Destination Togo, a Nations Online country profile of the Togolese Republic, a narrow strip of land in Western Africa between Ghana to the west and Benin to the east, bordered in the north by Burkina Faso it has a short coastline with palm-lined beaches and extensive lagoons and marshes on the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) in the south.

The mainly tropical country just north of the equator covers an area of 56,785 km²; compared, it is about two-thirds the size of Austria, or slightly smaller than the US state of West Virginia.

Togo has a population of 7.9 million people (in 2021); the capital and largest city is Lomé. Nearly 40 different West African languages are spoken in the multilingual country, including Gbe dialects like Ewé, Gur and Kabiyé. French is the official language.

Almost half of the population are Christians (44%), with Catholics in the majority. Traditional animism (traditional religion) is practised by about 36% of the population. Voodoo plays an important role in society.

Background:
Formerly known as Togoland, the region lay between the military powers of Ashanti and Dahomey and was a centre of the slave trade. It was annexed by Germany in 1884 and divided between France and Great Britain after World War I. In 1946, the two Togolands became United Nations trust territories. The western, British part joined Ghana when it became independent in 1957. The eastern part, French Togoland, became independent Togo in 1960.

In April 2005, presidential elections were held in Togo following the death of the long-time president and dictator Gnassingbé Eyadéma. The elections and the period leading up to them were marked by violence, with numerous people killed in various incidents. According to the "official" results, Faure Gnassingbé, the son of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, won the election. He has been in office since then, after winning the presidential election in February 2020, his fourth term as president.