Togo
Republic of TogoRepublique Togolaise
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Togo as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between | Benin and Ghana
13 fieldsLand useshare of 56,790 sq km
Terrain
- gently rolling savanna in north;
- central hills;
- southern plateau;
- low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Environment
- current issues:
- deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; recent droughts affecting agriculture
- natural hazards:
- hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts
- international agreements:
- party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83;
- signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Tropical Timber 94
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1995 est.)
Male · female(1995 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 49% (female 1,069,171; male 1,079,999)
- 15-64 years:
- 49% (female 1,121,685; male 1,043,000)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (female 51,392; male 45,123) (July 1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabye, European and Syrian-Lebanese under 1%
Languages
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Dagomba and Kabye (the two major African languages in the north)
Labor force
NA; by occupation: agriculture 80% note: about 88,600 wage earners, evenly divided between public and private sectors
Government
Republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule; President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967); Prime Minister Edem KODJO (since April 1994)
21 fieldsLegislature, 81 seatsone dot, one seat
Names
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Togo
- conventional short form:
- Togo
- local long form:
- Republique Togolaise
- local short form:
- none
- former:
- French Togo
Administrative divisions
- 23 circumscriptions (circonscriptions, singular - circonscription);
- Amlame (Amou), Aneho (Lacs), Atakpame (Ogou), Badou (Wawa), Bafilo (Assoli), Bassar (Bassari), Dapango (Tone), Kande (Keran), Klouto (Kloto), Pagouda (Binah), Lama-Kara (Kozah), Lome (Golfe), Mango (Oti), Niamtougou (Doufelgou), Notse (Haho), Pagouda, Sotouboua, Tabligbo (Yoto), Tchamba, Nyala, Tchaoudjo, Tsevie (Zio), Vogan (Vo)
note: the 23 units may now be called prefectures (singular - prefecture) and reported name changes for individual units are included in parentheses
Constitution
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992; adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967); election last held 25 August 1993 (next election to be held NA 1998); all major opposition parties boycotted the election; Gen. EYADEMA won 96.5% of the vote
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Edem KODJO (since April 1994)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and the prime minister
National Assembly
- elections last held 6 and 20 February 1994 (next to be held NA);
- results - percent of vote by party NA;
- seats - (81 total) CAR 36, RPT 35, UTD 7, UJD 2, CFN 1
note: the Supreme Court ordered new elections for 3 seats of the Action Committee for Renewal (CAR) and the Togolese Union for Democracy (UTD), lowering their total to 34 and 6 seats,
respectively; the remaining 3 seats have not been filled
Political parties and leaders
Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA; Coordination des Forces Nouvelles (CFN), Joseph KOFFIGOH; The Togolese Union for Democracy (UTD), Edem KODJO; The Action Committee for Renewal (CAR), Yao AGBOYIBOR; The Union for Democracy and Solidarity (UDS), Antoine FOLLY; The Pan-African Sociodemocrats Group (GSP), an alliance of three radical
- parties:
- The Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA), Leopold GNININVI;
- The Party for Democracy and Renewal (PDR), Zarifou AYEVA;
- The Pan-African Social Party (PSP), Francis AGBAGLI;
- The Union of Forces for Change (UFC), Gilchrist OLYMPIO (in exile);
- Union of Justice and Democracy (UJD), Lal TAXPANDJAN
note: Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) led by President EYADEMA was the only party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO (observer), ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OAU, UN, UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US
- chief of mission:
- Charge d'Affaires Edem Frederic HEGBE
- chancery:
- 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 234-4212
US diplomatic representation
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Johnny YOUNG (since September 1994)
- embassy:
- Rue Pelletier Caventou and Rue Vauban, Lome
- mailing address:
- B. P. 852, Lome
- telephone:
- [228] 21 77 17, 21 29 91 through 21 29 94
Flag
- 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
The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, | which accounts for about half of GDP and provides employment for 80% | of the labor force.
19 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 30,000 kW
Overview
The economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about half of GDP and provides employment for 80% of the labor force. Primary agricultural exports are cocoa, coffee, and cotton, which together generate about 30% of total export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal.
In the industrial sector phosphate mining is by far the most important activity, although it has suffered from the collapse of world phosphate prices and increased foreign competition. Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center. The government's decade-long IMF and World Bank supported effort to implement economic reform measures to encourage foreign investment and bring revenues in line with expenditures has stalled.
Political unrest, including private and public sector strikes throughout 1992 and 1993, has jeopardized the reform program, shrunk the tax base, and disrupted vital economic activity. Although strikes had ended in 1994, political unrest and lack of funds prevented the government from taking advantage of the 50% currency devaluation of January 1994.
Resumption of World Bank and IMF flows will depend on implementation of several controversial moves toward privatization and on downsizing the military, on which the regime depends to stay in power.
Exports
$221 million (f.o.b., 1993)
- commodities:
- phosphates, cotton, cocoa, coffee
- partners:
- EC 40%, Africa 16%, US 1% (1990)
Imports
$292 million (c.i.f., 1993)
- commodities:
- machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemical products
- partners:
- EC 57%, Africa 17%, US 5%, Japan 4% (1990)
Agriculture
- accounts for 49% of GDP;
- cash crops - coffee, cocoa, cotton;
- food crops - yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum;
- livestock production not significant;
- annual fish catch of 10,000-14,000 tons
Economic aid
- recipient:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $142 million;
- Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $2 billion;
- OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million;
- Communist countries (1970-89), $51 million
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: the official rate is pegged to the French franc, and beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Transportation
6 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 9 in all
Networkskm
Communications
3 fieldsTelephone system
NA telephones; fair system based on network of radio relay routes supplemented by open wire lines
- local:
- NA
- intercity:
- microwave radio relay and open wire lines
- international:
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 SYMPHONIE earth station
Defense Forces
Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
3 fieldsDefense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $48 million, 2.9% of GDP (1993) TOKELAU (territory of New Zealand)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Togo.” The World Factbook 1995. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/togo/1995.