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◆ COMMUNICATIONS(7 fields)
Broadcast media
2 state-owned TV stations with multiple transmission sites; 5 private TV stations broadcast locally; cable TV service is available; state-owned radio network with multiple stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2007)
Internet country code
.tg
Internet hosts
1,168 (2012) country comparison to the world: 170
Internet users
356,300 (2009) country comparison to the world: 123
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 50 telephones per 100 persons with mobile-cellular use predominating international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie (2010)
Telephones - main lines in use
225,000 (2012) country comparison to the world: 127
Telephones - mobile cellular
3.518 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 124
◆ ECONOMY(37 fields)
Agriculture - products
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (manioc), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish
Budget
revenues: $764.1 million expenditures: $905.3 million (2012 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-3.7% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
Central bank discount rate
2.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 91 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate
NA%
Current account balance
$-372.2 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $-290.5 million (2011 est.)
Debt - external
$658.1 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 $643.1 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Economy - overview
This small, sub-Saharan economy depends heavily on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for a significant share 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 among the world's largest producers of phosphate and Togo seeks to develop its carbonate phosphate reserves. 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. Foreign direct investment inflows have slowed over recent years. Togo completed its IMF Extended Credit Facility in 2011 and reached a HIPC debt relief completion point in 2010 at which 95% of the country's debt was forgiven. Togo continues to work with the IMF on structural reforms.
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 510.53 (2012 est.) 471.87 (2011 est.) 495.28 (2010 est.) 472.19 (2009) 447.81 (2008)
Exports
$960.5 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 $1.018 billion (2011 est.)
Exports - commodities
reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa
Exports - partners
India 14.2%, Lebanon 10.6%, Burkina Faso 7.6%, Benin 7.5%, China 6.1%, Niger 5.8%, Netherlands 5.2%, Ghana 4.4% (2012)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.766 billion (2012 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$6.87 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 $6.505 billion (2011 est.) $6.207 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 87.2% government consumption: 9.8% investment in fixed capital: 18.6% investment in inventories: 0.6% exports of goods and services: 40.3% imports of goods and services: -56.5% (2012 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 28% industry: 33.7% services: 38.2% (2012 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,100 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 213 $1,100 (2011 est.) $1,000 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars
GDP - real growth rate
5.6% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 4.8% (2011 est.) 4% (2010 est.)
Gross national saving
8.7% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 132 10.7% of GDP (2011 est.) 12.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 27.1% (2006)
Imports
$1.604 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 169 $1.575 billion (2011 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products
Imports - partners
China 40.4%, Netherlands 7.9%, France 5.4%, UK 5.3% (2012)
Industrial production growth rate
5.2% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 52
Industries
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.6% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 3.6% (2011 est.)
Labor force
2.595 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 112
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 65% industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Population below poverty line
32% (1989 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$441.6 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 $774.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of broad money
$1.534 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 158 $1.635 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of domestic credit
$1.471 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 $1.193 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Stock of narrow money
$1.057 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 $981.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
20.3% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Unemployment rate
NA%
◆ ENERGY(23 fields)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
1.445 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Crude oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Crude oil - imports
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 128
Crude oil - production
0 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Crude oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 193
Electricity - consumption
676.1 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity - from fossil fuels
21.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 189
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
78.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Electricity - from other renewable sources
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Electricity - imports
710 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70
Electricity - installed generating capacity
85,000 kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 175
Electricity - production
127.1 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 194
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 199
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 191
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 136
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 198
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 198
Refined petroleum products - consumption
28,670 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 118
Refined petroleum products - exports
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
Refined petroleum products - imports
9,773 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 130
Refined petroleum products - production
0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 134
◆ GEOGRAPHY(20 fields)
Area
total: 56,785 sq km country comparison to the world: 126 land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline
56 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Agou 986 m
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
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
total: 0.17 cu km/yr (63%/3%/34%) per capita: 33.46 cu m/yr (2005)
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 1 10 E
Geography - note
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
Irrigated land
73 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries
total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km
Land use
arable land: 44.2% permanent crops: 3.7% other: 52.1% (2011)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 30 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts
Natural resources
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Terrain
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Total renewable water resources
14.7 cu km (2011)
◆ GOVERNMENT(20 fields)
Administrative divisions
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes
Capital
name: Lome geographic coordinates: 6 07 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992; amended 2002, last in 2005 (2005)
Country name
conventional long form: Togolese Republic conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique Togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert E. WHITEHEAD (since 3 May 2012) embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300 telephone: [228] 2261-5470 FAX: [228] 2261-5501
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Limbiye Edawa Kadangha BARIKI (since 14 July 2009) chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190
Executive branch
chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005); head of government: Prime Minister Kwesi Seleagodji AHOOMEY-ZUNU (since 23 July 2012) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 March 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.9%, Jean-Pierre FABRE 33.9%, Yawovi AGBOYIBO 3%, other 2.2%
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 note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Government type
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Independence
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNSC (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into the Criminal Chamber and the Administrative Chamber, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges including the court president) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judge appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA subordinate courts: Court of Assizes (sessions court); appeals courts; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal
Legal system
customary law system
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (91 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 25 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 62, CST 19, Rainbow Alliance 6, UFC 3, independents 1
National anthem
name: "Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers)
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
Political parties and leaders
Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yawovi AGBOYIBO] Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE] Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO] Rainbow Alliance (a colalition including: CAR and CDPA) [Brigitte Adjamagbo JOHNSON] Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO] Save Togo Collective or CST (a coalition including: ANC and PSR) [Ata Messan Zeus AJAVON Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU] Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE] Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
◆ INTRODUCTION(1 fields)
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 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 condemnation from international organizations for human rights abuses, Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community. In January 2012, Togo assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.
◆ MILITARY(6 fields)
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 1,577,572 females age 16-49: 1,589,715 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 1,104,536 females age 16-49: 1,158,061 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 74,036 female: 73,515 (2010 est.)
Military branches
Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army (l'Armee de Terre), Togolese Navy (Forces Naval Togolaises), Togolese Air Force (Force Aerienne Togolaise, TAF), National Gendarmerie (2013)
Military expenditures
1.9% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 69
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year service obligation (2012)
◆ PEOPLE AND SOCIETY(36 fields)
Age structure
0-14 years: 40.8% (male 1,461,606/female 1,453,846) 15-24 years: 20% (male 712,388/female 715,702) 25-54 years: 31.9% (male 1,132,912/female 1,148,103) 55-64 years: 4.2% (male 140,800/female 157,769) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 100,247/female 130,864) (2013 est.)
Birth rate
34.9 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 27
Child labor - children ages 5-14
total number: 774,801 percentage: 47 % (2010 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
20.5% (2008) country comparison to the world: 32
Contraceptive prevalence rate
15.2% (2010)
Death rate
7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 80.5 % youth dependency ratio: 75.5 % elderly dependency ratio: 5 % potential support ratio: 20.1 (2013)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 89% of population rural: 40% of population total: 61% of population unimproved: urban: 11% of population rural: 60% of population total: 39% of population (2010 est.)
Education expenditures
4.6% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 91
Ethnic groups
African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
3.2% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 22
HIV/AIDS - deaths
7,700 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
120,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 38
Health expenditures
8% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 62
Hospital bed density
0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate
total: 48.28 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 43 male: 55.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Languages
French (official, 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)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 63.62 years country comparison to the world: 178 male: 61.07 years female: 66.24 years (2013 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 60.4% male: 74.1% female: 48% (2011 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, dengue fever, and yellow fever respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis water contact disease: schistosomiasis 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 (2013)
Major urban areas - population
LOME (capital) 1.593 million (2009)
Maternal mortality rate
300 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 40
Median age
total: 19.5 years male: 19.2 years female: 19.7 years (2013 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
20 (1998 est.)
Nationality
noun: Togolese (singular and plural) adjective: Togolese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 104
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
4.3% (2008) country comparison to the world: 169
Physicians density
0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
Population
7,154,237 (July 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 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
Population growth rate
2.73% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Religions
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 26% of population rural: 3% of population total: 13% of population unimproved: urban: 74% of population rural: 97% of population total: 87% of population (2010 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 12.9 years (2011)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.58 children born/woman (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 28
Urbanization
urban population: 38% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
◆ TRANSNATIONAL ISSUES(3 fields)
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; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River
Illicit drugs
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 17,371 (Ghana); 5,593 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2012) IDPs: undetermined (2012)
◆ TRANSPORTATION(8 fields)
Airports
8 (2013) country comparison to the world: 162
Airports - with paved runways
total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2013)
Merchant marine
total: 61 country comparison to the world: 66 by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 38, carrier 3, chemical tanker 5, container 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 21 (China 1, Lebanon 6, Romania 1, Syria 6, Turkey 4, UAE 1, US 1, Yemen 1) (2010)
Ports and terminals
Kpeme, Lome
Railways
total: 568 km country comparison to the world: 110 narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)
Roadways
total: 11,652 km country comparison to the world: 129 paved: 2,447 km unpaved: 9,205 km (2007)
Waterways
50 km (seasonally navigable by small craft on the Mono River depending on rainfall) (2011) country comparison to the world: 103