Introduction
French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, is Africa's longest-serving head of state. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the government continues to be dominated by President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has maintained power almost continually since 1967. 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.
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
water: 2,400 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
Land boundaries
total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km
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
Natural resources
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Irrigated land
70 sq km (1998 est.)
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, Desertification, Endangered 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 - note
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
Population
5,556,812
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 2004 est.)