Togo

Togo,officially theTogolese Republic,is a country inWest Africa. It is bordered byGhanatothe west,Benintothe eastandBurkina Fasotothe north.It is one of theleast developed countriesand extends south to theGulf of Guinea, where itscapital,Lomé, is located.It is a small, tropical country, spanning 57,000 square kilometres (22,000 square miles)with apopulationof approximately 8 million,and it has a width of less than 115 km (71 mi) betweenGhanaand its eastern neighbour 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 aEuropeanslave trading outpost, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "TheSlave Coast". In 1884,Germanydeclared a region including a protectorate calledTogoland. AfterWorld War I, rule over Togo was transferred toFrance. Togo gained independence from France in 1960.In 1967,Gnassingbé Eyadémaled asuccessful military coup d'étatand 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 modernAfricanhistory", having been president for 38 years.In 2005, his sonFaure Gnassingbéwas elected president.
Togo is atropical,sub-Saharannationwhose economy depends mostly on agriculture.The official language is French,but other languages are spoken, particularly those of theGbe family. 47.8% of the population adhere toChristianity, making it the largest religion in the country.Togo is a member of theUnited Nations,African Union,Organisation of Islamic Cooperation,South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone,Francophonie,Commonwealth of Nations, andEconomic Community of West African States.
Archaeologicalfinds indicate that tribes were able to producepotteryand processiron. The name Togo is translated from theEwe languageas "behind the river". During the period from the 11th century to the 16th century, tribes entered the region: theEwéfrom the west, and theMinaandGunfrom the east. Most of them settled in coastal areas. TheAtlantic slave tradebegan in the 16th century, and for the next two hundred years the coastal region was a trading centre for Europeans in search of slaves, earning Togo and the surrounding region the name "TheSlave Coast".
In 1884, a paper was signed atTogovillewith King Mlapa III, whereby Germany claimed aprotectorateover a stretch of territory along the coast and gradually extended its control inland. Its borders were defined after the capture of hinterland by German forces and signing agreements with France and Britain. In 1905, this became the German colony ofTogoland. The local population wasforced to work, cultivate cotton, coffee, and cocoa and pay taxes. Arailwayand the port ofLoméwere built for export of agricultural products. The Germans introduced techniques of cultivation ofcocoa,coffeeandcottonand developed the infrastructure.
During theFirst World War, Togoland was invaded byBritainand France, proclaiming the Anglo-French condominium. The Togoland Campaign involved the successfulFrenchandBritishinvasion of the German colony of Togoland during theWest African Campaignof the First World War. Following theAlliedinvasion 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 ofBritish TogolandandFrench Togoland. On 20 July 1922, Great Britain received theLeague of Nationsmandate 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.
AfterWorld War II, these mandates becameUN Trust Territories. The residents of British Togolandvotedto join theGold Coastas part of the independent nation ofGhanain 1957. French Togoland became an autonomous republic within theFrench Unionin 1959, while France retained the right to control defence, foreign relations, and finances.
The Togolese Republic was proclaimed on 27 April 1960. In thefirst presidential electionsin 1961,Sylvanus Olympiobecame the first president, gaining 100% of the vote in elections boycotted by the opposition. On 9 April 1961, the Constitution of the Togolese Republic was adopted, according to which the supreme legislative body was theNational Assembly of Togo.In December 1961, leaders of opposition parties were arrested because they were accused of the preparation of an anti-government conspiracy. A decree was issued on the dissolution of the opposition parties. Olympio tried to reduce dependence on France by establishing cooperation with the United States, United Kingdom, andWest Germany. He rejected the efforts of French soldiers who were demobilized after theAlgerian Warand tried to get a position in the Togolese army. These factors eventually led to a military coup on 13 January 1963 during which he wasassassinatedby a group of soldiers under the direction of SergeantGnassingbé Eyadéma.A state of emergency was declared in Togo. The military handed over power to an interim government led byNicolas Grunitzky. In May 1963, Grunitzky was elected President of the Republic. The new leadership pursued a policy of developing relations with France. His main aim was to dampen the divisions between north and south, promulgate a new constitution, and introduce a multiparty system.
On 13 January 1967, Eyadéma Gnassingbé overthrew Grunitzky in a bloodless coup and assumed the presidency.He created theRally of the Togolese People Party, banned activities of other political parties and introduced a 1-party system in November 1969. He was reelected in 1979 and 1986. In 1983, theprivatizationprogram launched and in 1991 other political parties were allowed. In 1993, EU froze the partnership, describing Eyadema's re-election in 1993, 1998 and 2003, as a seizure of power. In April 2004, in Brussels, talks were held between theEuropean Unionand Togo on the resumption of cooperation.
Eyadéma Gnassingbé died on Saturday, 5 February 2005. The military's installation of his son,Faure Gnassingbé,as president provoked international condemnation, except from France. Some "democratically elected" African leaders such asAbdoulaye WadeofSenegalandOlusegun ObasanjoofNigeriasupported the move, thereby creating a rift within theAfrican Union.Gnassingbé left power and held elections, which he won two months later. The opposition declared that the election results were fraudulent. The events of 2005 led to questions regarding the government's commitment todemocracythat had been made in an attempt to normalize relations with EU which cut offaidin 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 the2008 Summer OlympicsinBeijingwhenBenjamin Boukpetiwon bronze in theK-1 slalom.
In 2017, anti-government protests erupted. UN condemned the resulting crackdown by security forces, andGambia'sforeign minister,Ousainou Darboe, had to issue a correction after saying that Gnassingbé should resign.
In the February 2020 presidential elections,Faure Gnassingbéwon 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, the former prime ministerAgbeyome Kodjowho had 18%.On 4 May 2020, Bitala Madjoulba, the commander of a Togolese military battalion, was found dead in his office. The day of Madjoulba's death came after the re-electedFaure Gnassingbéwas 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.'
Togo joined theCommonwealthin June 2022.Prior to its admission at the2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Foreign MinisterRobert Dusseysaid that he expected Commonwealth membership to provide new export markets, funding for development projects and opportunities for Togolese citizens to learn English and access new educational and cultural resources.
The president is elected by universal and direct suffrage for five years, and is the commander of thearmed forcesand has the right to initiate legislation and dissolveparliament. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. The head of government is the Prime Minister who is appointed by the president.
PresidentGnassingbé Eyadéma, who 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), orTogolese 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 militarycoup d'état.International pressure also came from theUnited Nations. Within Togo, opposition to the takeoverculminated in riotsin 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 ofAnéhoreports of a general civilian uprising followed by a massacre by government troops. In response, Faure Gnassingbé agreed to holdelectionsand 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 beenEmmanuel Bob-Akitanifrom theUnion des Forces du Changement(UFC). Electoral fraud was suspected due to a lack of European Union or other independent oversight.Parliament designated Deputy President,Bonfoh Abbass, as interim president until the inauguration.On 3 May 2005,Faure Gnassingbéwas 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 formerZambianpresident,Kenneth Kaunda, as special AU envoy to Togo.In June, President Gnassingbé named opposition leaderEdem Kodjoas 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 partyRally 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 2007Komlan Mallyof RPT was appointed to prime minister succeeding Agboyibor. On 5 September 2008, Mally resigned as prime minister of Togo.
Faure Gnassingbéwon re-election in the March 2010 presidential election, taking 61% of the vote againstJean-Pierre Fabrefrom 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.Periodicprotests against Faure Gnassingbéfollowed the election.In May 2010, opposition leaderGilchrist Olympioannounced 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, President Faure Gnassingbé was re-elected for a third term.In February 2020, Faure 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, meaning it is Africa's longest lasting dynasty.
In March 2024, President Faure Gnassingbé presented a new constitution. One of the constitutional changes in the new constitution has Togo go from being under apresidential systemto being under aparliamentary one, as well as weakening the power of the president, it becoming a mostly ceremonial role, strengthening the power of parliament, and strengthening the power ofprime ministerand renaming the office "President of the Council of Ministers" (French: Président du Conseil des Ministres). The term of the new office will be six years, renewable indefinitely, whereas the term of the president is lowered to four from the previous five, renewable once. In April 2024, the Togolese parliament voted in favour of the new constitution and the new constitution was officially adopted on 6 May 2024.
Togo is divided into 5 regions which are subdivided in turn into 39prefectures. From north to south the regions areSavanes,Kara,Centrale,PlateauxandMaritime.
While Togo's foreign policy is nonaligned, it has historical and cultural ties with western Europe, especially France and Germany. Togo recognizes the People's Republic of China,North Korea, andCuba. It re-established relations with Israel in 1987. Togo pursues an active foreign policy and participates in international organizations. It is particularly active inWest Africanregional affairs and in theAfrican Union.
In 2017, Togo signed the UNtreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.Togo joined theCommonwealth of Nations, along withGabon, at the2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government MeetinginKigali, Rwanda.In joining the Commonwealth, Foreign MinisterRobert DusseytoldReuters,the country sought to expand its "diplomatic, political and economic network" and to "forge closer ties with theanglophone world."
FAT (Forces armées togolaises, "Togolese armed forces"), consists of the army, navy, air force, andgendarmerie. Total military expenditures during thefiscal yearof 2005 totalled 1.6% of the country'sGDP.Military bases exist inLomé, Temedja,Kara,Niamtougou, andDapaong.The current Chief of theGeneral Staffis Brigadier General Titikpina Atcha Mohamed, who took office on 19 May 2009.The air force is equipped withAlpha jets.
Togo was labelled "Not Free" byFreedom Housefrom 1972 to 1998 and from 2002 to 2006, and has been categorized as "Partly Free" from 1999 to 2001 and from 2007. According to aU.S. State Departmentreport based on conditions in 2010, human rights problems include "security force use of excessive force, includingtorture, which resulted in deaths and injuries; official impunity; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrests and detention; lengthy pretrial detention; executive influence over the judiciary; infringement of citizens' privacy rights; restrictions onfreedoms of press,assembly, and movement; official corruption; discrimination and violence against women; child abuse, includingfemale genital mutilation(FGM), and sexual exploitation of children; regional and ethnic discrimination; trafficking in persons, especially women and children; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities; official and societal discrimination against homosexual persons; societal discrimination against persons withHIV; and forced labour, including by children."Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Togo,with a penalty of one to three years imprisonment.
It has an area equal to 56,785 km(21,925 sq mi). It borders theBight of Beninin the south;Ghanalies to the west;Beninto the east; and to the north, it is bound byBurkina Faso. North of the equator, it lies mostly between latitudes6°and11°N, and longitudes0°and2°E.
The coast of Togo in theGulf of Guineais 56 km (35 miles) long and consists of lagoons with sandy beaches. In the north, the land is characterized by a rollingsavannain contrast to the centre of the country, which is characterized by hills. The south of Togo is characterized by asavanna and woodland plateauwhich reaches a coastal plain with lagoons and marshes. The highest mountain of the country is theMont Agouat 986 metres (3235') above sea level. The longestriveris theMono Riverwith a length of 400 km (250 miles). It runs from north to south.
The climate is "generally tropical"with average temperatures ranging from 23 °C (73 °F) on the coast to about 30 °C (86 °F) in the northernmost regions, with a drier climate and characteristics of atropical savanna.
Togo contains three terrestrial ecoregions:Eastern Guinean forests,Guinean forest-savanna mosaic, andWest Sudanian savanna.The coast of Togo is characterized bymarshesandmangroves. The country had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean 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,andKéran National Park.
The country possessesphosphatedepositsand an export sector based on agricultural products such ascoffee,cocoa bean, andpeanuts(groundnuts), which together generate roughly 30% of export earnings.Cotton is a cash crop.The fertile land occupies 11.3% of the country, most of which is developed. Some crops arecassava,jasmine rice,maizeandmillet. Some other sectors arebreweryand thetextileindustry. Low market prices for Togo's major export commodities coupled with the volatile political situation of the 1990s and 2000s had a negative effect on the economy.
It is listed in theleast developed countrygroup. It serves as a regional commercial and trade centre. The government's decade-long efforts supported by theWorld Bankand theInternational 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 theGlobal Innovation Indexin 2024.
It importsmachinery, equipment,petroleumproducts, 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 arecocoa,coffee, re-export of goods,phosphatesandcotton. "Major export partners" areBurkina Faso(16.6%), China (15.4%), the Netherlands (13%),Benin(9.6%) andMali(7.4%).
In terms of structural reforms, it has made progress in theliberalizationof the economy, namely in the fields oftradeand port activities. The privatization program of the cotton sector,telecommunicationsand 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 thearmed 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 theOrganization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa(OHADA).
Agricultureis the "backbone" of the economy.A shortage of funds for the purchase ofirrigationequipment andfertilizershas reduced agricultural output. Agriculture generated 28.2% ofGDPin 2012 and employed 49% of the working population in 2010. The country is essentiallyself-sufficientin food production.Livestockproduction is dominated bycattle breeding.
Mininggenerated 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-largestphosphatedeposits in the world. Their production is 2.1 million tons per year. There are reserves oflimestone,marbleandsalt. Industry provides 20.4% of Togo's national income, as it consists of light industries and builders. Some reserves of limestone allows Togo to producecement.
Togo has a road network of 7,520 km (4,670 mi) as of 2000, with no updated data as of 2023. It has only two major highways, Highway N1 and N2, connecting the capital, Lomé with the city ofDapaong, where it gets diverged northwards toBurkina Fasoand from there north-west toMali, and north-east toNiger. N1 is the longest highway of Togo, at a length of 613 km (381 mi). N2 connects Lomé withAneho. The extension of N2 is Highway RNIE1, or theTrans–West African Coastal Highway, from Aneho toCotonouinBenin. Other roads and highways are local and regional roads in the rest of the country, also passing through borders with the neighbouring countries. The Trans–West African Coastal Highway crosses Togo, connecting it toBeninandNigeriato the east, andGhanaandIvory Coastto the west. Once the construction inLiberiaandSierra Leonepart gets completed, the highway will continue west to seven otherEconomic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) nations.
Togo has a railway network of 568 km (353 mi) as of 2008, with no further updates in the network as of 2023. It follows atrack gaugeof 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) (narrow gauge) Trains are operated bySociété Nationale des Chemins de Fer Togolais(SNCT), which was established as a result of the restructuring and renaming ofRéseau des Chemins de Fer du Togofrom 1997 to 1998.Between Hahotoé and the port of Kpémé, theCompagnie Togolaise des Mines du Bénin(CTMB) operated phosphate trains.
The following are the railway networks present in the country:
Togo has a total of eight airports, as of 2012, out of which two areinternational airportsand six aredomestic airports. The only major airport of the country isLomé–Tokoin International Airportserving the capital, Lomé, and anotherNiamtougou International AirportinNiamtougou, serving the country's northern part.
Togo, in terms of water transport, is only 50 km (31 mi) navigable, mostly seasonally on theMono River, depending on rainfall, as of 2011. Togo has only one large container port for carrying trade operations in and out of the country, the Port of Lomé, in the capital.
The November 2010 census gave Togo a population of 6,191,155, more than double the total counted in the last census; in 2022 the Togo population was 8,680,832.That census, taken in 1981, showed the nation had a population of 2,719,567. The capital, Lomé, grew from 375,499 in 1981 to 837,437 in 2010. When the urban population of surrounding Golfe prefecture is added, the Lomé Agglomeration contained 1,477,660 residents in 2010.
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 8,644,829 (as of 2021), 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.
In Togo, there are about 40 different ethnic groups, the most numerous of which are theEwein the south who make up 32% of the population. Along the southern coastline, they account for 21% of the population. Also found areKotokoli or TemandTchambain the centre and theKabye peoplein the north (22%). TheOuatchis[fr]are 14% of the population. Sometimes the Ewes and Ouatchis are considered the same, while the French who studied both groups considered them different people.Other ethnic groups include the Mina,Mossi, the Moba and Bassar, the Tchokossi of Mango (about 8%).
According to a 2012 US government religious freedoms report, in 2004 the University of Lomé estimated that 33% of the population were traditional animists, 28% were Roman Catholic, 20% Sunni Muslim, 9% Protestant and another 5% belonged to other Christian denominations. The remaining 5% were reported to include persons not affiliated with any religious group. The report noted that "many" Christians and Muslims continue to perform indigenous religious practices.
In 2023,The World Factbookstated that 42.3% of the population was Christian and 14% Muslim, with 36.9% being followers of indigenous beliefs, less than one percent beingHindus,Jews, and followers of other religions, and 6.2% beingunaffiliated.
Christianitybegan to spread from the middle of the 15th century, after the arrival of PortugueseCatholicmissionaries. Germans introducedProtestantismin 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". AfterWorld War I, German missionaries had to leave, which gave birth to the early autonomy of theEwe Evangelical Church.
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.
According to Ethnologue, 39 distinct languages are spoken in the country, some of them by communities that number fewer than 100,000 members.Of the 39 languages, the soleofficial languageis French.Two spoken indigenous languages were designated politically asnational languagesin 1975:Ewé(Ewe:Èʋegbe;French:Evé) andKabiyé.
Though not native to most groups, French is used in formal education, legislature, all forms of media,administrationand commerce. Ewe is a language of wider communication in the south.Temfunctions 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.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiativefinds that Togo is fulfilling 73.1% of what it should be fulfilling for the right to health based on its level of income.When looking at the right to health with respect to children, Togo achieves 93.8% of what is expected based on its current income.In regards to the right to health amongst the adult population, the country achieves 88.2% of what is expected based on the nation's level of income.It falls into the "very bad" category when evaluating the right to reproductive health because the nation is fulfilling 37.3% of what the nation is expected to achieve based on the resources (income) it has available.
Health expenditure in Togo was 5.2% of GDP in 2014, which ranks the country in 45th place in the world.Theinfant mortalityrate is approximately 43.7 deaths per 1,000 children in 2016.Malelife expectancy at birthwas at 62.3 in 2016, whereas it was at 67.7 years for females.There were 5 physicians per 100,000 people in 2008According to a 2013 UNICEF report,4% of women in Togo have undergonefemale genital mutilation.
As of 2015, 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.
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.
AFDis working to enhance living conditions inLomé, the coastal city with a population of 1.4 million, by modernizingsolid waste management services.The project involves enhancing garbage collection through the construction of a newlandfillthat 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.
Education in Togois compulsory for six years.In 1996, the gross primary enrollment rate was 119.6%, and the net primary enrollment rate was 81.3%.In 2011, the net enrollment rate was 94%. The education system has "suffered from teacher shortages, lower educational quality in rural areas, and high repetition and dropout rates".
The culture reflects the influences of ethnic groups, the largest of which are theEwe,Mina, Tem, Tchamba andKabre. Some people follow nativeanimisticpractices and beliefs.
Ewe statuary is characterized by itsstatuetteswhich illustrate the worship of theibeji. Sculptures and hunting trophies were used rather than the "more ubiquitous" African masks. The wood-carvers ofKlotohas their "chains of marriage": Two characters are connected by rings whittled from one piece of wood.
The dyed fabricbatiksof the artisanal centre of Kloto represent stylized and coloured scenes of ancient everyday life. There are loincloths used in the ceremonies of the weavers of Assahoun. Works of the painter Sokey Edorh are inspired by the "immense arid extents, swept by the dry wind", and where the soil keeps the prints of the men and the animals. The plastics technicianPaul Ahyipracticed the "zota", a kind of pyroengraving, and his monumental achievements decorateLomé.
Basketballis Togo's "second most practiced sport".Togo featured a national team inbeach volleyballthat competed at the2018–2020 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cupin the men's section.
Mass media in Togoincludes radio, television, and online and print formats. TheAgence Togolaise de Presse[fr]news agency began in 1975.The Union des Journalistes Independants du Togo press association is headquartered in Lomé.Togolese Televisionis the state-owned service.
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