 2008 est.)

Population growth rate

2.717% (2008 est.)

Religions

Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years male: 11 years female: 7 years (2000)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.85 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Administrative divisions

5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes

Capital

name: Lome geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Country name

conventional long form: Togolese Republic conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland

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

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

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%

FAX

[1] (202) 232-3190

[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

Government type

republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Independence

27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Legal system

French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

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

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal (adult)

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Budget

revenues: $466.8 million expenditures: $514.7 million (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA (31 December 2007)

Currency (code)

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Current account balance

-$159 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$2 billion (2005)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $86.71 million (2005 est.)

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.

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

203 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 98.7% hydro: 1.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

Exports

$702 million f.o.b. (2007 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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 40% industry: 25% services: 35% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$900 (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.1% (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.497 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.042 billion (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.201 billion f.o.b. (2007 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)

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2007 est.)

Industries

phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

24.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Labor force

1.302 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

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 - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

17,770 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

1,547 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

16,650 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

32% (1989 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$438 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$590.7 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$624.9 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$383.9 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet country code

.tg

Internet hosts

769 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2001)

Internet users

320,000 (2006)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios

940,000 (1997)

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

Telephones - main lines in use

82,100 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.19 million (2007)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

73,000 (1997)

Airports

9 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)

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

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) (2005)

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: 897,195 females age 16-49: 913,327 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 69,156 female: 69,200 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures

1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2006)

Togolese Armed Forces

Ground Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine du Togo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, FAT), National Gendarmerie (2008)

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

IDPs

1,500 (2007)

Illicit drugs

transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 5,000 (Ghana)