Togo

Togolese RepublicRepublique Togolaise

republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Togo as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 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.

CapitalLome
Position8 00 N, 1 10 E
Area56,785 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Populationas each edition published it
5.56 million July 2004 est. · 3.67m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.27% 2004 est. · 3.61% in 1993
Median ageyears
17.6 years 2004 est. · 17.3 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
53.05 years 2004 est. · 56.46 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
4.79 children per woman 2004 est. · 7.2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
67.66 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 112 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,500 2003 est. · $400 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3.3% 2003 est. · 0% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, is Africa's longest-serving head of state. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government continues to be dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has maintained power almost continually since 1967. In addition, 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.

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 56,785 sq km

arable land 46.15%permanent crops 2.21%other 51.64% (2001)irrigated 70 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
56,785sq km
land: 54,385 sq kmwater: 2,400 sq kmslightly smaller than West Virginia
Coastline
56km
territorial sea: 30 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Highest point
986m
Mont Agoulowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
1,647km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Location

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

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

Natural resources

phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
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

People

19 fields
Population
5,556,812
growth rate: 2.27% (2004 est.)
Note
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
34.36Death
11.64Net migration
0

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)53.05
51.07 · 55.09Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)67.66
75.4 · 59.69
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)60.9%
75.4% · 46.9%Median age years (2004 est.)17.6
17.2 · 17.9
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

indigenous beliefs 51%Christian 29%Muslim 20%

Age structure

0-14 years:
43.9% (male 1,222,622; female 1,214,443)
15-64 years:
53.6% (male 1,455,373; female 1,522,456)
65 years and over:
2.6% (male 59,165; female 82,753) (2004 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:
0.72 male(s)/female
total population:
0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

10,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Togolese

Ethnic groups

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

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)

Government

Republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule; President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005); Prime Minister Koffi SAMA (since 29 June 2002)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

57.2%
Gnassingbe EYADEMA 57.2%Emmanuel Akitani BOB 34.1%Yawovi AGBOYIBO 5.2%Maurice Dahuku PERE 2.3%Edem KODJO 1.0%election last held 1 June 2003 (next to be held NA June 2008)

National Assembly, 81 seats, elected 27 October 2002one dot, one seat

RPT 72RSDD 3UDPS 2Juvento 2MOCEP 1independents 1

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

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

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005);
  • note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE, who will be allowed to complete his father's term
head of government:
Prime Minister Koffi SAMA (since 29 June 2002)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the prime minister
elections:
  • president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  • election last held 1 June 2003 (next to be held NA June 2008);
  • prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
Gnassingbe EYADEMA reelected president; percent of vote - Gnassingbe EYADEMA 57.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 34.1%, Yawovi AGBOYIBO 5.2%, Maurice Dahuku PERE 2.3%, Edem KODJO 1.0%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 27 October 2002 (next NA 2007)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1

note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of the Forces for Change, and the Action Committee for Renewal

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 [Harryy OLYMPIO];
  • Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [President Gnassingbe EYADEMA];
  • Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]

note: Rally of the Togolese People or RPT, led by President EYADEMA, was the only party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991

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:
Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA
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 Gregory ENGLE
embassy:
Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome
mailing address:
B. P. 852, Lome
telephone:
[228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94
FAX:
[228] 221 79 52

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

This small sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force.

38 fields
Real growth rate
3.3%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: NA
Labor force
1.74million
(1996)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 39.5%industry 20.4%services 40.1% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

France
21.1%
16.6%
Burkina Faso
15.4%
Ghana
13%
Netherlands
12.1%
9.6%
Benin
7.7%
Mali
Cote d'Ivoire
5.9%
Germany
4.6%
Italy
4.4%
South Africa
4.3%
China
4.1%
Exports $398.1 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $501.3 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$214.5 millionExpenditures
$296.4 million (2003 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of NA

Electricity

Electricity production
101.6 million (2001)Electricity consumption
614.5 million (2001)Electricity imports
520 million (2001)

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 - $8.257 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

18.4% of GDP (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

NA (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

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

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Current account balance

$-140 million (2003)

Exports

$398.1 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Imports

$501.3 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Debt - external

$1.4 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA $80 million (2000 est.)

Currency

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

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
220,000
(2003)
Fixed lines
60,600
(2003) · country code .tg

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; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephones
international:
country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Internet users

210,000 (2003)

Transportation

8 fields

Merchant marine, 2 ships by typeone square, one ship · ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT

cargo 1specialized tanker 1registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m
2

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

914 to 1,523 m
5under 914 m
2

Networkskm

Highways
7,520Railways
568Waterways
50 (2003)
Highways: paved: 2,376 km · unpaved: 5,144 km (1999 est.) · Railways: narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) · Waterways: (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall)

Railways

total:
568 km
narrow gauge:
568 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways

total:
7,520 km
paved:
2,376 km
unpaved:
5,144 km (1999 est.)

Waterways

50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2003)

Airports

9 (2003 est.)

Military

Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie

6 fields

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,316,455 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 690,331 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary

Illicit drugs

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

Cite this entry

Central Intelligence Agency. “Togo.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/togo/2004.