Togo

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet country code

.tg

Internet users

10,000 (2000)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios

940,000 (1997)

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; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephones international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Telephones - main lines in use

25,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2,995 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

73,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Budget

revenues: $232 million expenditures: $252 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Debt - external

$1.5 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$201.1 million (1995)

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. Together, cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate some 40% of export earnings, with cotton being the most significant cash crop despite falling prices on the world market. In the industrial sector, phosphate mining is by far the most important activity. Togo is the world's fourth largest producer, and geological advantages keep production costs low. The recently privatized mining operation, Office Togolais des Phosphates (OTP), is slowly recovering from a steep fall in prices in the early 1990's, but continues to face the challenge of tough foreign competition, exacerbated by weakening demand. Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center. It continues to expand its duty-free export-processing zone (EPZ), launched in 1989, which has attracted enterprises from France, Italy, Scandinavia, the US, India, and China and created jobs for Togolese nationals. 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 stalled. Progress depends on following through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress towards legislative elections, and possible downsizing of the military, on which the regime has depended to stay in place. Lack of foreign aid, deterioration of the financial sector, energy shortages, and depressed commodity prices continue to constrain economic growth; however, Togo did realize a 3% gain in GDP in 1999. The takeover of the national power company by a Franco-Canadian consortium in 2000 should ease the energy crisis and if successful legislative elections pave the way for increased aid, growth should rise to 5% a year in 2001-02.

Electricity - consumption

511.6 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports

426 million kWh note: electricity supplied by Ghana (1999)

Electricity - production

92 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 97.83% hydro: 2.17% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro

Exports

$336 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities

cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners

Nigeria, Brazil, Canada, Philippines (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 42% industry: 21% services: 37% (1997)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.4% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$452 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Ghana, China, France, Cote d'Ivoire (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement; handicrafts, textiles, beverages

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force

1.74 million (1996)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 65%, industry 5%, services 30% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

32% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 56,785 sq km 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 1 10 E

Irrigated land

70 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Land use

arable land: 38% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 17% other: 34% (1993 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 30 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

Administrative divisions

5 regions (regions, singular - region); De La Kara, Des Plateaux, Des Savanes, Du Centre, Maritime

Capital

Lome

Constitution

multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992; adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

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 Karl HOFMANN embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: [228] 21 29 91 through 21 29 94

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelov BODJONA chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212

Executive branch

chief of state: President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA (since 14 April 1967) head of government: Prime Minister Agbeyome KODJO (since 29 August 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 June 1998 (next to be held NA 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Gnassingbe EYADEMA reelected president; percent of vote - Gnassingbe EYADEMA 52.13%, Gilchrist OLYMPIO 34.12%, other 13.75%

FAX

[1] (202) 232-3190

FAX

[228] 21 79 52

Flag description

five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) 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

Government type

republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Independence

27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Legal system

French-based court system

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 21 March 1999 (next due to be held NA October 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPT 79, independents 2 note: Togo's main opposition parties boycotted the election because of EYADEMA's alleged manipulation of 1998 presidential polling; in March of 1999, opposition parties entered into negotiations with the president over the establishment of an independent electoral commission and a new round of legislative elections, now scheduled for October 2001

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

Political parties and leaders

Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yawovi AGBOYIBO]; Coordination des Forces Nouvelles or CFN [Joseph KOFFIGOH]; Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Leopold GNININVI]; Party for Democracy and Renewal or PDR [Zarifou AYEVA]; Patriotic Pan-African Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [President Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA]; Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO (in exile), Jeane-Pierre FABRE, general secretary in Togo]; Union of Independent Liberals or ULI [Jacques AMOUZO] note: Rally of the Togolese People or RPT, led by President EYADEMA, was the only party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

NA years of age; universal adult

Background

French Togoland became Togo in 1960. General Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, is Africa's longest-serving head of state. Despite the facade of multiparty elections that resulted in EYADEMA's victory in 1993, the government continues to be dominated by the military. In addition, Togo has come under fire from international organizations for human rights abuses and is plagued by political unrest. Most bilateral and multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen.

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$27 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2% (FY96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,175,528 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 616,622 (2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45.63% (male 1,179,650; female 1,171,748) 15-64 years: 51.92% (male 1,302,197; female 1,373,247) 65 years and over: 2.45% (male 54,651; female 71,595) (2001 est.)

Birth rate

37.04 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate

11.24 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups

native 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

5.98% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

14,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

130,000 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

70.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

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)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 54.35 years male: 52.38 years female: 56.38 years (2001 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51.7% male: 67% female: 37% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Togolese (singular and plural) adjective: Togolese

Net migration rate

0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population

5,153,088 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 2001 est.)

Population growth rate

2.6% (2001 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 59%, Christian 29%, Muslim 12%

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: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.32 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers

Airports

9 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Highways

total: 7,520 km paved: 2,376 km unpaved: 5,144 km (1996)

Merchant marine

total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,603 GRT/2,800 DWT ships by type: specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Ports and harbors

Kpeme, Lome

Railways

total: 525 km (1995) narrow gauge: 525 km 1.000-m gauge

Waterways

50 km (Mono river)