Togo Overview
Togo is located in West Africa and borders Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso. The country also has a short coastal strip towards the Gulf of Guinea, where the capital Lomé is located.
| Capital: | Lomé |
| Biggest city: | Lomé |
| State: | republic |
| Language: | French |
| Religion: | Christianity, indigenous religions, Islam |
| Surface: | 56 785 km² |
| Population: | 6.2 million (2013) |
| Population density: | 106 residents per km² |
| Life expectancy: | 60 years |
| Illiteracy: | 39% |
| Currency: | CFA franc (XOF) 1 CFA franc = 0.01 kr |
| GDP per capita: | $ 800 (2010) |
| Time difference: | -1 hour |
| Electricity: | 220 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | April 27 |
| Country area code: | 228 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | TG (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder) |
| Business: | agriculture 64%, service sector 30%, industry 6% |
| Climate: | tropical, with rainy seasons from March to July and from October to November; steppe climate in the north, with rainy season from April to July |
There is no record of Togo’s history before the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century. In the 17th century, Togo became known as the “Slave Coast”, as it was here that Europeans came to buy slaves. In 1905 the country became a German colony called “Togoland”, but after the First World War it came under British and French administration. It was not until 1960 that Togo regained its independence.
Togo is heavily dependent on its agriculture, which employs 65% of the workforce. Togo is the world’s fourth largest producer of phosphate, but production fell sharply in 2002 due to a shortage of electricity and the cost of developing new deposits. The government is trying to implement economic reforms with the support of the IMF and the World Bank, but the work is slow.
One of Togo’s most popular tourist attractions is the tata huts in Nadoba north of Kara. The small mud huts with reed roofs were originally used to protect against slave traders.
WORLD HERITAGE
The following objects in Togo are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.
- Koutammakou’s cultural landscape (2004)
ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Electricity and electrical outlets in Togo
Voltage: 220 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of plug: C
Need an adapter: No, you do not need an adapter.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Weather in Lomé
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Christmas | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average temperature °C | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
| Rain (mm) | 11 | 23 | 55 | 96 | 145 | 204 | 72 | 22 | 49 | 87 | 28 | 9 |
Lomé
According to Countryaah, Lomé, located on the Gulf of Guinea, is the capital of Togo and has 839,000 residents (2003). Lomé is Togo’s administrative, cultural and industrial center. Coffee, cocoa and more are exported from here, and there is also an oil refinery here. The city is also an important export port.
