Togo
Togolese RepublicRepublique togolaise
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Togo as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 134 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
20 fieldsLand useshare of 56,785 sq km
Terrain
- gently rolling savanna in north;
- central hills;
- southern plateau;
- low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.17 cu km/yr (53%/2%/45%)
- per capita:
- 28 cu m/yr (2000)
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, 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
Geography - note
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
People
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
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:
- 0.65 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 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
- animal contact disease:
- rabies
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 (2009)
Ethnic groups
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 4 May 2005); Prime Minister Gilbert HOUNGBO (since 7 September 2008)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 81 seats, elected 14 October 2007one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Togolese Republic
- conventional short form:
- Togo
- local long form:
- Republique togolaise
- local short form:
- none
- former:
- French Togoland
Capital
- name:
- Lome
- geographic coordinates:
- 6 08 N, 1 13 E
- time difference:
- UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes
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 in April 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%
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
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]
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Kadangha Limbiya BARIKI
- 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 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
- FAX:
- [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
Economy
This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force.
47 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
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.
Central bank discount rate
4.75% (31 December 2008) · 4.25% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 118
Stock of domestic credit
$674,300 (31 December 2008) · $590.7 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 129
Agriculture - products
- coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum;
- livestock;
- fish
Current account balance
-$272 million (2008 est.) · -$154 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$580 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $438 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81 (2008 est.), 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF),
and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone 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 30 telephones per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 10 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Waterways
50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2008) country comparison to the world: 104
Military
Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Ground Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine du Togo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, FAT), National Gendarmerie (2009)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Ground Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine du Togo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, FAT), National Gendarmerie (2009)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,365,505
- females age 16-49:
- 1,374,993 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - 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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 5,000 (Ghana)
- IDPs:
- 1,500 (2007)
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 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/togo/2009.