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Country Guide > Africa > Togo | |
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General Information Area 56,785 sq km (21,925 sq miles). Population 4,801,000 (2002). Population Density 84.5 per sq km. Capital Lomé. Population: 732,000 (official estimate 2001). Geography Togo shares borders with Burkina Faso to the north, Benin to the east and Ghana to the west, with a short coast on the Atlantic in the south. The country is a narrow strip, rising behind coastal lagoons and swampy plains to an undulating plateau. Northwards, the plateau descends to a wide plain irrigated by the River Oti. The central area is covered by deciduous forest, while savannah stretches to the north and south. In the east, the River Mono runs to the sea; long sandy beaches shaded by palms characterise the coastline between Lomé and Cotonou in Benin. Government Republic since 1967. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State: President Faure Gnassingbé Eyadéma since April 2005 (succeeded his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, after his death in February 2005). Head of Government: Prime Minister Koffi Sama since 2002. Language French is the official language, while Ewe, Watchi and Kabiyé are the most widely spoken African languages. Very little English is spoken. Religion 50 per cent Traditional or animist, 35 per cent Christian and 15 per cent Muslim. Time GMT. Electricity 220 volts AC, 50Hz single phase. Plugs are square or round two-pin. Communications Telephone IDD is available to main cities. Country code: 228. There are no area codes. Outgoing international code: 00. Mobile telephone GSM 900 network covers main urban areas. Operators include Telecel Togo (website: www.telecel.tg) and Togo Telecom (website: www.togotel.net.tg). Fax Available in Internet cafes. Internet ISPs include Togo Telecom (website: www.togotel.net.tg). Public access is available in Internet cafes all over the country. Telegram The telegram service is dependable; messages to France and West Africa are less expensive. Post Postal facilities are limited to main towns. Post Restante facilities are available and are very reliable. Airmail to Western Europe takes at least two weeks. Press The main newspaper is the government-owned Togo-Presse, published in French, Ewe and Kabiyé. Les Echos du Matin is an independent daily. Radio BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. |