Togo

Formerly french togoland, the Togolese Republic won its independence from France in 1960. Togo was governed by military rule for the next several decades. The government has repeatedly been accused of human rights violations, and the political situation remains unstable. Because of the accusations, most bilateral and multilateral aid to Togo is frozen, although the European Union has resumed some aid in exchange for promises of political reform. More than 46 percent of Togo's land area is arable, and the 65 percent of the labor force that is engaged in the agricultural sector is employed in both commercial and subsistence agriculture. Nevertheless, some basic foods are imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton are the chief export crops, generating around 40 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. ...