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Togo, officially the Republic of Togo , is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It is one of the least developed countries in the world. It extends north from the Burkina Faso-Togo border to the Gulf of Guinea, where its capital city, Lomé, is located. It is a small, tropical country, spanning with a population of approximately 8 million, and it has a width of less than between Ghana and its eastern neighbor Benin.
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, during the scramble for Africa, German Empire established a protectorate in the region called Togoland. After World War I, Togo was transferred to France with its contemporary borders. Togo gained independence from France in 1960. 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 history", having been president for 38 years. "Obituary: Gnassingbe Eyadema" . (5 February 2005). BBC News. Retrieved 22 May 2007. In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president.
Togo is a Tropics, sub-Saharan nation whose economy depends mostly on agriculture. The official language is French language, but other languages are spoken, particularly those of the Gbe languages. 47.8% of the population adhere to Christianity, making it the largest religion in the country. 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.
Since the country's independence in 1960, the official name of the state is République togolaise
(Republic of Togo in English).
In 1884, a paper was forcibly signed at Togoville with King Mlapa III, whereby Germany claimed a protectorate over a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland.Laumann, "A Historiography of German Togoland", p. 195Washausen, Hamburg und die Kolonialpolitik, p. 79 Its borders were defined after the capture of the hinterland by German forces and signing agreements with France and Britain. In 1905, this became the German colony of Togoland. The local population was Forced labour, cultivate cotton, coffee, and cocoa and pay taxes. A railway and the port of Lomé were built for export of agricultural products. The Germans introduced techniques of cultivation of Cocoa bean, coffee and cotton and developed the infrastructure.
During World War I, Togoland was invaded by United Kingdom and France, proclaiming the Anglo-French condominium, during the West African Campaign. Following the Allied invasion of the colony in August 1914, German forces were defeated, forcing the colony's surrender on 26 August 1914. On 7 December 1916, the condominium collapsed and Togoland was subsequently partitioned into British and French zones, creating the colonies of British Togoland and French Togoland. On 20 July 1922, Great Britain received the League of Nations mandate to govern the western part of Togo and France to govern the eastern part. In 1945, the country received the right to send three representatives to the French parliament.
After World War II, these mandates became UN Trust Territories. The residents of British Togoland voted to join the Gold Coast as part of the independent nation of Ghana in 1957. French Togoland became an autonomous republic within the French Union in 1959, while France retained the right to control defence, foreign relations, and finances.
On 13 January 1967, Eyadéma overthrew Grunitzky in a bloodless coup and assumed the presidency. He created the Rally of the Togolese People Party, banned activities of other political parties and introduced a one-party system in November 1969. He was reelected in 1979 and 1986. In 1983, the privatization program launched and in 1991 other political parties were allowed. In 1993, the European Union froze the partnership, describing Eyadéma's re-election in 1993, 1998 and 2003, as a seizure of power. In April 2004, in Brussels, talks were held between the EU and Togo on the resumption of cooperation.
Eyadéma Gnassingbé died on Saturday, 5 February 2005.Deschamps, H.J., Decalo, S., Pedanou, M.K., Echenberg, M. "Togo." Encyclopedia Britannica, March 4, 2025.
/a> The military's installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbé, as president provoked international condemnation, except from France. Some "democratically elected" African leaders such as Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria supported the move, creating a rift within the African Union. BBC News – Togo country profile – Overview . Bbc.co.uk (11 July 2011). Retrieved on March 26, 2012. Gnassingbé left power and held elections, which he won two months later."Date set for elections in Togo", Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 4 March 2005 The opposition declared that the election results were fraudulent. The events of 2005 led to questions regarding the government's commitment to democracy that had been made in an attempt to normalize relations with the EU which cut off aid in 1993 due to questions about Togo's human rights situation. Up to 400 people were killed in the violence surrounding the presidential elections, according to the UN. Around 40,000 Togolese fled to neighbouring countries. Gnassingbé was reelected in 2010 and 2015.
Togo became the first African nation to win an Olympic medal in canoeing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing when Benjamin Boukpeti won bronze in the K-1 slalom.
In 2017, anti-government protests erupted. United Nations condemned the resulting crackdown by security forces, and The Gambia's foreign minister, Ousainou Darboe, had to issue a correction after saying that Gnassingbé should resign.
In the February 2020 presidential elections, Gnassingbé won his fourth presidential term in office as the president of Togo. According to the official result, he won with a margin of around 72% of the vote share. This enabled him to defeat his closest challenger, former prime minister Agbeyome Kodjo, who had 18%. On 4 May 2020, Bitala Madjoulba, the commander of a Togolese military battalion, was found dead in his office one day after Gnassingbé was sworn in for his fourth term. An investigation was opened for this case, resulting in Major General Kadangha Abalo Felix being prosecuted and tried for involvement in Madjoulba's assassination and 'conspiracy against the internal security of the state'.
President Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who until 1993, ruled Togo under a one-party system, died of a heart attack on 5 February 2005. Under the Togolese Constitution, the President of the Parliament, Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba, should have become president of the country, pending a presidential election to be called within 60 days. Natchaba was out of the country, returning on an Air France plane from Paris. The Togolese army, known as Forces Armées Togolaises (FAT), or Togolese Armed Forces, closed the nation's borders, forcing the plane to land in Benin. With an engineered power vacuum, the Parliament voted to remove the constitutional clause that would have required an election within 60 days and declared that Eyadema's son, Faure Gnassingbé, would inherit the presidency and hold office for the rest of his father's term. Faure was sworn in on 7 February 2005, with international criticism of the succession. The African Union described the takeover as a military coup d'état. International pressure also came from the United Nations. Within Togo, opposition to the takeover culminated in riots in which between 400 and 500 people died. There were uprisings in cities and towns mainly in the southern part of the country. In the town of Aného reports of a general civilian uprising followed by a massacre by government troops. In response, Gnassingbé agreed to hold elections and on 25 February, Gnassingbé resigned as president, and afterward accepted the nomination to run for the office in April.
On 24 April 2005, Gnassingbé was elected president of Togo, receiving over 60% of the vote according to official results. His main rival in the race had been Emmanuel Bob-Akitani from the Union des Forces du Changement (UFC). Electoral fraud was suspected due to a lack of independent domestic or foreign oversight. Parliament designated Deputy President Bonfoh Abbass as interim president until the inauguration. On 3 May 2005, Gnassingbé was sworn in as the new president and the European Union suspended aid to Togo in support of the opposition claims, unlike the African Union and the United States which declared the vote "reasonably fair". The Nigerian president and Chair of AU, Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ, sought to negotiate between the incumbent government and the opposition to establish a coalition government, and rejected an AU Commission appointment of former president, Kenneth Kaunda, as special AU envoy to Togo.. AllAfrica.com. 6 June 2005. AllAfrica.com In June, Gnassingbé named opposition leader Edem Kodjo as the prime minister.
In October 2007, after postponements, elections were held under proportional representation. This allowed the less populated north to seat as many MPs as the more populated south. The president-backed party Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) won a majority with UFC coming second and the other parties claiming inconsequential representation. Vote rigging accusations were levelled at RPT supported by the civil and military security apparatus. With the presence of an EU observer mission, cancelled ballots and illegal voting took place, the majority of which in RPT strongholds. On 3 December 2007 Komlan Mally of RPT was appointed to prime minister succeeding Agboyibor. On 5 September 2008, Mally resigned as prime minister of Togo.
Gnassingbé won re-election in the March 2010 presidential election, taking 61% of the vote against Jean-Pierre Fabre from UFC, who had been backed by an opposition coalition called FRAC (Republican Front for Change). Electoral observers noted "procedural errors" and technical problems, and the opposition did not recognize the results, claiming irregularities had affected the outcome. Periodic protests against Faure Gnassingbé followed the election. In May 2010, opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio announced that he would enter into a power-sharing deal with the government, a coalition arrangement which provides UFC with eight ministerial posts. In June 2012, electoral reforms prompted protesters to take to the street in Lomé for days; protesters sought a return to the 1992 constitution that would re-establish presidential term limits. July 2012 saw the resignation of the prime minister, Gilbert Houngbo. Days later, the commerce minister, Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu, was named to lead the new government. In the same month, the home of opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre was raided by security forces, and thousands of protesters again rallied publicly against the government crackdown.
In April 2015, Gnassingbé was re-elected for a third term. In February 2020, Gnassingbé was again re-elected for his fourth presidential term. The opposition had accusations of fraud and irregularities. The Gnassingbé family has ruled Togo since 1967, making it Africa's longest lasting dynasty.
The reform officially came into effect on 3 May 2025, where the first indirect election of the country was held. Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové was uninamously elected as the new president, while Gnassingbé became the president of the Council of Ministers. Aged nearly 86, Savi de Tové is the oldest ever president in history.
In 2017, Togo signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Togo joined the Commonwealth of Nations, along with Gabon, at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. In joining the Commonwealth, Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told Reuters , the country sought to expand its "diplomatic, political and economic network" and to "forge closer ties with the anglophone world."
The coast of Togo in the Gulf of Guinea is long and consists of with sandy beaches. In the north, the land is characterized by a rolling savanna in contrast to the centre of the country, which is characterized by hills. The south of Togo is characterized by a savanna and woodland plateau which reaches a coastal plain with lagoons and marshes. The highest mountain of the country is the Mont Agou at above sea level. The longest river is the Mono River with a length of . It runs from north to south.
The climate is "generally tropical" with average temperatures ranging from on the coast to about in the northernmost regions, with a drier climate and characteristics of a tropical savanna.
Togo contains three terrestrial ecoregions: Eastern Guinean forests, Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, and West Sudanian savanna. The coast of Togo is characterized by marshes and mangroves. The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.88/10, ranking it 92nd globally out of 172 countries.
At least five parks and reserves have been established: Abdoulaye Faunal Reserve, Fazao Malfakassa National Park, Fosse aux Lions National Park, Koutammakou, and Kéran National Park.
It is listed in the least developed country group. It serves as a regional commercial and trade centre. The government's decade-long efforts supported by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to carry out economic reforms, to encourage investments, and to create the balance between income and consumption has stalled. Political unrest, including private and public sector strikes throughout 1992 and 1993, jeopardized the reform program, shrank the tax base, and disrupted economic activities in the country. Togo was ranked 117th in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.
It imports machinery, equipment, petroleum products, and food. Its main import partners are France (21.1%), the Netherlands (12.1%), Côte d'Ivoire (5.9%), Germany (4.6%), Italy (4.4%), South Africa (4.3%) and China (4.1%). The main exports are Cocoa bean, coffee, re-export of goods, phosphates and cotton. "Major export partners" are Burkina Faso (16.6%), China (15.4%), the Netherlands (13%), Benin (9.6%) and Mali (7.4%).
In terms of structural reforms, it has made progress in the liberalization of the economy, namely in the fields of trade and port activities. The privatization program of the cotton sector, telecommunications and water supply has stalled.
On 12 January 1994, the devaluation of the currency by 50% provided an impetus to renewed structural adjustment; these efforts were facilitated by the end of strife in 1994 and a return to overt political calm. Progress depends on increased openness in government financial operations (to accommodate increased social service outlays) and possible downsizing of the armed forces, on which the regime has depended to stay in place. Lack of aid and depressed cocoa prices generated a 1% fall in GDP in 1998, with growth resuming in 1999. Togo is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).
Agriculture is the "backbone" of the economy. A shortage of funds for the purchase of irrigation equipment and fertilizers has reduced agricultural output. Agriculture generated 28.2% of GDP in 2012 and employed 49% of the working population in 2010. The country is essentially self-sufficient in food production. Livestock production is dominated by cattle breeding.
Mining generated about 33.9% of GDP in 2012 and employed 12% of the population in 2010. Togo's gold production in 2015 is 16 metric tons. Togo has the fourth-largest phosphate deposits in the world. Their production is 2.1 million tons per year. There are reserves of limestone, marble and salt. Industry provides 20.4% of Togo's national income, as it consists of light industries and builders. Some reserves of limestone allow Togo to produce cement.
The primary arterial routes include a paved highway extending northward from the capital city, Lomé, to the Burkina Faso border, and another running east–west along the coast, linking Lomé to neighboring Benin and Ghana. These corridors are integral to regional connectivity and are part of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway system, which aims to enhance trade and movement across nations.
In response to these issues, Togo has embarked on initiatives to modernize its road transport sector. With support from the World Bank and guidance from the International Road Transport Union, the Togolese government has introduced new transport legislation aimed at formalizing and professionalizing the industry. This legal framework seeks to improve the efficiency and safety of road transport, addressing longstanding infrastructural and operational challenges.
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Other cities in Togo according to the new census were Sokodé (95,070), Kara (94,878), Kpalimé (75,084), Atakpamé (69,261), Dapaong (58,071) and Tsévié (54,474). With an estimated population of (), Togo is the 107th largest country by population. Most of the population (65%) live in rural villages dedicated to agriculture or pastures. The population of Togo shows a stronger growth: from 1961 (the year after independence) to 2003 it quintupled.
Adélé settlements are known for their distinctive round, windowless houses with thatched roofs supported by external wooden posts. The village of Dibemkpa still holds numerous archaeological remains and is considered key for understanding the group’s historical or mythical origins.
Over time, several groups joined this area. The first Ewe migrants, led by a figure named Aké or Eké, arrived in the late 18th century, settling near Lonfo and spreading into villages such as Vé and Kougnohou. A second wave of Ewe migrants in the late 19th century founded Djakpodji, which gave rise to other settlements. Additional groups included the Anyanga, who settled after conflicts in the plains, and the Ntribou, who fled Ashanti raids to find refuge in Akebou lands.
To organize these diverse communities, a central chieftaincy was established at Lonfo, creating a unique political center in what had been an acephalous society. Lonfo’s dry hilltop site and stone-walled palace, unlike the forested villages around it, symbolized a place reserved for leadership rather than everyday settlement. Oral accounts recall three successive chiefs, culminating in the reign of Akountsou, whose rule ended the system amid local resistance.
Archaeological remains of Lonfo’s stone structures still stand today, and libations are made in memory of the chiefs. The plii (chief) held significant ritual authority, separate from religious sanctuaries maintained by older villages. Despite the centralized role, each group retained its distinct identity and village territory within Akébou society.
Conflicts with neighboring Ashanti and occasional disputes with Akposso communities marked parts of Akébou history. The introduction of firearms, possibly linked to coastal trade, may have reinforced the power of Lonfo’s leadership during regional conflicts.
In Togo, the Ntrubo coexist closely with the Adele, speaking both Delo, their own language, and the Adele language. Delo belongs to the Tem language group, which includes Tem (Kotokoli), Kabiye, Bago, and Lamba. This connection is linguistically puzzling because the Ntrubo are geographically isolated from other Tem speakers, suggesting that the region once formed a more continuous mountain settlement zone before later ethnic reshaping.
Local genealogies trace the Diguinge community to an ancestor named Boisa, whose descendants spread across multiple villages. Abosomkope, by contrast, traces its origins to Gounou, a neighbor of Boisa, with settlement movements linked to the early rubber trade promoted by the Germans.
Historical evidence suggests that the Ntrubo once formed part of an extensive mountain settlement area stretching from the Lamba in the north to the Adele in the south. Over time, migrations and the arrival of other groups—such as the Adele and Anyanga—have made the Ntribou a linguistic and cultural frontier at the southern edge of the Tem-speaking region.
According to oral accounts, the ancestor Ida founded Agbogboli, a fortified hilltop site between the Logbo and Haito mountains. From there, the Akposso moved westward to Akposso-Koubi in present-day Ghana, where they reportedly resisted expansionist neighbors like the Akwamu in the 17th century. Subsequent migrations spread eastward into today’s Akposso Plateau through multiple waves and lineages.
The Akposso society consists of several major groups, including the Litime, Ouwui, Ikponou, Logbo, and Ouma, each with its own villages. Linguistically, the Akposso speak Akposso, classified by early scholars in the Avatime-Bouem group. Contacts with neighboring peoples have shaped distinct dialects: Ikposso, Logbo, and Ikpana, with additional Ewe and Ashanti influences.
Politically, traditional Akposso communities were decentralized, governed by village elders whose authority was primarily ritual. There was no overarching chiefdom until the colonial era introduced the role of awli (supreme chief). Despite this, they maintained a strong cultural cohesion through shared religious practices, notably the cult of the deity Kolissa, guardian of agricultural rites like the fonio harvest festival known today as Ovazau.
Their society is structured around three main clans (Boloè, Bougli, Bonoè) plus the Issassoumè, who are recognized as the original landowners. Political power is shared: the Boloè hold the chieftaincy, the Bonoè manage regalia, and the Bougli provide warriors. The Issassoumè alone grant the sacred clay used in chief installation rituals.
Religious life centers on the Danyi River and the Odo sanctuary at Inénébia. Despite Ewe influence, the Bogo remain culturally distinct and keep their Igo language alive.
In 2023, The World Factbook stated that 42.3% of the population was Christian and 14% Muslim, with 36.9% being followers of indigenous beliefs, less than one percent being Hindus, Jews, and followers of other religions, and 6.2% being Irreligion.
Christianity began to spread from the middle of the 15th century, after the arrival of Portuguese Roman Catholic missionaries. Germans introduced Protestantism in the second half of the 19th century when a hundred missionaries of the Bremen Missionary Society were sent to the coastal areas of Togo and Ghana. Togo's Protestants were known as "Brema", a corruption of the word "Bremen". After World War I, German missionaries had to leave, which gave birth to the early autonomy of the Ewe Evangelical Church. (1996). 9780810830738, Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810830738
In 2022, Freedom House rated Togo's religious freedom as 3 out of 4, noting that religious freedom is constitutionally protected and generally respected in practice. Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism are recognised by the state; other groups must register as religious associations to receive similar benefits. The registration process has been subject to long delays with almost 900 applications pending at the beginning of 2021.
Though not native to most groups, French is used in formal education, legislature, all forms of media, administration and commerce. Ewe is a language of wider communication in the south. Tem language functions to a limited extent as a trade language in some northern towns. Officially, Ewe and Kabiye are "national languages", which in the Togolese context means languages that are promoted in formal education and used in the media. Others are Gen, Aja, Moba, Ntcham, and Ife. In joining the Commonwealth, the Togolese government has anticipated opportunities for Togolese citizens to learn English.
Health expenditure in Togo was 5.2% of GDP in 2014, which ranks the country in 45th place in the world. The infant mortality rate is approximately 43.7 deaths per 1,000 children in 2016. Male life expectancy at birth was at 62.3 in 2016, whereas it was at 67.7 years for females. There were 5 physicians per 100,000 people in 2008 According to a 2013 UNICEF report, UNICEF 2013 , p. 27. 4% of women in Togo have undergone female genital mutilation.
, the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Togo is 368, compared with 350 in 2010 and 539.7 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate per 1,000 births is 100, and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 32. In Togo the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 2 and the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women is 1 in 67. Accessed August 2011.
In 2016, Togo had 4100 (2400–6100) new HIV infections and 5100 (3100–7700) AIDS-related deaths. There were 100,000 (73,000-130,000) people living with HIV in 2016, among whom 51% (37-67%) were accessing antiretroviral therapy. Among pregnant women living with HIV, 86% (59% - >95%) were accessing treatment or prophylaxis to prevent transmission of HIV to their children. An estimated <1000 (<500-1400) children were newly infected with HIV due to mother-to-child transmission. Among people living with HIV, approximately 42% (30-55%) had suppressed viral loads.
AFD is working to enhance living conditions in Lomé, the coastal city with a population of 1.4 million, by modernizing Waste management The project involves enhancing garbage collection through the construction of a new landfill that meets international standards.
In 2024, a Universal Health Insurance program was launched, covering 800,000 people within six months and implemented through the National Social Security Fund and the National Health Insurance Institute.
Among Ewe communities, twin statuettes known as venavi (and hohovi among the Fon) venerate and memorialize twins; the Yoruba counterpart is the ère ìbejì (ibeji). In the Kloto/Kpalimé carving tradition, artisans are noted for "marriage chains" linking two figures with rings carved from a single block of wood. Picture
Weaving traditions are also prominent in Togo (e.g., the Bafilo weaving centre), with ceremonial garments produced by local artisans. Beyond weaving, wax-print cloth (pagne) is central to dress and social life in Togo: Togolese women traders, known as Nana Benz, shaped the design and circulation of these textiles, which function as valued attire for ceremonies and markers of taste and status in colonial and postcolonial contexts.
Basketball is Togo's "second most practiced sport". Togo featured a national team in beach volleyball that competed at the 2018–2020 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in the men's section.
Mass media in Togo includes radio, television, and online and print formats. The news agency began in 1975. The Union des Journalistes Independants du Togo press association is headquartered in Lomé. Togolese Television is the state-owned service.
See also
Notes
Further reading
Théodore Gayibor (1997). 9782811104818, Éditions Karthala Presses de l'UL, Université de Lome. ISBN 9782811104818
External links
Categories: Official Website, 1960 Establishments In Africa, 1960 Establishments In Togo, Countries In Africa, Economic Community Of West African States, Former German Colonies, Countries And Territories Where French Is An Official Language, Least Developed Countries, Member States Of The African Union, Member States Of The Commonwealth Of Nations, Member States Of The Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation, Member States Of The United Nations, Republics, Republics In The Commonwealth Of Nations, States And Territories Established In 1960, Countries In West Africa
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