Togo: Geography

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 1 10 E

Map references

Africa — JPG 109Kb or PDF 460Kb

Area

total: 56,785 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries

total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Coastline

56 km

Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions)

territorial sea: 30 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain

gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural resources

phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Land use

arable land: 41.37%
permanent crops: 1.84%
other: 56.79% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

70 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

hot, dry harmattan wind 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; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

Environment - international agreements

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

Geography - note

the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna