Safety Score: 2,5 of 5.0 based on data from 9 authorites. Meaning we advice caution when travelling to Togo.
Travel warnings are updated daily. Source: Travel Warning Togo. Last Update: 2024-08-13 08:21:03
Explore Togo
Togo with its capital Lome is located in Africa (Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin). It covers some 56,786 square kilometers (slightly smaller than West Virginia) with a population of 7,965,060. French, Ewe and Hausa are the languages spoken by people in Togo (consider regional differences). Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana are bordering countries.
Togo is a narrow country in West Africa, sandwiched between Ghana on the west and Benin on the east, with a small border with Burkina Faso to the north, and a 56km coastline on the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Togo is a charming country, but most of the charm comes from the charming people; this is a small country with a small number of small attractions. Lomé's markets, both general and voodoo, are the most popular stop in the country along the road between Ghana and Benin. Togo's few parks/reserves are relatively rarely visited, but if you manage to make it out there on a safari, Fazao Mafakassa National Park in the center-west of the country is quite beautiful.
Popular Destinations in Togo
Administrative regions of Togo
About the country
The terrain is gently rolling savanna in north with central hills, southern plateau as well as low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes. The average density of population is about 140 per km². The climate in Togo can be described as tropicalhot, humid in south, semiarid in north. Possible natural disasters include hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter periodic droughts
To reach someone Togo dial +228 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".tg". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C). The sign for the locally used currency Franc is XOF.
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.
![Togo Flag Flag of Togo](https://www.tripmondo.com/resources/images/flags/h200/tg.png)
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 been in power almost continually since 1967 and its successor, the Union for the Republic, 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. Since 2007, President GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to political reconciliation and democratic reform, and Togo has held multiple presidential and legislative elections that were deemed generally free and fair by international observers. Despite those positive moves, political reconciliation has moved slowly and many Togolese complain that important political measures such as presidential term limits and electoral reforms remain undone, leaving the country’s politics in a lethargic state. Internationally, Togo is still known as a country where the same family has been in power for five decades.
Geography
Area | ||
---|---|---|
Total (World Rank: 127) | 56,785 | sq km |
Land (World Rank: 126) | 54,385 | sq km |
Water (World Rank: 85) | 2,400 | sq km |
Forest (World Rank: 99) | 18.40 | % |
Comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | |
Coastline | ||
56 | ||
Landborder | ||
1880 | ||
Elevation | ||
Highest point (World Rank: 164) | 986 | m |
Agricultural land | ||
Total (World Rank: 30) | 67.40 | % |
Arable (World Rank: 11) | 45.20 | % |
Permanent crops (World Rank: 67) | 3.80 | % |
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 99) | 18.40 | % |
Irrigated land (World Rank: 146) | 70 | sq km |
Map reference | ||
Africa | ||
Environment | ||
Issues |
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Agreement party |
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Hazzards |
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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 |
People
Population | ||
---|---|---|
Total (World Rank: 99) | 7,965,060 | |
Deathrate (World Rank: 133) | 0.69 | % |
Birthrate (World Rank: 29) | 3.33 | % |
Growthrate (World Rank: 15) | 2.64 | % |
Fertility rate (World Rank: 26) | 4.38 | % |
Median age | ||
Male (World Rank: 190) | 19.50 | |
Female (World Rank: 193) | 20.10 | |
Age structure | ||
0 14 male (World Rank: 80) | 1,610,020 | |
0 14 female (World Rank: 80) | 1,599,100 | |
15 24 male (World Rank: 88) | 763,507 | |
15 24 female (World Rank: 87) | 765,884 | |
25 54 male (World Rank: 109) | 1,297,490 | |
25 54 female (World Rank: 107) | 1,314,130 | |
55 64 male (World Rank: 128) | 161,809 | |
55 64 female (World Rank: 126) | 181,180 | |
65 x male (World Rank: 127) | 117,409 | |
65 x female (World Rank: 127) | 154,522 | |
Health | ||
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 44) | 4.22 | % |
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 174) | 65 | years |
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 173) | 68 | years |
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 177) | 63 | years |
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 169) | 0.06 | |
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 165) | 0.70 | |
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 206) | 11.60 | % |
Obesity adult (World Rank: 151) | 8.40 | % |
Drinking water access (World Rank: 185) | 63.10 | % |
Energy
Electricity | ||
---|---|---|
Production (World Rank: 199) | 78,800,000 | kWh |
Consumption (World Rank: 150) | 1,213,000,000 | kWh |
Import (World Rank: 61) | 1,242,000,000 | kWh |
Source fossil (World Rank: 106) | 69.90 | % |
Source nuclear (World Rank: 67) | 29.30 | % |
Source renew (World Rank: 136) | 0.90 | % |
Refined products | ||
Consumption (World Rank: 150) | 14,000 | bbl / day |
Import (World Rank: 134) | 12,700 | bbl / day |
Natural gas | ||
Consumption (World Rank: 140) | 16 | m³ |
Carbon footprint | ||
1800000 |
Nation
Budget | ||
---|---|---|
Education (World Rank: 56) | 5 | % of GDP |
Military (World Rank: 54) | 2 | % of GDP |
Health (World Rank: 135) | 5 | % of GDP |
Surplus (World Rank: 159) | -6 | % of GDP |
National symbol | ||
lion | ||
National colours | ||
yellow | ||
Adjective | ||
Togolese | ||
Noun | ||
Togolese (singular and plural) | ||
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 been in power almost continually since 1967 and its successor, the Union for the Republic, 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. Since 2007, President GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to political reconciliation and democratic reform, and Togo has held multiple presidential and legislative elections that were deemed generally free and fair by international observers. Despite those positive moves, political reconciliation has moved slowly and many Togolese complain that important political measures such as presidential term limits and electoral reforms remain undone, leaving the country’s politics in a lethargic state. Internationally, Togo is still known as a country where the same family has been in power for five decades. | ||
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 |
Economy
Gdp | ||
---|---|---|
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 155) | 11,640,000,000 | USD |
Real growth rate (World Rank: 40) | 5.00 | % |
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 216) | 1,500 | USD |
Source agriculture (World Rank: 19) | 29.00 | % |
Source industry (World Rank: 143) | 21.10 | % |
Source service (World Rank: 176) | 49.90 | % |
Labourforce | ||
Total (World Rank: 114) | 2,595,000 | |
In poverty (World Rank: 16) | 55.10 | % |
Products | ||
Industries |
| |
Agriculture |
| |
Exports |
| |
Imports |
|
Communication
Phone | ||
---|---|---|
Landline total (World Rank: 165) | 33,817 | |
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 177) | 71.00 | |
Assessment | 0 | |
Internet | ||
Users (World Rank: 133) | 877,310 | |
Population (World Rank: 205) | 11.30 | % |
Transport
Air | ||
---|---|---|
Airports paved (World Rank: 179) | 2.00 | |
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 148) | 6.00 | |
Rail | ||
Total length (World Rank: 112) | 568 | |
Road | ||
Total length (World Rank: 131) | 11,652 | |
Paved length (World Rank: 123) | 2,447 | |
Unpaved length (World Rank: 89) | 9,205 | |
Water | ||
Total length (World Rank: 104) | 50.00 |