Chairman of the General National Congress: Mohamed Magarief
President: Faure Gnassingbe Eyadema
Population
5,613,380
6,961,049
Life Expectancy
77.830 years
63.170 years
Capital City
Tripoli (Tarabulus)
Largest city
Tripoli (population: 1,150,990)
Lome (population: 749,700)
Human Development Index
0.84
0.479
GDP per capita
$14,100 US
Literacy Rate
82.6%
60.9%
Corruption Perception Index
2.6
2.7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
7.7%
11.1%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
30.000%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished in practice
Political System
Jamahiriya (a state of the masses) in theory, governed by the populace through local councils; in practice, an authoritarian state
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Independence date
24 December 1951 (from UN trusteeship)
Religions
Sunni Muslim 97%, other 3%
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Languages
Arabic, Italian, English, all are widely understood in the major cities
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
