Togo
Country Guide

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

• Centrale
• Kara
• Maritime
• Plateaux
• Savanes

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.

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	- air pollution increasing in urban areas - deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel - water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry
Agreement party	- 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
Hazzards	- hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter - periodic droughts
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

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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	%

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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

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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

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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	- agricultural processing - beverages - cement - handicrafts - phosphate mining - textiles
Agriculture	- beans - cassava - cocoa - coffee - corn - cotton - fish - livestock - manioc - millet - rice - sorghum - tapioca - yams
Exports	- cocoa - coffee - cotton - phosphates - reexports
Imports	- equipment - foodstuffs - machinery - petroleum products

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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	%

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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

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