British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) | Togo (2008) | |
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Administrative divisions | - | 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 42% (male 1,201,840/female 1,193,416)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 1,535,855/female 1,617,631) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 61,658/female 91,179) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish |
Airports | 1 (2003 est.) | 9 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007) |
Area | total: 60 sq km
land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago |
total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
Background | Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. | French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA, installed as military ruler in 1967, ruled Togo with a heavy hand for almost four decades. 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. Upon EYADEMA's death in February 2005, the military installed the president's son, Faure GNASSINGBE, and then engineered his formal election two months later. Democratic gains since then allowed Togo to hold its first relatively free and fair legislative elections in October 2007. After years of political unrest and fire from international organizations for human rights abuses, Togo is finally being re-welcomed into the international community. |
Birth rate | - | 36.83 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $478.1 million
expenditures: $554.1 million (2007 est.) |
Capital | - | name: Lome
geographic coordinates: 6 08 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
Coastline | 698 km | 56 km |
Constitution | - | multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory
conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT |
conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland |
Death rate | - | 9.65 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $2 billion (2005) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador David B. DUNN
embassy: 4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: [228] 261-5470 FAX: [228] 261-5501 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lorempo LANDJERGUE
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190 |
Disputes - international | Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain | in 2001, Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary; in 2006 14,000 Togolese refugees remain in Benin and Ghana out of the 40,000 who fled there in 2005 |
Economic aid - recipient | - | ODA, $86.71 million (2005 est.) |
Economy - overview | All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. | 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. 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 follow through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and continued support from foreign donors. Togo is working with donors to write a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) that could eventually lead to a debt reduction plan. Economic growth remains marginal due to declining cotton production, underinvestment in phosphate mining, and strained relations with donors. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 576 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 486 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2005) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military | 176 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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 |
Environment - international agreements | - | 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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | - | African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1% |
Exchange rates | - | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 482.71 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005); note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE, with the support of the military following international condemnation for the unconstitutional move he then stepped aside pending elections, and Abass BONFOH served as interim president; Faure GNASSINGBE later won popular elections in April 2005
head of government: Prime Minister Komlan MALLY (since 3 December 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held by 2010); 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%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5% |
Exports | - | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | - | reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa |
Exports - partners | - | Ghana 16.7%, Burkina Faso 14.4%, Benin 9.1%, Belgium 6.1%, Mali 5.8%, Germany 5.4%, India 4.6%, Netherlands 4.6% (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 40%
industry: 25% services: 35% (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 2.5% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 S, 71 30 E | 8 00 N, 1 10 E |
Geography - note | archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna |
Highways | total: NA km
paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem |
Imports | - | 15,130 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products |
Imports - partners | - | China 29.8%, UK 10.9%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 6%, Belgium 5.8%, US 4.6%, Estonia 4.2% (2006) |
Independence | - | 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | 3% (2007 est.) |
Industries | - | phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 59.12 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 66.56 deaths/1,000 live births female: 51.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 3% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 est.) | 70 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | - | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
Labor force | - | 1.302 million (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 65%
industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001) |
arable land: 44.2%
permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005) |
Languages | - | 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) |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 14 October 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - RPT 39.4%, UFC 37.0%, CAR 8.2%, independents 2.5%, other 12.9%; seats by party - RPT 50, UFC 27, CAR 4 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 57.86 years
male: 55.81 years female: 59.96 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9% male: 75.4% female: 46.9% (2003 est.) |
Location | archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana |
Map references | Political Map of the World | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 1 (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 | - |
Military branches | - | Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie (2005) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.6% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 27 April (1960) |
Nationality | - | noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese |
Natural hazards | NA | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts |
Natural resources | coconuts, fish, sugarcane | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yawovi AGBOYIBO]; Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA; Democratic Party for Renewal or PDR; Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [Faure GNASSINGBE]; Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]; Union of Forces for a Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.) |
5,701,579
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 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 32% (1989 est.) |
Population growth rate | - | 2.718% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Diego Garcia | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | - | Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.949 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.676 male(s)/female total population: 0.965 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | NA years of age; universal (adult) |
Telephone system | general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available
domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000) |
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; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 15 telephones per 100 persons international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Symphonie |
Telephones - main lines in use | NA | 82,100 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 708,000 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 3 (plus 2 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes |
Total fertility rate | - | 4.9 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
Waterways | - | 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2005) |