Geography

Location

Togo is a sub-Saharan country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It stretches 579 kilometers (360 mi.) north from the gulf and is only 160 kilometers (100 mi.) wide at the broadest point. The country consists primarily of two savanna plains regions separated by a southwest-northeast range of hills. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately 57,000 square kilometers (22,000 sq mi; slightly smaller than West Virginia) with a population of approximately 6.7 million, similar to Massachusetts.

Cities

National capital: Lome 1,008,000 (pop. 2007 est.). Other major cities: Sokodé 111,200; Kara 104,900; Atakpamé 77,300; Dapaong 53,600.

People

Population density

116/km2 (similar to Ohio or Florida).

Religions

Animist 33%, Christian 47%, Muslim 13%, other 6%.

Languages

Official language: French.   Used languages: Gbe languages (Ewe, Mina and Aja; Kabiyé; and others).

Ethnic Breakdown

Ewe, Mina, Kabye, Cotocoli, Moba, and others.

Government

Togo is under transition to multiparty democratic rule.

Climate and Resources

Climate

Togo's climate varies from tropical to savanna. The south is humid, with temperatures ranging from 23C to 32C (75F to 90F). In the north, temperature fluctuations are greater, from 18C to more than 38C (65F to 100F).

Natural resources

Phosphates, limestone, and marble.

Economy

Gross Domestic Product

Agriculture (47% of 2009 GDP): Yams, cassava, corn, millet, sorghum, cocoa, coffee, rice, cotton.
Industry (25% of 2008 GDP): Mining, manufacturing, construction, energy.
Services: 27% of 2009 GDP.

Agriculture

Subsistence agriculture and commerce are the main economic activities in Togo, accounting for 65% of the labor force. Food and cash crop production employs the majority of the labor force and contributes about 47% to the gross domestic product. Coffee and cocoa are traditionally the major cash crops for export. 

The principal food crops are yams, cassava, corn, beans, rice, millet, and sorghum. Sheep, goats, hogs, and cattle are raised, and fishing is important. Some basic foodstuffs must still be imported. The leading cash crops are cotton, coffee, and cocoa, generating about 40% of export earnings with cotton being the most important cash crop.

Economic Reforms

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. Economic growth remains marginal due to declining cotton production, underinvestment in phosphate mining, and strained relations with donors. Attempts to implement economic reforms, including increasing privatization and foreign investment, have met with limited success.

Imports and Exports

In 2008, exports of $782 million: phosphates, cocoa, coffee, cotton. Imports of $1.54 billion, for machinery and equipment, petroleum products, and consumer goods (foodstuffs, fabrics, clothes, and vehicles). 

Industry

Large-scale mining of phosphate deposits is Togo's most important industry. Togo is the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate.  Other industries are agricultural processing, handicrafts, and the manufacture of basic consumer goods. 

Workforce

2 million total (43% of the total population); rural: 1,350,000; urban: 650,000 (1999 estimates).

Trading Partners

Togo’s principal trade partners are Ghana, Burkina Faso, France, and China. Other major partners: Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, Nigeria, Canada, and Benin. 

Transportation

Togo's limited road and rail transportation facilities are concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country; Lomé is the main port. The cost of Togo's imports is usually much higher than its earnings from export sales.

Education

Schools

74.6% of age group 6-11 enrolled in school.   The public primary schools combine French with Ewe or Kabye as languages of instruction, depending on the region.  English is spoken in neighboring Ghana and is taught in Togolese secondary schools. As a result, many Togolese, especially in the south and along the Ghana border, speak some English. (2006 data)

Literacy rates

Male 70%, female 44%. (2006 data)

Health

Health Issues

Togo has excess mortality due to AIDS, resulting 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.

Life Expectancy

Male 51 yrs, female 55 yrs. (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Food or waterborne: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever; vector-borne: malaria and yellow fever; water contact disease: schistosomiasi; respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis; animal contact disease: rabies.

Togo and Neighbors

Current News

The Ghanaian government will set up shelters for 1,000 returning refugees who fled to Togo to escape violence in Bawku in Upper East region following land disputes that have been mounting since late April. The Togolese authorities had set up temporary camps in Tandjouare, in the north near the Ghanaian border.

Foreign Relations

Although Togo's foreign policy is nonaligned, it has strong historical and cultural ties with western Europe, especially France and Germany, the former colonial powers.