|
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
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.
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|
Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the
Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana |
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Geographic coordinates: |
8 00 N, 1 10 E |
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Map references: |
Africa |
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Area: |
total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than West
Virginia |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877
km |
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Coastline: |
56 km |
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid in south;
semiarid in north |
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Terrain: |
gently rolling savanna in
north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive
lagoons and marshes |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
|
Natural resources: |
phosphates, limestone, marble,
arable land |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 44.2%
permanent crops: 2.11%
other: 53.69% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
70 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources: |
14.7 cu km (2001) |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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Population: |
5,858,673
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 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 41.7% (male
1,226,320/female 1,218,182)
15-64 years: 55.6% (male
1,588,354/female 1,666,274)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male
63,508/female 96,035) (2008 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 18.6 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
2.717% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
36.66 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Death rate: |
9.48 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
NA |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66
male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 57.66
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 65.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 50.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 58.28
years
male: 56.2 years
female: 60.43 years (2008
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
4.85 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
4.1% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
110,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
10,000 (2003 est.) |
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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
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 (2008) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Togolese (singular
and plural)
adjective: Togolese |
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Ethnic groups: |
African (37 tribes; largest and
most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese
less than 1% |
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Religions: |
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%,
indigenous beliefs 51% |
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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) |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)
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|
Country name: |
conventional long form:
Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local
long form: Republique togolaise
local short form: none
former: French Togoland |
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Government type: |
republic under transition to
multiparty democratic rule |
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Capital: |
name: Lome
geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E
time
difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) |
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Administrative divisions: |
5 regions (regions, singular -
region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes |
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Independence: |
27 April 1960 (from
French-administered UN trusteeship) |
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 27 April
(1960) |
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Constitution: |
multiparty draft constitution
approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public
referendum 27 September 1992 |
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Legal system: |
French-based court system;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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Suffrage: |
NA years of age; universal
(adult) |
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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 Komlan MALLY (since 3 December 2007)
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
by 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% |
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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 |
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Judicial branch: |
Court of Appeal or Cour
d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lorempo LANDJERGUE
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202)
232-3190 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador David B. DUNN
embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe
Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome
mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome
telephone: [228] 261-5470
FAX: [228] 261-5501 |
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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 |
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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.
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|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$5.132 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$2.393 billion (2007 est.)
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|
GDP - real growth rate: |
2.5% (2007 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$900 (2007 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 25%
services: 35% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force: |
1.302 million (1998) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 65%
industry: 5%
services: 30% (1998 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
NA% |
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Population below poverty line: |
32% (1989 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2007 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
21.4% of GDP (2007 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $478.1 million
expenditures: $554.1 million (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams,
cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish
|
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Industries: |
phosphate mining, agricultural
processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
3% (2007 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
176 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 98.7%
hydro: 1.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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|
Electricity - consumption: |
576 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports: |
486 million kWh; note -
electricity supplied by Ghana (2005) |
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
16,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
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Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports: |
15,130 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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|
Current account balance: |
-$165.5 million (2007 est.)
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|
Exports: |
$675 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
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|
Exports - commodities: |
reexports, cotton, phosphates,
coffee, cocoa |
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Exports - partners: |
Ghana 16.7%, Burkina Faso
14.4%, Benin 9.1%, Belgium 6.1%, Mali 5.8%, Germany 5.4%, India 4.6%,
Netherlands 4.6% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$1.181 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery and equipment,
foodstuffs, petroleum products |
|
Imports - partners: |
China 29.8%, UK 10.9%, France
8.9%, Netherlands 6%, Belgium 5.8%, US 4.6%, Estonia 4.2% (2006) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
ODA, $86.71 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$362.6 million (31 December
2007 est.) |
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Debt - external: |
$2 billion (2005) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
|
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Currency (code): |
Communaute Financiere Africaine
franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States |
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Currency code: |
XOF |
|
Exchange rates: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine
francs (XOF) per US dollar - 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005),
528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF
franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
|
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
82,100 (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
708,000 (2006) |
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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;
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 15 telephones
per 100 persons
international: country code - 228; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)
|
|
Radios: |
940,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)
|
|
Televisions: |
73,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.tg |
|
Internet hosts: |
702 (2007) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2001) |
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Internet users: |
320,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
9 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 2
2,438 to
3,047 m: 2 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 7
914 to
1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
|
Railways: |
total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 7,520 km
paved: 2,376 km
unpaved: 5,144 km (1999) |
|
Waterways: |
50 km (seasonally on Mono River
depending on rainfall) (2005) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated
cargo 1 (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Kpeme, Lome |
|
Military branches: |
Togolese Armed Forces: Ground
Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine du Togo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne
Togolaise, FAT), National Gendarmerie (2008) |
|
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.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 897,195
females age 16-49: 913,327 (2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.6% (2005 est.)
|
| Transnational Issues |
Togo |
|
Disputes - 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
|
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