2015 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 multi-party elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government was largely dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has been in power almost continually since 1967 and its successor, the Union for the Republic, 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 condemnation from international organizations for human rights abuses, Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community.

Area

land

54,385 sq km

total

56,785 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

highest point

Mont Agou 986 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 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)

per capita

33.46 cu m/yr (2005)

total

0.17 cu km/yr (63%/3%/34%)

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

73 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Benin 651 km, Burkina Faso 131 km, Ghana 1,098 km

total

1,880 km

Land use

arable land 45.2%; permanent crops 3.8%; permanent pasture 18.4%

agricultural land

67.4%

forest

4.9%

other

27.7% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

30 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 (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

40.56% (male 1,536,301/female 1,527,018)

15-24 years

19.51% (male 735,409/female 738,276)

25-54 years

32.37% (male 1,214,388/female 1,230,218)

55-64 years

4.24% (male 150,890/female 169,158)

65 years and over

3.32% (male 108,474/female 142,186) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

34.13 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

47% (2010 est.)

total number

774,801

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

16.5% (2010)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

15.2% (2010)

Death rate

7.26 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5%

potential support ratio

19.9% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

81.8%

youth dependency ratio

76.8%

Drinking water source

urban: 91.4% of population

rural: 44.2% of population

total: 63.1% of population

urban: 8.6% of population

rural: 55.8% of population

total: 36.9% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4% of GDP (2012)

Ethnic groups

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

Health expenditures

8.6% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.4% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

4,300 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

113,700 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

38.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

51.76 deaths/1,000 live births

total

45.22 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official, 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

female

67.17 years (2015 est.)

male

61.91 years

total population

64.51 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

55.3% (2015 est.)

male

78.3%

total population

66.5%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

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 (2013)

respiratory disease

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

LOME (capital) 956,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

368 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

19.9 years (2015 est.)

male

19.4 years

total

19.6 years

Nationality

adjective

Togolese

noun

Togolese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.4% (2014)

Physicians density

0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

7,552,318

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 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.69% (2015 est.)

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 24.7% of population

rural: 2.9% of population

total: 11.6% of population

urban: 75.3% of population

rural: 97.1% of population

total: 88.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

NA (2011)

male

NA

total

12 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.99 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.76 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.48 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.83% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

40% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

6 07 N, 1 13 E

name

Lome

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Togo

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992; amended 2002, 2007 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

Togolese Republic

conventional short form

Togo

former

French Togoland

local long form

Republique Togolaise

local short form

none

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert E. WHITEHEAD (since 7 May 2012)

embassy

4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome

FAX

[228] 2261-5501

mailing address

B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300

telephone

[228] 2261-5470

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Limbiye Edawa Kadangha BARIKI (since 14 July 2009)

FAX

[1] (202) 232-3190

telephone

[1] (202) 234-4212

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister

chief of state

President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005)

election results

Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 58.8%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 35.2%, Tchaboure GOGUE 3.1%, other 3.8%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 25 April 2015 (next to be held in 2020); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Komi KLASSOU (since 5 June 2015)

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; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people; green symbolizes hope, fertility, and agriculture; yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo's independence

note

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 law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into the Criminal Chamber and the Administrative Chamber, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges including the court president)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judge appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA

subordinate courts

Court of Assizes (sessions court); appeals courts; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal

Legal system

customary law system

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (91 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - UNIR 46.7%, CST 28.9%, Rainbow Alliance 10.8%, UFC 7.7%, independent 0.8%, other 5.1%; seats by party - UNIR 62, CST 19, Rainbow Alliance 6, UFC 3, independent 1

elections

last held on 25 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH

name

"Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers)

note

adopted 1960, restored 1992; this anthem was replaced by another during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, yellow, red, white

Political parties and leaders

Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Dodji APEVON]

Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Brigitte ADJAMAGBO-JOHNSON]

National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE]

Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO]

Rainbow Alliance (a coalition including CAR and CDPA) [Brigitte ADJAMAGBO-JOHNSON]

Save Togo Collective or CST (a coalition including: ANC and PSR) [Ata Messan Zeus AJAVON

Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR [Abi TCHESSA]

Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]

Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.267 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$1.115 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

2.5% (31 December 2010)

4.25% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

-$591 million (2014 est.)

-$567 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$984.4 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$903.3 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

This small, sub-Saharan economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for a significant share 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 among the world's largest producers of phosphate and seeks to develop its carbonate phosphate reserves. 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. Foreign direct investment inflows have slowed over recent years. Togo completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility in 2011 and reached a Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt relief completion point in 2010 at which 95% of the country's debt was forgiven. Togo continues to work with the IMF on structural reforms.

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

494.42 (2014 est.)

494.42 (2013 est.)

510.53 (2012 est.)

471.87 (2011 est.)

495.28 (2010 est.)

Exports

$1.809 billion (2014 est.)

$1.736 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners

Burkina Faso 15.9%, Ghana 12.6%, India 10.5%, Nigeria 9%, Benin 8.5%, Niger 8.3%, Lebanon 4.8%, China 4.3% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

50.4%

government consumption

14.6%

household consumption

86.2%

imports of goods and services

-100.8%

investment in fixed capital

21.5%

investment in inventories

28.1%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

30.4%

industry

20.2%

services

49.4% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,500 (2014 est.)

$1,400 (2013 est.)

$1,300 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2014 est.)

5.4% (2013 est.)

5.9% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.594 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$10.16 billion (2014 est.)

$9.678 billion (2013 est.)

$9.182 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

10.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

10.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

16.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.1% (2006)

lowest 10%

3.3%

Imports

$3.004 billion (2014 est.)

$2.573 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Imports - partners

China 24.8%, Belgium 19.2%, France 7.7%, India 6%, US 5.5%, Netherlands 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

3.9% (2014 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.2% (2014 est.)

1.8% (2013 est.)

Labor force

2.595 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

65%

industry

5%

services

30% (1998 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

32% (1989 est.)

Public debt

47.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

46.8% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$494.3 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$507 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$2.061 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$2.035 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$1.642 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.621 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.036 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.084 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

1.63 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

976 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

21.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

78.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

959 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

83,000 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

109 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

13,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

11,950 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

2 state-owned TV stations with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with multiple stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2007)

Internet country code

.tg

Internet users

percent of population

4.6% (2014 est.)

total

336,000

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons with mobile-cellular use predominating

general assessment

fair system based on a network of microwave radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile-cellular system

international

country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie (2010)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

63,200

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

66 (2014 est.)

total

4.8 million

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)

Airports

8 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

2 (2013)

total

2

Airports - with unpaved runways

2 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

4

total

6

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 6, cargo 38, carrier 3, chemical tanker 5, container 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1

foreign-owned

21 (China 1, Lebanon 6, Romania 1, Syria 6, Turkey 4, UAE 1, US 1, Yemen 1) (2010)

total

61

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Kpeme, Lome

Railways

narrow gauge

568 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

total

568 km

Roadways

paved

2,447 km

total

11,652 km

unpaved

9,205 km (2007)

Waterways

50 km (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,589,715 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,577,572

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

1,158,061 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,104,536

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

73,515 (2010 est.)

male

74,036

Military branches

Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, TAF), National Gendarmerie (2013)

Military expenditures

NA% (2012)

1.6% of GDP (2011)

NA% (2010)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2012)

Disputes - international

in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River

Illicit drugs

transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

undetermined (2015)

refugees (country of origin)

18,444 (Ghana) (2014)