Togo Geography:
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 1 10 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
56,785 sq km
land:
54,385 sq km
water:
2,400 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:
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: 46.15%
permanent crops: 2.21%
other: 51.64%
(2001)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
The country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna |
