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.

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N 1 10 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 56,785 km²
Rank: 125
Land: 54,385 km²
Water: 2,400 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1647 km
Border countries: (3) Benin 644 km; Burkina Faso 126 km; Ghana 877 km

Coastline: 56 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 30 nm
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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes 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 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 14.7 km³ (2001)

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

Population: 6,019,877
Rank: 107
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 2009 est.)
Growth rate: 2.711% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 21
Below poverty line: 32% (1989 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Togolese
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 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)

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.5%
15-64 years: 55.7% (male 1,640,982/female 1,714,278)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 65,427/female 101,149) (2009 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.7 years
Male: 18.3 years
Female: 19.2 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.711% (2009 est.)
Rank: 21

Birth rate: 36.44 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 33

Death rate: 9.33 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 76

Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)

Urbanization
Urban population: 42% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/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.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 56.24 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 42
Male: 63.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 48.77 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 58.69 years
Rank: 187
Male: 56.56 years
Female: 60.88 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.79 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 34

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 3.3% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 21
People living with hivaids: 130,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 40
Deaths: 9,100 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 35

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 ri

Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2002)
Rank: 156

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 60.9%
Male: 75.4%
Female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 7 years (2000)

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

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

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

National holiday: Independence Day 27 April (1960)

Constitution: adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Legal system: French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (adult)

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE ; 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

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

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
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 chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia McMahon HAWKINS
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 20,512-2,300
From the us telephone: [228] 261-5,470
From the us fax: [228] 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; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 158
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 172

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 216
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 40%
Industry: 25%
Services: 35% (2008 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

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2008 est.)
Rank: 80

Labor force: 2.595 million (2007)
Rank: 108
By occupation agriculture: 65%
By occupation industry: 5%
By occupation services: 30% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $438.1 million
Expenditures: $519.9 million (2008 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (2007 est.)
Rank: 136

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 118

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%

Stock of domestic credit: $590.7 million (31 December 2007)
Rank: 129

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$154 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 96

Exports: $702 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 156
Commodities: reexports cotton phosphates coffee cocoa
Partners: Ghana 12.7% Burkina Faso 11% Germany 9.8% South Africa 7.3% Benin 6.9% India 6.3% Brazil 4.9% Belgium 4.8% Mali 4.4% Netherlands 4.3% (2008)

Imports: $1.264 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 160
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs petroleum products
Partners: China 34.2% Netherlands 7.5% France 6.8% India 6.5% Thailand 4.9% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $438 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 137

Debt external: $2 billion (2005)
Rank: 136

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

Electricity
Production: 230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 174
Consumption: 640 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 153
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 514 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 123
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 130
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 103
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 126
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 129

Telephones
Main lines in use: 140,900 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 136
Mobile cellular: 1.547 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 131

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 30 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) 1 Symphonie

Internet
Country code: .tg
Hosts: 784 (2009)
Hosts rank: 163
Users: 350,000 (2008)
Users rank: 120

Military expenditures: 1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 102

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2006)

Airports: 8 (2009)
Rank: 162
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2009)

Railways
Total: 532 km
Rank: 114
Narrow gauge: 532 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 7,520 km
Rank: 145
Paved: 2,376 km
Unpaved: 5,144 km (2000)

Waterways: 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2008)
Rank: 104

Merchant marine
Total: 10
Rank: 113
By type: cargo 9 refrigerated cargo 1
Foreign owned: 6 (Bangladesh 1 Denmark 1 Egypt 1 Lebanon 1 Syria 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Kpeme Lome

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: 5,000 (Ghana)
Idps: 1500 (2007)

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