from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Togo
Introduction
Background: French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe
EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, continued
to rule well into the 21st century. Despite the facade
of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s,
the government continued to be dominated by President
EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party
has maintained power almost continually since 1967.
Togo has come under fire from international
organizations for human rights abuses and is plagued by
political unrest. While most bilateral and multilateral
aid to Togo remains frozen, the EU initiated a partial
resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo
in late 2004 based upon commitments by Togo to expand
opportunities for political opposition and liberalize
portions of the economy. Upon his death in February
2005, President EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure
GNASSINGBE. The succession, supported by the military
and in contravention of the nation's constitution, was
challenged by popular protest and a threat of sanctions
from regional leaders. GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure
and in April 2005 held elections that legitimized his
succession.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between
Benin and Ghana
Geographic 8 00 N, 1 10 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than West Virginia
comparative:
Land total: 1,647 km
boundaries: border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km,
Ghana 877 km
Coastline: 56 km
Maritime territorial sea: 30 nm
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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mont Agou 986 m
Natural phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
resources:
Land use: arable land: 44.2%
permanent crops: 2.11%
other: 53.69% (2005)
Irrigated 70 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north
hazards: during winter; periodic droughts
Environment - deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn
current agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water
issues: pollution presents health hazards and hinders the
fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban
areas
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - the country's length allows it to stretch through six
note: distinct geographic regions; climate varies from
tropical to savanna
People
Population: 5,548,702
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 and death rates, lower population and growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by
age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.3 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.7 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.72% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 37.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 57.42 years
expectancy at male: 55.41 years
birth: female: 59.49 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 4.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 110,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 10,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal
diseases: diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high
risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
Nationality: noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese
Ethnic groups: African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe,
Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less
than 1%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%
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)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local long form: Republique togolaise
local short form: none
former: French Togoland
Government republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
type:
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 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara,
divisions: Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes
Independence: 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
holiday:
Constitution: multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council
of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public
referendum 27 September 1992
Legal system: French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult
Executive chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6
branch: February 2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5
February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure
GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April 2005 validated
the succession
head of government: Prime Minister Yawovi AGBOYIBO
(since 16 September 2006)
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 NA); 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 unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are
branch: elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be held
in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1,
independents 1
note: two opposition parties boycotted the election,
the Union of the Forces for Change and the Action
Committee for Renewal
Judicial Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour
branch: Supreme
Political Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of
parties and Peace and Equality or MOCEP; Rally for the Support for
leaders: Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO];
Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE];
Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou
KOKOU]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ,
organization G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD,
participation: IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI,
UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA
representation chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory ENGLE
representation embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome
from the US: mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome
telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94
FAX: [228] 221 79 52
Flag five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom)
description: alternating with yellow; there is a white five-pointed
star on a red square in the upper hoist-side corner;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
Economy - This small, sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on
overview: 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 PRGF that could eventually lead to a
debt reduction plan.
GDP $8.802 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $1.999 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 1% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 39.5%
composition by industry: 20.4%
sector: services: 40.1% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 1.302 million (1998)
Labor force - agriculture: 65%
by occupation: industry: 5%
services: 30% (1998 est.)
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population 32% (1989 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 21.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $251.3 million
expenditures: $292.9 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn,
products: beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish
Industries: phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement,
handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 165.9 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 98.7%
production by hydro: 1.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 654.3 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 500 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana
imports: (2003)
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 8,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-199 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $768 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa
commodities:
Exports - Ghana 21.1%, Burkina Faso 18.2%, Benin 11.5%, Mali
partners: 7.3%, India 5.8%, Nigeria 4% (2005)
Imports: $1.047 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products
commodities:
Imports - France 17.8%, China 13.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.5%, Italy
partners: 4.5%, Spain 4.3% (2005)
Reserves of $318 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $2 billion (2005)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $80 million (2000 est.)
recipient:
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
(code): responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States
Currency code: XOF
Exchange Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
rates: dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003),
696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 58,600 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 443,600 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: fair system based on a network of
system: 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
international: country code - 228; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie
Radio AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 940,000 (1997)
Television 3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 73,000 (1997)
Internet .tg
country code:
Internet 520 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 3 (2001)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 300,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 9 (2006)
Airports - total: 2
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)
runways:
Airports - total: 7
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 5
runways: under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Railways: total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
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 total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2006)
Ports and Kpeme, Lome
terminals:
Military
Military Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force,
branches: Gendarmerie (2005)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military
service age service (2001)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,102,661
available for females age 18-49: 1,124,463 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 696,933
for military females age 18-49: 707,821 (2005 est.)
service:
Military $29.98 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.6% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments -
international: joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary
Trafficking in current situation: Togo is a source, transit, and
persons: destination country for children, women, and men
trafficked for forced labor and sexual exploitation;
the majority of victims are children, and trafficking
within the country is more prevalent than international
trafficking; children are trafficked to work as
domestic servants, produce porters, roadside sellers,
agricultural laborers, and for sexual exploitation;
Togolese women may be trafficked to Europe for forced
labor and sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Togo is placed on the
Tier 2 Watch List for failure to show evidence of
increased efforts to combat trafficking over the past
year, particularly in the areas of prosecution and
protection
Illicit drugs: transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine
traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem