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Togo is a narrow strip of land in western Africa between Benin and Ghana. In 1884 it became a German protectorate. It was seized by Britain and France at the start of World War I, divided and administered under League of Nations mandates. The British-ruled western part was later incorporated into what is now Ghana, and France granted Togo independence in 1960. Togo's first president, Sylvanus Olympio, was assassinated in a military coup three years later. Head of the armed forces Gnassingbe Eyadema seized power in a 1967 coup and dissolved all political parties. Despite the facade of multiparty 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. Gnassingbe Eyadema died in early 2005 after 38 years in power. The military's immediate but short-lived installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as president provoked widespread international condemnation. Mr. Faure stepped down and called elections which he won two months later. The legislative elections held in October 2007 with all opposition parties participating were declared free and fair by international and national election observers. Togo is among the world's poorest countries. Its economy is heavily dependent on commercial and subsistence agriculture. The long-lasting socio-political crisis and withdrawal of donor support have taken a toll on Togo’s economy, infrastructure, and institutions. Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community since the 2007 legislative elections, paving the way for donor reengagement.

 
Country Forecast
Major Cities
City Population Estimated
Lome 1,628,431 2010
Sokodé 114,808 2010
Kara 110,908 2010
Key Data
Region : Africa
Population : 5,837,017
Area Total : 56,790 km2
Area Land : 54,390 km2
Coast Line : 56 km
Capital : Lome
Climate : Tropical; hot, humid in south;
semiarid in north.
Languages : French (official and the language of commerce)
Ewe and Mina (the two major African
languages in the south)
Dagomba and Kabye (the two major African
languages in the north)
Currency : 1 CFA = 100 centimes
Holiday : Independence Day is 27 April (1960), Liberation Day is 13 January
Average Daily TemperatureBoundaries
January : 26.80°C / 80.20°F
July : 25.00°C / 77.00°F
Annual Rainfall : 889mm / 35"
   
 
Ghana 877km
Benin 644km
Burkina Faso 126km
Ethnic DivisionsReligions
Native African 99%
European and Middle Eastern 1%
 
Indigenous beliefs (including animism) %
Christian %
Muslim %

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