Best Bitcoin Card for Togo

The Republic of Togo is located in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea and, with an area of 56,785 km², is slightly larger than the German state of Lower Saxony. From the Atlantic coast in the south the country stretches as a narrow (to maximally 140 km wider) strip to the north over a length of scarcely 600 km into the interior. There Togo borders on Burkina Faso. Benin lies to the east, Ghana to the west.

The shallow compensation coast on the Gulf of Guinea in southern Togo is only 56 km long and characterised by spits and lagoons. Towards the north, the narrow coastal plain is followed by the flat hilly landscape “Terre de Barre”, which reaches heights of up to 150 m and has fertile loamy soils. In the western part of Togo there is the Togo Mountains, where the highest elevation of the country, the Agou (Mont Baumann) with 986 m is located. In the eastern part there is a plateau (approx. 400 m above sea level) with isolated island mountains. To the north of the plateau the continuation of the Togo Mountains (Togo-Atakora chain) extends in a west-east direction further into the neighbouring country Benin.

To the north of Togo lies the Oti lowlands, which are drained by the river of the same name. In addition to the Oti, which flows into the Volta, the Mano is another major river in the south of the country. The capital, Lomé, lies on the Gulf of Guinea.

Political System

According to the constitution of 1993, Togo is a presidential republic with a multi-party system. The head of state is the president elected for a five-year term (since July 2012 Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu). The Prime Minister (since September 2008 Gilbert F. Houngbo), who is appointed by the President, heads the government.

• The National Assembly holds the legislative power with a total of 91 seats. The deputies are elected by the people for a term of five years.
• The legal system is based on the French system.
• Togo is divided into five regions.

Economy

Togo’s economy is based on the extraction of raw materials (phosphate) and on agriculture. Despite the reform process initiated in 2006, the crisis of recent decades has not yet been overcome. Almost 60 % of the population lives below the poverty line.

More than half of the workforce is employed in agriculture, which accounts for 47 % of gross domestic product (GDP). Jams, manioc, maize, millet, rice and beans are grown for the population’s own needs. Cotton, cocoa and coffee are cultivated for export. Fishing plays a role in supplying the population with food.

Togo is a regional trade and business centre in West Africa. Services account for one third of GDP. Industry accounts for one fifth of GDP and concentrates on the processing of phosphate and food and the production of cement and clinker.

The most important trading partners for exports (phosphate, cotton, coffee, cocoa, cement, clinker) are Burkina Faso, Ghana and Benin. The main imports are machinery and vehicles, industrial goods, foodstuffs and fuels. The most important suppliers are neighbouring China, France and Malaysia.

The road network covers about 7 250 km, of which about 2 300 km are paved. There are 570 km of railway lines available. The main ports of Togo are Lomé and Kpémé. There are two international airports. Currency is the CFA franc.