Guide to Togo
Introduction
Background: French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule well into the 21st century. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government continued to be dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party maintained power almost continually since 1967. Togo has come under fire from international organizations for human rights abuses and is plagued by political unrest. While most bilateral and multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen, the European Union initiated a partial resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in late 2004. Upon his death in February 2005, President EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure GNASSINGBE. The succession, supported by the military and in contravention of the nation's constitution, was challenged by popular protest and a threat of sanctions from regional leaders. GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure and agreed to hold elections in late April 2005.Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and GhanaGeographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 1 10 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 56 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
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
Natural resources: phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 70 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Geography - note: the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
People
Population: 5,681,519 noteAge structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 2.17% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 33.48 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 11.8 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 4.61 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 10,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%
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
Government
Country name: conventional long formGovernment type: republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Capital: Lome
Administrative divisions: 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Kara, Plateaux, Savanes, Centrale, Maritime
Independence: 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
Constitution: multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992
Legal system: French-based court system
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Political parties and leaders: Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP [leader NA]; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU] note
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
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, but production fell an estimated 22% in 2002 due to power shortages and the cost of developing new deposits. 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 following through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors.GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.684 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 1.74 million (1996)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry 5%, services 30% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA (2003 est.)
Population below poverty line: 32% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 19.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
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: NA
Electricity - production: 108.8 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 451.2 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 350 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Current account balance: $-125.6 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $663.1 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa
Exports - partners: Burkina Faso 16.4%, Ghana 15.1%, Benin 9.4%, Mali 7.6%, China 7.5%, India 5.6% (2004)
Imports: $824.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products
Imports - partners: China 25.5%, India 13.3%, France 11.5% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $267.4 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $1.4 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient: ODA $80 million (2000 est.)
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 - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 60,600 (2003)Telephones - mobile cellular: 220,000 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios: 940,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 73,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .tg
Internet hosts: 82 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2001)
Internet users: 210,000 (2003)
Transportation
Railways: totalHighways: total
Waterways: 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2003)
Ports and harbors: Kpeme, Lome
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 9 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military
Military branches: Togolese Armed Forces (FAT)Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.9% (2004)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundaryIllicit drugs: transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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