Country name:
conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form:
Togo
local long form:
Republique Togolaise
local short form:
none
former:
French Togoland
Government type:
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Capital:
name:
Lome
geographic coordinates:
6 07 N, 1 13 E
time difference:
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes
Independence:
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1960)
Constitution:
several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992; amended 2002, last in 2005 (2005)
Legal system:
customary law system
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005);
head of government:
Prime Minister Kwesi Seleagodji AHOOMEY-ZUNU (since 23 July 2012)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 4 March 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE 60.9%, Jean-Pierre FABRE 33.9%, Yawovi AGBOYIBO 3%, other 2.2%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (91 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held on 25 July 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 62, CST 19, Rainbow Alliance 6, UFC 3, independents 1
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into the Criminal Chamber and the Administrative Chamber, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges including the court president)
judge selection and term of office:
Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judge appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA
subordinate courts:
Court of Assizes (sessions court); appeals courts; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal
Political parties and leaders:
Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Dodji APEVON]
Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA
Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP
National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE]
Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO]
Rainbow Alliance (a colalition including: CAR and CDPA) [Brigitte Adjamagbo JOHNSON]
Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harry OLYMPIO]
Save Togo Collective or CST (a coalition including: ANC and PSR) [Ata Messan Zeus AJAVON
Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR
Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU]
Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE]
Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Limbiye Edawa Kadangha BARIKI (since 14 July 2009)
chancery:
2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 234-4212
FAX:
[1] (202) 232-3190
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert E. WHITEHEAD (since 3 May 2012)
embassy:
4332 Blvd. Gnassingbe Eyadema, Cite OUA, Lome
mailing address:
B. P. 852, Lome; 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300
telephone:
[228] 2261-5470
FAX:
[228] 2261-5501
Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people; green symbolizes hope, fertility, and agriculture; yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo's independence
note:
uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
National anthem:
name:
"Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers)
lyrics/music: Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH
note: adopted 1960, restored 1992; this anthem was replaced by another during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992