About Togo
Some Basic Facts About Togo:
- More than 6 million people
- Median age is 18 years old
- 37 ethnic groups
- Slightly smaller than West Virginia
- Religion: Indigenous beliefs (51%), “Christianity” (29%), Islam (20%)
- Roads are very poor or non-existent
Political History:
French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe Eyadema, installed as military ruler in 1967, continued to rule well into the 21st century. Upon his death in February 2005, President Eyadema was succeeded by his son Faure Gnassingbe.
Economic 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.
Adapted from: CIA World Factbook
Other Facts About Togo:
- Togo qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. In a country with little cause for unity, the country united as Togolese to support their football team.
- Togo was declared a German protectorate in 1884; authority was transferred to France following World War 1; Togo gained independence in 1960.