Togo is a former French colony that gained independence April 27, 1960, and is now a republic in West Africa under transition to democratic rule.
Togo is bordered by Benin on the east, Ghana on the west and Burkina Faso on the north. To its south lies the Gulf of Guinea that opens up to the Atlantic Ocean.
The first relatively free and fair legislative elections in the country were held in October 2007 after years of political unrest and condemnation by international organisations for human rights abuse.
The country is home to 37 tribes who form 99 percent of its 7.1 million population. People with indigenous beliefs form 51 percent of the population while the rest are Muslims and Christians.