Togo is a sovereign country in Western Africa, in the wider region of Africa. The long form of the name is Togolese Republic. Lomé is the capital.
By land area it covers 56,785 km², which ranks it 128th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Svalbard and Jan Mayen and just ahead of Croatia. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is around a fifth smaller than Ireland.
Around 9.5 million people live there, placing it 98th of 250 by population — between Hungary above it and Austria below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 13th of 17 in size and 10th in population.
Where Togo is and what surrounds it
Plotted on a globe it falls at 8.0° north, 1.2° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 891 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Ethiopia, Venezuela and Somalia — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
Its land neighbours number 3: Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The largest of them by area is Burkina Faso, while the most populous is Ghana. Together those neighbours hold about 72.4 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Spread across 56,785 km², that works out at about 168 people per square kilometre, which makes it more crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
French is the only official language. French is one of the widely shared official languages here, listed by 45 other entries including Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso and Burundi.
Someone from Togo is a Togolese.
Inside Africa it places 33rd of 59 by population, and it accounts for 2.1% of everyone living in Western Africa.
Money, internet and phone codes
The currency is the West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF). That is a shared currency: 7 other entries use it, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast and Mali.
Lomé is the city to remember for this country.
Its internet country code is .tg. The international dialling code is +228. Standard country codes: tg and TGO.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Togo shares borders with 3 countries:
Fun facts about Togo
- Population density works out at roughly 168 people per square kilometre.
- Within Western Africa it is the 13th largest of 17.
- Ethiopia and Venezuela sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- French is official here and in 45 other entries worldwide.
- Websites based there use the .tg domain.
- It shares land borders with 3 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
Togo — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Togo?
- The capital of Togo is Lomé.
- What is the population of Togo?
- Togo has a population of about 9.5 million, which makes it the 98th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Hungary sits just above it and Austria just below.
- What currency does Togo use?
- Togo uses the West African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XOF). It is shared with 7 other entries.
- Where is Togo located?
- Togo is in Western Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 8.0° north and 1.2° east, roughly 891 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
- How big is Togo?
- Togo covers 56,785 km², ranking 128th of 250 by land area. That makes it around a fifth smaller than Ireland.
- What language is spoken in Togo?
- The official language of Togo is French. It is also official in 45 other entries on this list.
- Is Togo a country?
- Yes. Togo is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Togo?
- Togo borders 3 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso and Ghana. Burkina Faso is the largest of them by area.
