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Background:
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French
Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA,
installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule
well into the 21st century. Despite the facade of
multiparty elections instituted in the early 1990s, the
government continued to be dominated by President
EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party
maintained power almost continually since 1967. Togo has
come under fire from international organizations for
human rights abuses and is plagued by political unrest.
While most bilateral and multilateral aid to Togo
remains frozen, the European Union initiated a partial
resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in
late 2004. Upon his death in February 2005, President
EYADEMA was succeeded by his son Faure GNASSINGBE. The
succession, supported by the military and in
contravention of the nation's constitution, was
challenged by popular protest and a threat of sanctions
from regional leaders. GNASSINGBE succumbed to pressure
and agreed to hold elections in late April 2005. |
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Location:
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Western
Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and
Ghana |
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 1
10 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than West Virginia |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126
km, Ghana 877 km |
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Coastline:
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56 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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tropical;
hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
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Terrain:
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gently
rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern
plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and
marshes |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 46.15%
permanent crops: 2.21%
other: 51.64% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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70 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry
harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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the
country's length allows it to stretch through six
distinct geographic regions; climate varies from
tropical to savanna |
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Population:
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5,681,519
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 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 43.2% (male 1,232,759/female 1,224,060)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 1,505,737/female
1,571,201)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 60,799/female
86,963) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
17.78 years
male: 17.42 years
female: 18.14 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.17%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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33.48
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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11.8
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
66.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 74.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 58.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 57.01 years
male: 55.02 years
female: 59.06 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.61
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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4.1%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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110,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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10,000
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and
protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
(2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese |
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Ethnic groups:
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native
African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe,
Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less
than 1% |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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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) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local long form: Republique Togolaise
local short form: none
former: French Togoland |
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Government type:
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republic
under transition to multiparty democratic rule |
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Capital:
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Lome |
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Administrative divisions:
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5 regions
(regions, singular - region); Kara, Plateaux, Savanes,
Centrale, Maritime |
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Independence:
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27 April
1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 April (1960) |
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Constitution:
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multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council
of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public
referendum 27 September 1992 |
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Legal system:
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French-based court system |
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Suffrage:
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NA years
of age; universal adult |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6
February 2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5
February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure
GNASSINGBE; popular elections in April 2005 validated
the succession
head of government: Prime Minister Edem KODJO
(since 8 June 2005)
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 24 April 2005 (next
to be held NA); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Faure GNASSINGBE elected
president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.2%,
Emmanuel Akitani BOB 38.3%, Nicolas LAWSON 1.0%, Harry
OLYMPIO 0.6% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next to be
held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2,
MOCEP 1, independents 1
note: two opposition parties boycotted the
election, the Union of the Forces for Change, and the
Action Committee for Renewal |
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Judicial branch:
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Court of
Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
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Political parties and leaders:
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Juvento
[Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and
Equality or MOCEP [leader NA]; Rally for the Support for
Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally
of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Union
for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]
note: Rally of the Togolese People or RPT, led by
President GNASSINGBE, was the only party until the
formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April
1991 |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ABEDA,
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212
FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Gregory ENGLE
embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato,
Lome
mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome
telephone: [228] 221 29 91 through 221 29 94
FAX: [228] 221 79 52 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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. Cocoa, coffee, and
cotton generate about 40% of export earnings, with
cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is the
world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate, but
production fell an estimated 22% in 2002 due to power
shortages and the cost of developing new deposits. 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
following through on privatization, increased openness
in government financial operations, progress toward
legislative elections, and continued support from
foreign donors. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$8.684
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 39.5%
industry: 20.4%
services: 40.1% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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1.74
million (1996) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 65%, industry 5%, services 30% (1998 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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NA (2003
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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32% (1989
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (2004
est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.1% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $239.2 million
expenditures: $273.3 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee,
cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans,
rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish |
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Industries:
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phosphate
mining, agricultural processing, cement; handicrafts,
textiles, beverages |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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108.8
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 98.7%
hydro: 1.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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451.2
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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350
million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2002)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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10,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Current account balance:
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$-125.6
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$663.1
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa |
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Exports - partners:
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Burkina
Faso 16.4%, Ghana 15.1%, Benin 9.4%, Mali 7.6%, China
7.5%, India 5.6% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$824.9
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery
and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products |
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Imports - partners:
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China
25.5%, India 13.3%, France 11.5% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$267.4
million (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.4
billion (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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ODA $80
million (2000 est.) |
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Currency (code):
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States |
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Currency code:
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XOF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US
dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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60,600
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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220,000
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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: country code - 228; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1
Symphonie |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM
9, shortwave 4 (1998) |
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Radios:
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940,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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3 (plus
two repeaters) (1997) |
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Televisions:
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73,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.tg |
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Internet hosts:
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82 (2003)
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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3 (2001)
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Internet users:
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210,000
(2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
7,520 km
paved: 2,376 km
unpaved: 5,144 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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50 km
(seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2003)
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Ports and harbors:
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Kpeme,
Lome |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2005)
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Airports:
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9 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
7
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Togolese
Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie
(2005) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary and compulsory military service
(2001) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,148,890 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 629,933 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$35.5
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.9%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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in 2001
Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint
commission continues to resurvey the boundary |
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Illicit drugs:
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transit
hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money
laundering not a significant problem |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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