Map of Togo | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 multi-party 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 condemnation from international organizations for human rights abuses Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community. In January 2012 Togo assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.


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Location: Western Africa bordering the Bight of Benin between Benin and Ghana

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N 1 10 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 126
Land: 54,385 km²
Water: 2,400 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Border countries: (3) Benin 644 km; Burkina Faso 126 km; Ghana 877 km

Coastline: 56 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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 highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural resources: phosphates limestone marble arable land

Land use
Permanent crops: 3.7%
Other: 52.1% (2011)

Irrigated land: 73 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 14.7 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: hot dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

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: 7,154,237 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 101
Growth rate: 2.73% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 21
Below poverty line: 32% (1989 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Togolese

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 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)

Religions: Christian 29% Muslim 20% indigenous beliefs 51%

Demographic profile

Age structure
15-24 years: 20% (male 712,388/female 715,702)
25-54 years: 31.9% (male 1,132,912/female 1,148,103)
55-64 years: 4.2% (male 140,800/female 157,769)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 100,247/female 130,864) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 75.5 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 5 %
Potential support ratio: 20.1 (2013)

Median age
Male: 19.2 years
Female: 19.7 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.73% (2013 est.)
Rank: 21

Birth rate: 34.9 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 27

Death rate: 7.6 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 113

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 104

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: LOME (capital) 1.593 million (2009)

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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20 (1998 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 43
Male: 55.03 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 41.33 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 178
Male: 61.07 years
Female: 66.24 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.58 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 28

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 15.2% (2010)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.05 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.2% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 22
People living with hivaids: 120,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 38
Deaths: 7,700 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 28

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria dengue fever and yellow fever
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.3% (2008)
Rank: 169

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 20.5% (2008)
Rank: 32

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 91

Literacy
Total population: 60.4%
Male: 74.1%
Female: 48% (2011 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 6 07 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Independence Day 27 April (1960)

Constitution: several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992 effective 14 October 1992; amended 2002 last in 2005 (2005)

Legal system: customary law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Kwesi Seleagodji AHOOMEY-ZUNU (since 23 July 2012)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 March 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.9% Jean-Pierre FABRE 33.9% Yawovi AGBOYIBO 3% other 2.2%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (91 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 25 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 62 CST 19 Rainbow Alliance 6 UFC 3 independents 1

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy a 9-member judicial advisory and disciplinary body; other judge appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA
Subordinate courts: Court of Assizes (sessions court); appeals courts; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil commercial and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS EITI (candidate country) Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNMIL UNOCI UNSC (temporary) UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,208 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-4,212
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-3,190
From the us embassy: 4,332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema Cite OUA Lome
From the us mailing address: B. P. 852 Lome; 2,300 Lome Place Washington DC 20,521-2,300
From the us telephone: [228] 2,261-5,470
From the us FAX: [228] 2,261-5,501

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; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people; green symbolizes hope fertility and agriculture; yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life purity peace dignity and Togo's independence

National symbols

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH

National heritage


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Economy overview: This small sub-Saharan economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture which provides employment for a significant share 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 among the world's largest producers of phosphate and Togo seeks to develop its carbonate phosphate reserves. 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. Foreign direct investment inflows have slowed over recent years. Togo completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility in 2011 and reached a HIPC debt relief completion point in 2010 at which 95% of the country's debt was forgiven. Togo continues to work with the IMF on structural reforms.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 161

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 52

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 213

Gross national saving:
Rank: 132

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 9.8%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.6%
Exports of goods and services: 40.3%
Imports of goods and services: -56.5%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 33.7%
Services: 38.2% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee cocoa cotton yams cassava (manioc) corn beans rice millet sorghum; livestock; fish

Industries: phosphate mining agricultural processing cement handicrafts textiles beverages

Industrial production growth rate: 5.2% (2012 est.)
Rank: 52

Labor force: 2.595 million (2007)
Rank: 112
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 30% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 32% (1989 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 27.1% (2006)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Expenditures: $905.3 million (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 138

Taxes and other revenues: 20.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 164

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 68

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 91

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%

Stock of narrow money: $981.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 148

Stock of broad money: $1.635 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 158

Stock of domestic credit: $1.193 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 144

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: $-290.5 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 96

Exports: $1.018 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 159
Commodities: reexports cotton phosphates coffee cocoa
Partners: India 14.2% Lebanon 10.6% Burkina Faso 7.6% Benin 7.5% China 6.1% Niger 5.8% Netherlands 5.2% Ghana 4.4% (2012)

Imports: $1.575 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 169
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs petroleum products
Partners: China 40.4% Netherlands 7.9% France 5.4% UK 5.3% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $774.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 148

Debt external: $643.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 169

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 127.1 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 194
Consumption: 676.1 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 160
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 137
Imports: 710 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 70
Installed generating capacity: 85,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 175
Generation sources fossil fuels: 21.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 189
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 187
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 78.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 16
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 129

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 137
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 191
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 128
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 193

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 134
Products consumption: 28,670 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 118
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 134
Products imports: 9,773 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 130

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 198
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 199
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 191
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 136
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 198

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 1.445 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 156

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 225,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 127
Mobile cellular: 3.518 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 124

Telephone system
Domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional system; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 50 telephones per 100 persons with mobile-cellular use predominating
International: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) 1 Symphonie (2010)

Broadcast media: 2 state-owned TV stations with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with multiple stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .tg
Hosts: 1168 (2012)
Hosts rank: 170
Users: 356,300 (2009)
Users rank: 123

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 69

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 8 (2013)
Rank: 162
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways: 2 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Rank: 110
Narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 129
Paved: 2,447 km
Unpaved: 9,205 km (2007)

Waterways: 50 km (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall) (2011)
Rank: 103

Merchant marine
Rank: 66
By type: bulk carrier 6 cargo 38 carrier 3 chemical tanker 5 container 3 passenger/cargo 1 petroleum tanker 3 refrigerated cargo 1 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 21 (China 1 Lebanon 6 Romania 1 Syria 6 Turkey 4 UAE 1 US 1 Yemen 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Kpeme Lome


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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; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: undetermined (2012)

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