Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a narrow country in West Africa bordering Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. The country extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. The official language is French; however, there are many other languages spoken in Togo as well.

Togo has a population of more than 6,100,000 people, which is dependent mainly on agriculture. The weather is mild and makes for good growing seasons. Togo is a sub-tropical, sub-Saharan nation.

Togo gained its independence from France in 1960. In 1967 Gnassingbé Eyadéma, the former leader of the country, led a successful military coup, after which he became President. Eyadéma was the longest serving leader in African history (after being president for 38 years) at the time of his death in 2005. In 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was elected president.