Togolese Republic République togolaise (French) | |
---|---|
Motto: "Travail, Liberté, Patrie"[1] (English: "Work, Liberty, Homeland") | |
Anthem: "Terre de nos aïeux" (English: "Land of our ancestors") | |
Capital and largest city | Lomé 6°8′N 1°13′E / 6.133°N 1.217°E |
Official languages | French |
Spoken languages | |
Ethnic groups | West African (94.4%)[2] |
Religion (2020) |
|
Demonym(s) | Togolese |
Government | Unitary parliamentary republic under an authoritarian hereditary dictatorship |
Faure Gnassingbé | |
Victoire Tomegah Dogbé | |
Legislature | National Assembly |
Independence from Germany and France | |
5 July 1884 | |
6–26 August 1914 | |
• French Togoland partitioned | 27 December 1916 |
• Autonomy within the French Union | 24 August 1956 |
• Independence granted from France | 27 April 1960 |
Area | |
• Total | 56,785[4][5] km2 (21,925 sq mi) (123rd) |
• Water (%) | 4.2 |
Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 9,583,381[6] (101st) |
• 2022 census | 8,095,498[7] |
• Density | 125.9/km2 (326.1/sq mi) (60th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $25.103 billion[8] (151st) |
• Per capita | $2,767[8] (175th) |
GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
• Total | $9.621 billion[8] (157th) |
• Per capita | $1,004[8] (170th) |
Gini (2015) | 43.1[9] medium inequality |
HDI (2022) | 0.547[10] low (163rd) |
Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
Drives on | Right |
Calling code | +228 |
ISO 3166 code | TG |
Internet TLD | .tg |
|
Togo,[a] officially the Togolese Republic,[b] is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north.[11] It is one of the least developed countries and extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital, Lomé, is located.[11] It is a small, tropical country, spanning 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 square miles)[4] with a population of approximately 8 million,[4] and it has a width of less than 115 km (71 mi) between Ghana and its eastern neighbour Benin.[12][13]
Various peoples settled the boundaries of present day Togo between the 11th and 16th centuries. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, the coastal region served primarily as a European slave trading outpost, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast". In 1884, Germany declared a region including a protectorate called Togoland. After World War I, rule over Togo was transferred to France. Togo gained independence from France in 1960.[2][14] In 1967, Gnassingbé Eyadéma led a successful military coup d'état and became president of an anti-communist, single-party state. In 1993, Eyadéma faced multiparty elections marred by irregularities, and won the presidency three times. At the time of his death, Eyadéma was the "longest-serving leader in modern African history", having been president for 38 years.[15] In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president.
Togo is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation[11] whose economy depends mostly on agriculture.[14] The official language is French,[14] but other languages are spoken, particularly those of the Gbe family. 47.8% of the population adhere to Christianity, making it the largest religion in the country.[16] Togo is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, Francophonie, Commonwealth of Nations, and Economic Community of West African States.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha>
tags or {{efn}}
templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
template or {{notelist}}
template (see the help page).