Togo (2006) | Montserrat (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.3% (male 1,177,141/female 1,169,321)
15-64 years: 55.1% (male 1,485,621/female 1,570,117) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,870/female 86,632) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,125/female 1,079)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,957/female 3,245) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 532/female 501) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice, millet, sorghum; livestock; fish | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
Airports | 9 (2006) | 2 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006) |
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
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Area | total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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 has 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 EU initiated a partial resumption of cooperation and development aid to Togo in late 2004 based upon commitments by Togo to expand opportunities for political opposition and liberalize portions of the economy. 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 in April 2005 held elections that legitimized his succession. | English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possesion of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003. |
Birth rate | 37.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 17.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $251.3 million
expenditures: $292.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 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) |
name: Plymouth
geographic coordinates: 16 44 N, 62 14 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 56 km | 40 km |
Constitution | multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the Republic 1 July 1992, adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992 | effective 19 December 1989 |
Country name | conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
Death rate | 9.83 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $2 billion (2005) | $8.9 million (1997) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA
chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint commission continues to resurvey the boundary | none |
Economic aid - recipient | ODA, $80 million (2000 est.) | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.) |
Economy - overview | 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 PRGF that could eventually lead to a debt reduction plan. | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. |
Electricity - consumption | 654.3 million kWh (2003) | 1.86 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 500 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2003) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 165.9 million kWh (2003) | 2 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006) |
Environment - current issues | 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 | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Ethnic groups | African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1% | black, white |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
Executive branch | 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 Yawovi AGBOYIBO (since 16 September 2006) 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 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%, Harry OLYMPIO 0.5% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle |
Exports - partners | Ghana 21.1%, Burkina Faso 18.2%, Benin 11.5%, Mali 7.3%, India 5.8%, Nigeria 4% (2005) | US, Antigua and Barbuda (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | 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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 39.5%
industry: 20.4% services: 40.1% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2005 est.) | -1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 1 10 E | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
Geography - note | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money laundering not a significant problem | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners | France 17.8%, China 13.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.5%, Italy 4.5%, Spain 4.3% (2005) | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2004) |
Independence | 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement, handicrafts, textiles, beverages | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
Infant mortality rate | total: 60.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 68.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 52.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6% (2005 est.) | 2.6% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | 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, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU |
Irrigated land | 70 sq km (2003) | NA |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) |
Labor force | 1.302 million (1998) | 4,521
note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 65%
industry: 5% services: 30% (1998 est.) |
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Land boundaries | total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 44.2%
permanent crops: 2.11% other: 53.69% (2005) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (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) | English |
Legal system | French-based court system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | English common law and statutory law |
Legislative branch | 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 in 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 |
unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%, MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP 1, independents 1 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 57.42 years
male: 55.41 years female: 59.49 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 78.85 years
male: 76.67 years female: 81.14 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9% male: 75.4% female: 46.9% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing 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 (2006) |
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Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Togolese Armed Forces (FAT): Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie (2005) | no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $29.98 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.6% (2005 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 27 April (1960) | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese |
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
Natural hazards | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) |
Natural resources | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land | NEGL |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP; 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] | Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 5,548,702
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 2006 est.) |
9,439
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 32% (1989 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.72% (2006 est.) | 1.05% (2006 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | total: 568 km
narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) |
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Religions | indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20% | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | NA years of age; universal adult | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | 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 international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie |
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-664 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 58,600 (2005) | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 443,600 (2005) | 70 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus two repeaters) (1997) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes | volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | 4.96 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.77 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 6% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | 50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2005) | - |