INTRODUCTION TO TOGO

The Togolese Republic is a country in West Africa, bordering Ghana in the west, Benin in the east and Burkina Faso in the north. In the south, it has a small Gulf of Guinea coast, on which the capital Lome is located.

Rpublique Togolaise

National motto: Travail, Libert, Patrie (French: Work, Liberty, Homeland)
Official language	French
Capital	Lom
Area - Total - % water	Ranked 122nd 56,785 km2 4.2
Population - Total (2002) - Density	Ranked 106th 5,018,502 88/km2
Independence - Date	From France April 27, 1960
Currency	CFA franc
Time zone	UTC +0
National anthem	Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux (Hail to thee, land of our forefathers)
Internet TLD	.tg
Calling Code	228

History

Main Article: History of Togo

Togoland was until 1918 a German colony.Togoland , historic region (c.33,500 sq mi/86,800 sq km), W Africa, bordering on the Gulf of Guinea in the south. The western section of Togoland is now part of Ghana, and the eastern portion constitutes the Republic of Togo. The primary inhabitants of the region are the Ewe in the south and various Voltaic-speaking ethnic groups in the north. From the 17th cent. until the early 19th cent. the Ashanti (situated in present-day Ghana) raided Togoland for slaves, who were then sold to European traders at the coast. European penetration of the region began in the 1840s with the arrival of German missionaries and German merchants who bought palm products. In 1884, Gustav Nachtigal signed treaties with several coastal rulers, and a German protectorate over S Togoland was recognized by the Conference of Berlin (1884). German military expeditions gained control of N Togoland during the 1890s, and the protectorate's boundaries were further delimited in treaties with France (1897) and Great Britain (1904). Germany instituted much economic development, building roads and railroads, constructing a good port at Lome, and encouraging the production of palm products, rubber, cotton, and cacao. Togoland was soon to be known as ''The Model Colonie'' for the way in which the colonial powers shared their expertise to unable the locals to create a nation others colonial powers would soon follow.In Aug 1914, British and French forces captured Togoland from the Germans in the first Allied victory of World War I. In 1922, the League of Nations divided the region into two mandates, one French and the other British, and in 1946 the mandates became trust territories of the United Nations. French Togoland was administered as a separate unit (except between 1934 and 1937, when it was joined with Dahomey), and in 1960 it became independent as the Republic of Togo. British Togoland, made up of W Togoland, was administered as part of the British Gold Coast colony and protectorate and in 1957 became part of the independent state of Ghana. French Togoland became Togo in 1960 after the expiration of the French-administered UN trusteeship on April 27 of that year. Despite the facade of multiparty rule instituted in the early 1990s, the government continues to be dominated by the military, which has maintained its power continuously since 1967. The first president of Togo, Sylvanus Olympio (1901-1963) took office as soon as Togo gained independence in 1960. When he refused to let 626 Togolese veterans of the French army, many of whom had fought in Indochina and Algeria, join Togo's army, they deposed him in a military coup on January 13, 1963. He was killed the next day. A civilian president, Nicolas Grunitzky (1913-1969) was installed, but exactly four years later, there was another military coup. Grunitzky fled the country and was killed in a car crash in the Cte d'Ivoire.

One of the original veterans from the 1963 coup, Gnassingb Eyadma (1937-2005), was president from 1967 until his death in 2005. In February 2005, following the announcement of Eyadema's death, his son Faure Gnassingb was named by Togo's military as the country's leader, raising numerous eyebrows. The constitution of Togo declared that in the case of the president's death, the speaker of Parliament takes his place, and has 60 days to call new elections. However, on February 6th, Parliament retroactively changed the Constitution, declaring that Faure would hold office for the rest of his father's term, with elections deferred until 2008. The African Union described the takeover as a military coup-d'tat. International pressure came also from the United Nations. Within Togo, opposition to the takeover culminated in riots in which four people died. In response, Gnassingb agreed to hold elections in April 2005. On February 25, Gnassingb resigned as president, soon after accepting nomination to run for the office in April. Parliament designated Deputy Speaker Bonfoh Abbass as interim president until the inauguration of the election winner.

Geography

Togo is located in Western Africa. It borders the Bight of Benin in the south. Ghana lies to the west, Benin to the east. To the north Togo is bound by Burkina Faso.

In the north there is gently rolling savannah. in the centre of the country there are hills. The south of Togo is characterized by a plateau which reaches to a coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes.

Economy

This small sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment for 65% of the labor force. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton together generate about 30% of export earnings. Togo is self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs when harvests are normal, with occasional regional supply difficulties. In the industrial sector, phosphate mining is by far the most important activity, although it has suffered from the collapse of world phosphate prices and increased foreign competition.

Map of Togo

Togo serves as a regional commercial and trade center. Political unrest, including private and public sector strikes throughout 1992 and 1993, jeopardized shrunk the tax base, and disrupted vital economic activity. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of the currency by 50% provided an important 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 following through on privatization, increased openness in government financial operations (to accommodate increased social service outlays), and possible downsizing of the military, on which the regime has depended to stay in place. Lack of aid, along with depressed cocoa prices, generated a 1% fall in GDP in 1998, with growth resuming in 1999. Assuming no deterioration of the political atmosphere, growth should rise to 5% a year in 2000 - 2001.

Rampant corruption within the government and its insistance in diverting funds to support its inner circle has meant the ceasing of Aid by donor nations since the early 1990's . Recent economic statistic reveal 99% corruption within the government whilst Togo is 14% poorer since Gnassingbe took power in 1967. The military and rulling politicians continue maintain their affluent lifestyles whilst the Togolese citizens become poorer.

Gilchrist Olympio ( Leader of the UFC Political Party), Son of Togo's First President Sylvanus Olympio has headed his own political party since the 1970's. Mr Olympio has financed several Coups over the last few years to bring Togo into Civil conflict. Occasions such as 1986, 1993, 2001 have seen terrorists supported and Financed by the UFC party and its allies attempt to bring armed conflict to Togo by attacking Lome. Luck has meant the failure of these UFC supported terrorists.