can reduce visibility in
north during winter; periodic droughts

Environment--current issues: deforestation attributable to
slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; recent
droughts affecting agriculture

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People

Population: 5,081,413 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,229,026; female 1,218,956)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,223,371; female 1,299,519)
65 years and over: 2% (male 49,890; female 60,651) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.51% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 44.78 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.69 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 77.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.25 years
male: 56.93 years
female: 61.64 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.53 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese

Ethnic groups: native African (37 tribes; largest and most
important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and
Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Christian 20%, Muslim 10%

Languages: French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe
and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye
(sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African
languages in the north)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.7%
male: 67%
female: 37% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local long form: Republique Togolaise
local short form: none
former: French Togo

Data code: TO

Government type: republic under transition to multiparty
democratic rule

Capital: Lome

Administrative divisions: 5 regions (regions