Discovering the World
Togo 🇹🇬
Basic facts
Official name: République togolaise (Togolese Republic)
Capital city: Lomé
Population: 9.5 million (2024)
Demonym: Togolese
Type of government: unitary parliamentary republic
Head of state: Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové (President)
Head of government: Faure Gnassingbé (Prime Minister)
Gross domestic product (purchasing power parity): $33 billion (2025)
Gini coefficient of wealth inequality: 43.1% (medium) (2015)
Human Development Index: 0.571 (medium) (2023)
Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
Fun fact: Togo has the largest market in West Africa.
Etymology
The country’s name comes from the Ewe language and means “behind the river”.
Geography
Togo is located in West Africa and borders Burkina Faso to the north, Benin to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and Ghana to the west.
There are two climates: dry-winter tropical savanna in part of the west and tropical monsoon in the rest. Temperatures range from 17.2 °C (63 °F) in winter to 39.1 °C (102.4 °F) in summer. The average annual temperature is 27 °C (80.6 °F).
The country is divided into five regions (régions), which are further divided into 39 prefectures (préfectures). The largest cities in Togo are Lomé, Sokodé, Kara, Kpalimé, and Atakpamé.
History
15th-18th centuries: Kingdom of Notsé
1471: Portuguese arrival
1670-1902: Asante Empire
1884-1914: Togoland Protectorate
1916-1956: Territory of British Togoland
1916-1960: Territory of (French) Togoland
1960-present: Togolese Republic
1963: coup d’état
1967: coup d’état
Economy
Togo mainly imports from China, Belgium, and the Netherlands and exports to Benin, Burkina Faso, and India. Its top exports are cotton and phosphates.
It is self-sufficient in food crops. Services represent 50.3% of the GDP, followed by agriculture (28.1%) and industry (21.6%).
Togo is a member of the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Economic Community of West African States, la Francophonie, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Demographics
The Ewe are the largest ethnic group (32%), followed by the Kabye and Tem (22%), and Akan and Gurma (17.1%). The main religion is Christianity, practiced by 47.8% of the population, 28% of which are Catholic.
It has a negative net migration rate and a fertility rate of 4.2 children per woman. 44% of the population lives in urban areas. Life expectancy is 71.3 years and the median age is 19.1 years. The literacy rate is 72.6%.
Languages
The official language of the country is French. Ewe and Kabiye are the national languages.
Culture
Marriage chains, two figures with rings carved from a single block of wood, are a traditional art form.
Men traditionally wear a loose-fitting tunic (boubou) and a cylindrical cap (fez). Women wear a blouse and a wrap-around skirt (pagne).
Architecture
Traditional houses in Togo look like castles because they have small towers and are made of thatched grass.
Cuisine
The Togolese diet is based on beans, fish, rice, and vegetables. Typical dishes include ablo (steamed sweet maize pancake), déssi hé (white sauce with fish and vegetables), koklo meme (grilled chicken with chili sauce), kom (fermented balls of dough wrapped in corn husks and served with fried fish), and palm nut soup.
Holidays and festivals
Like other Christian and Muslim countries, Togo celebrates Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Assumption Day, All Saints’ Day, Christmas Day, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. It also commemorates New Year’s Day and Labor Day.
Specific Togolese holidays include Liberation Day on January 13 and Martyrs’ Day on June 21.
Martyr’s Day
Other celebrations include Agbogbozan, when Ewe people return home to reinforce their bonds, Evala, when young men participate in wrestling competitions to mark their passage into adulthood, and the Kpessosso Festival, which includes parades and music.
Evala
Landmarks
There is one UNESCO World Heritage Site: Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba.
Other landmarks include the Fazao Malfakassa National Park, the Fosse aux Lions National Park, the Lomé Palace, the Monument to Independence, and the Viale Castle.
Fosse aux Lions National Park
Famous people
Adzo Rebecca Kpossi - swimmer
Camih Gantin - model
Claire Ayivon - rower
Emmanuel Adebayor - soccer player
King Mensah - singer
Komi Moreira - cyclist
Kossi Efoui - playwright
Jeannette D. Ahonsou - writer
Jimi Hope - painter, sculptor, and singer
Sika Foyer - artist
Camih Gantin
You can find out more about life in Togo in this article and this video.
