| Published on March 17, 2010 |
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Country Report
Togo
 Introduction
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.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 1 10 E
Area:
total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,647 km
border countries: 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
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 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 14.7 cu km (2001)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.17 cu km/yr (53%/2%/45%)
per capita: 28 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts
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
Environment - 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
People
Population:
6,031,808
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.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.4% (male 1,252,389/female 1,244,914)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 1,645,885/female 1,719,810)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 66,192/female 102,618) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.7 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 19.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.754% (2009 est.)
Birth rate: 36.49 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
Death rate: 8.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
Net migration rate: NA (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 42% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/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: 56.84 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.97 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.66 years
male: 57.4 years
female: 61.99 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.79 children born/woman (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 3.3% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 130,000 (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 9,100 (2007 est.)
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 risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds(2009)
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: Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
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.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
male: 11 years
female: 7 years (2000)
Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2002)
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 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 (since 4 May 2005); 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 on 28 February 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
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, MINURCAT, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kadangha Limbiya BARIKI
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia McMahon HAWKINS
embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome
mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20512-2300
telephone: [228] 261-5470
FAX: [228] 261-5501
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
note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$5.285 billion (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate): $2.771 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2009 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2009 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 47.4%
industry: 25.4%
services: 27.2% (2009 est.)
Labor force: 2.595 million (2007)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 65%
industry: 5%
services: 30% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA% est.)
Population below poverty line: 32% (1989 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 27.1%
Investment (gross fixed): 21% of GDP (2009 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $468.7 million
expenditures: $535.4 million (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate: 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA% (31 December 2008)
Stock of money: $NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of quasi money: $NA (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit: $674,300 (31 December 2008)
Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA
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% (2009 est.)
Electricity - production: 230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption: 640 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports: 514 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2007 est.)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption: 20,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - exports: 1,547 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports: 15,270 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Current account balance: -$152 million (2009 est.)
Exports: $729 million (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities: reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa
Exports - partners: Ghana 12.1%, Burkina Faso 10.5%, India 9.7%, Germany 9.3%, South Africa 7%, Benin 6.6%, Brazil 4.7%, Belgium 4.6%, Mali 4.2%, Netherlands 4.1% (2008)
Imports: $1.399 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products
Imports - partners: China 35.3%, Netherlands 7.7%, France 7.1%, Thailand 5%, India 4.8% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $495 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external: $NA (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 483.21 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005)
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
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use: 140,900 (2008)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1.547 million (2008)
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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code: .tg
Internet hosts: 784 (2009)
Internet users: 350,000 (2008)
Transportation
Airports: 8 (2009)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Railways:
total: 532 km
narrow gauge: 532 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 7,520 km
paved: 2,376 km
unpaved: 5,144 km (2000)
Waterways: 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2008)
Merchant marine:
total: 10
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
Military
Military branches: Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Ground Forces, Togolese Navy (Marine du Togo), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, FAT), National Gendarmerie (2009)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,365,505
females age 16-49: 1,374,993 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 929,395
females age 16-49: 943,967 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 70,775
female: 70,051 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures: 1.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
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 (country of origin): 5,000 (Ghana)
IDPs: 1,500 (2007)
Illicit drugs: transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem
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