Togo

Togo is a narrow West African country bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, Burkina Faso to the north, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The capital and largest city is Lomé, a major port and commercial centre located on the Atlantic coast. With a population of about eight-million people, Togo has a diverse economy based on agriculture, phosphate mining, and regional trade. Key agricultural exports include cocoa, coffee, cotton and cashew nuts, while phosphate deposits represent the country's most significant mineral resource and a major source of export revenue. The currency is the West African CFA franc, shared with seven other members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union. Togo operates as a presidential republic and is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and the African Union. The country's strategic location and deep-water port at Lomé position it as an important transit hub for landlocked neighbours, particularly Burkina Faso and Niger. Togo's economy remains heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture, which employs a majority of the workforce, while the government has pursued reforms to improve the business climate and attract foreign investment. The nation gained independence from France in 1960 and experienced decades of authoritarian rule before transitioning toward multiparty democracy in the early twenty-first century.