Government Type: Republic under transition to multiparty rule
Capital: Lome
Other Major Cities/Regions: Dapaong, Kara, Soutouboua, Atakpame, Kpalime, Aneho
Size: 56,785 sq km
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
Population: 5,701,000
Ethnic Groups: African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe, Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%
Religion: Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Language: 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)
