Togo - History, Geography, Administrative divisions, Economy, Religion, Politics, Culture and sport
Local name République Togolaise (French)
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République Togolaise Togolese Republic |
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Motto: "Travail, Liberté, Patrie" (French) "Work, Liberty, Homeland" |
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Anthem: Salut à toi, pays de nos aïeux (French) "Hail to thee, land of our forefathers" |
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| Capital |
Lomé 6°7′N 1°13′E |
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| Largest city | Lomé | ||||
| Official language | French | ||||
| Government | Republic | ||||
| - President | Faure Gnassingbé | ||||
| - Prime Minister | Yawovi Agboyibo | ||||
| Independence | |||||
| - from France | April 27, 1960 | ||||
| Area | |||||
| - Total |
56,785 km² (125th) 21,925 sq mi |
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| - Water (%) | 4.2 | ||||
| Population | |||||
| - July 2005 estimate | 6.1 million (102th1) | ||||
| - Density |
108/km² (93rd2) 280/sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate | ||||
| - Total | $8.965 billion (144th1) | ||||
| - Per capita | $1,700 (193rd1) | ||||
| HDI (2003) | 0.512 (medium) (143rd) | ||||
| Currency | CFA franc (XOF) | ||||
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) | ||||
| Internet TLD | .tg | ||||
| Calling code | +228 | ||||
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1 Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; Rankings based on 2005 figures CIA World Factbook - Togo 2 Rankings based on 2005 figures (source unknown) |
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Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa bordering Ghana in the west, Benin in the east and Burkina Faso in the north.
History
Western history does not record what happened in Togo before the Portuguese arrived in the late fifteenth century. For the next two hundred years, the coastal region was a major raiding center for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "The Slave Coast."
Gnassingbe Eyadema died in early 2005 after thirty-eight years in power, as Africa's longest sitting dictator.
Geography
Togo is a small, thin sub-Saharan nation.
In the north the land is characterized by a gently rolling savannah in contrast to the center of the country, which is characterized by hills. The land size is 21,925 square miles (56,785 km²), with an average population density of 253 people per square mile (98/km²).in 1914 it changed from togoland to togo
Administrative divisions
Togo is divided into five regions, which are subdivided in turn into twenty-three prefectures.
Economy
Togo's small sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force.
Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center.
Religion
According to the CIA Factbook, 51% of the Togolese people follow indigenous African beliefs.
In addition to following local animist beliefs, most people identify themselves as either Christian or Muslim.
Politics
Togo's transition to democracy is stalled. President Eyadéma, who ruled Togo under a one-party system for nearly twenty-five of his thirty-seven years in power, died of a heart attack on February 5, 2005. The constitution of Togo declared that in the case of the president's death, the speaker of Parliament takes his place, and has sixty days to call new elections.
The African Union described the takeover as a military coup d'état. On April 24, 2005, Gnassingbé was elected president of Togo, receiving over 60% of the vote according to official results.
Current political situation
On May 3, 2005, Gnassingbé was sworn in as the new president garnering 60% of the vote according to official results. The Nigerian president and Chair of the AU, Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ, has sought to negotiate between the incumbent government and the opposition to establish a coalition government, but rejected an AU Commission appointment of former Zambian president, Kenneth Kaunda, as special AU envoy to Togo ( and ).
As of April 2006 reconciliation talks between the government and the opposition are in progress;
Culture and sport
See also: Music of TogoTogo's culture reflects the influences of its thirty-seven tribal ethnic groups, the largest and most influential of which are the Ewe, Mina, and Kabre.
Football
As in much of Africa, football is the most popular sporting pursuit. Until 2006, Togo was very much a minor force in world football, but like fellow West African nations such as Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon before them, the Togolese national team finally qualified for the World Cup. Photo of the team
Togo's 2006 World Cup appearance was marred by a dispute over financial bonuses, a situation that almost led to the team boycotting their match against Switzerland.
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