Togo

<p>From the 11th to the 16th centuries, various ethnic groups settled the Togo region. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, the coastal region became a major trading center for enslaved people, and the surrounding region took on the name of "The Slave Coast." In 1884, Germany declared the area a protectorate called Togoland, which included present-day Togo. After World War I, colonial rule over Togo was transferred to France. French Togoland became Togo upon independence in 1960. <br><br>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, EYADEMA largely dominated the government. His Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party has been in power almost continually since 1967, with its successor, the Union for the Republic, maintaining a majority of seats in today's legislature. Upon EYADEMA's death in 2005, the military installed his son, Faure GNASSINGBE, as president and then engineered his formal election two months later. Togo held its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in 2007. Since then, GNASSINGBE has started the country along a gradual path to democratic reform. Togo has held multiple presidential and legislative elections, and in 2019, the country held its first local elections in 32 years. <br><br>Despite those positive moves, political reconciliation has moved slowly, and the country experiences periodic outbursts of protests from frustrated citizens, leading to violence between security forces and protesters. Constitutional changes in 2019 to institute a runoff system in presidential elections and to establish term limits have done little to reduce the resentment many Togolese feel after more than 50 years of one-family rule. GNASSINGBE became eligible for his current fourth term and one additional fifth term under the new rules. The next presidential election is set for 2025. </p>

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

8 00 N, 1 10 E

Africa

slightly smaller than West Virginia

56 km

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

70 sq km (2012)

one of the more densely populated African nations, with most of the population residing in rural communities; density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map

hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

stretches through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

Adja-Ewe/Mina 42.4%, Kabye/Tem 25.9%, Para-Gourma/Akan 17.1%, Akposso/Akebu 4.1%, Ana-Ife 3.2%, other Togolese 1.7%, foreigners 5.2%, no response 0.4% (2013-14 est.)

French (official, language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (in the north)

Christian 42.3%, folk religion 36.9%, Muslim 14%, Hindu &lt;1%, Buddhist &lt;1%, Jewish &lt;1%, other &lt;1%, none 6.2% (2020 est.)

2.37% (2025 est.)

30.17 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

4.64 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-1.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

one of the more densely populated African nations, with most of the population residing in rural communities; density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast, as shown in this population distribution map

1.982 million LOME (capital) (2023)

25 years (2017 est.)

349 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

4.03 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.99 (2025 est.)

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

0.6 beds/1,000 population (2019 est.)

8.4% (2016)

15.2% (2017 est.)

63.7% (2017 est.)

deforestation from slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; very little rainforest still present and what remains is highly degraded; desertification; water pollution; air pollution in urban areas

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

33.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

14.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

presidential republic

5 regions (<em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes

customary law system

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt

18 years of age; universal

Action Committee for Renewal or CAR <br>Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development or ADDI <br>Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA <br>Democratic Forces for the Republic or FDR <br>National Alliance for Change or ANC <br>New Togolese Commitment <br>Pan-African National Party or PNP <br>Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP <br>Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development or MPDD <br>Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR <br>The Togolese Party <br>Union of Forces for Change or UFC <br>Union for the Republic or UNIR 

ACP, AfDB, AIIB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

<strong>description:</strong> five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a five-pointed white star on a red square is in the upper-left corner<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the five horizontal stripes stand for the country's regions; red stands for the people's loyalty and patriotism; green for hope, fertility, and agriculture; yellow for mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and national independence<br><br><strong>history:</strong> uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

lion

green, yellow, red, white

low-income West African economy; primarily agrarian economy; has a deep-water port; growing international shipping locale; improving privatization and public budgeting transparency; key phosphate mining industry; extremely high rural poverty

$9.926 billion (2024 est.)

cassava, maize, yams, sorghum, soybeans, beans, rice, vegetables, oil palm fruit, cotton (2023)

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

4.2% (2024 est.)

3.345 million (2024 est.)

45.5% (2018 est.)

14.8% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

UAE 40%, India 13%, Angola 13%, Burkina Faso 4%, Cote d'Ivoire 3% (2023)

gold, refined petroleum, soybeans, phosphates, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews (2023)

China 26%, India 26%, Belgium 6%, Netherlands 6%, USA 3% (2023)

refined petroleum, garments, rice, palm oil, motorcycles and cycles (2023)

1 state-owned TV station with multiple transmission sites; five private local TV stations; cable TV available; state-owned radio network with two stations; several dozen private radio stations and a few community radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters available (2019)

.tg

5V

7 (2025)

Togolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Togolaise, FAT): Togolese Army, Togolese Navy, Togolese Air Force, National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale Togolaise or GNT)<br><br>Ministry of Security and Civil Protection: Togolese Police (2025)

estimated 20,000 active Armed Forces, including Gendarmerie (2025)

the FAT has a small inventory of mostly obsolescent or older armaments originating from several countries, including Brazil, France, Russia/former Soviet Union, T&uuml;rkiye, the UK, and the US (2025)

18-24 years of age for military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation; no conscription (2025)

the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) are responsible for both external defense and internal security; the FAT’s primary concerns are border security, terrorism, and maritime security; in recent years, it has boosted operations in the northern border region of the country to secure the frontier and prevent banditry, illicit smuggling, and infiltrations from Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida-affiliated militant groups based in Mali that also operates in neighboring Burkina Faso; in 2022, the Togolese Government declared a state of emergency in the north following an attack by JNIM fighters on a Togolese military post that killed several soldiers; the Navy and Air Force have increased focus on combating piracy and smuggling in the Gulf of Guinea<br><br>since its creation in 1963, the Togolese military has had a history of involvement in the country’s politics, including assassinations, coups, and a crackdown in 2005 that killed hundreds of civilians; over the past decade, it has made efforts to reform and professionalize, which have included increasing its role in UN peacekeeping activities, participating in multinational exercises, and receiving training from foreign partners, particularly France and the US; in addition, Togo has established a regional peacekeeping training center for military and police in Lome (2025)

Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM)