Togo vs. Benin
Government
| Togo | Benin | |
|---|---|---|
| Country name | conventional long form: Togolese Republic conventional short form: Togo local long form: Republique Togolaise local short form: none former: French Togoland etymology: derived from the Ewe words "to" (river) and "godo" (on the other side) to give the sense of "on the other side of the river"; originally, this designation applied to the town of Togodo (now Togoville) on the northern shore of Lake Togo, but the name was eventually extended to the entire nation | conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey, People's Republic of Benin etymology: named for the Bight of Benin, the body of water on which the country lies |
| Government type | presidential republic | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Lome geographic coordinates: 6 07 N, 1 13 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: Lome comes from "alotime" which in the native Ewe language means "among the alo plants"; alo trees dominated the city's original founding site | name: Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government) geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name Porto-Novo is Portuguese for "new port"; Cotonou means "by the river of death" in the native Fon language |
| Administrative divisions | 5 regions (regions, singular - region); Centrale, Kara, Maritime, Plateaux, Savanes | 12 departments; Alibori, Atacora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou |
| Independence | 27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) | 1 August 1960 (from France) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 27 April (1960) | Independence Day, 1 August (1960) |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest adopted 27 September 1992, effective 14 October 1992 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one fifth of the National Assembly membership; passage requires four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly; a referendum is required if approved by only two-thirds majority of the Assembly or if requested by the president; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2007, last in 2019 when the National Assembly unanimously approved a package of amendments, including setting presidential term limits of two 5-year mandates | history: previous 1946, 1958 (preindependence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990, promulgated 11 December 1990 amendments: proposed concurrently by the president of the republic (after a decision in the Council of Ministers) and the National Assembly; consideration of drafts or proposals requires at least three-fourths majority vote of the Assembly membership; passage requires approval in a referendum unless approved by at least four-fifths majority vote of the Assembly membership; constitutional articles affecting territorial sovereignty, the republican form of government, and secularity of Benin cannot be amended; amended 2019 |
| Legal system | customary law system | civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 4 May 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah DOGBE (since 28 September 2020) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 22 February 2020 (next to be held February 2025); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Faure GNASSINGBE reelected president; percent of vote - Faure GNASSINGBE (UNIR) 72.4%, Agbeyome KODJO (MPDD) 18.4%, Jean-Pierre FABRE (ANC) 4.4%, other 5% | chief of state: President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); prime minister position abolished cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 11 April 2021 (next to be held in April 2026) election results: Patrice TALON elected to a second term; percent of vote - Patrice TALON (independent) 86.4%, Alassane SOUMANOU (FCBE) 11.3%, other 2.3% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (91 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed, party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 20 December 2018 (next to be held in 2023) election results: percent of vote by coalition/party - NA; seats by party - UNIR 59, UFC 6, NET 3, MPDD 3, other 2, independent 18; composition - men 75, women 16, percent of women 17.6% | description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 28 April 2019 (next to be held in April 2023) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Progressiste 56.2%, Bloc Republicain 43.8%; seats by party - Union Progressiste 47, Bloc Republicain 36; composition - men 77, women 6, percent of women 7.2% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into criminal and administrative chambers, each with a chamber president and advisors); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges, including the court president) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by decree of the president of the republic upon the proposal of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy, a 9-member judicial, advisory, and disciplinary body; other judicial appointments and judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the National Assembly; judge tenure NA subordinate courts: Court of Assizes (sessions court); Appeal Court; tribunals of first instance (divided into civil, commercial, and correctional chambers; Court of State Security; military tribunal | highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the chief justice and 16 justices organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members, including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government while in office judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the president of the republic; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; other members of the High Court of Justice elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA subordinate courts: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; district courts; village courts; Assize courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Action Committee for Renewal or CAR [Yaovi AGBOYIBO] Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development or ADDI [Tchaboure GOGUE] Democratic Convention of African Peoples or CDPA [Brigitte ADJAMAGBO-JOHNSON] Democratic Forces for the Republic or FDR [Dodji APEVON] National Alliance for Change or ANC [Jean-Pierre FABRE] New Togolese Commitment [Gerry TAAMA] Pan-African National Party or PNP [Tikpi ATCHADAM] Pan-African Patriotic Convergence or CPP [Edem KODJO] Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development or MPDD [Agbeyome KODJO] Socialist Pact for Renewal or PSR [Abi TCHESSA] The Togolese Party [Nathaniel OLYMPIO] Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Gilchrist OLYMPIO] Union for the Republic or UNIR [Faure GNASSINGBE] | Alliance for a Triumphant Benin or ABT [Abdoulaye BIO TCHANE] African Movement for Development and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN] Benin Renaissance or RB [Lehady SOGLO] Cowrie Force for an Emerging Benin or FCBE [Yayi BONI] Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] National Alliance for Development and Democracy or AND [Valentin Aditi HOUDE] New Consciousness Rally or NC [Pascal KOUPAKI] Patriotic Awakening or RP [Janvier YAHOUEDEOU] Social Democrat Party or PSD [Emmanuel GOLOU] Sun Alliance or AS [Sacca LAFIA] Union Makes the Nation or UN [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] (includes PRD, MADEP) United Democratic Forces or FDU [Mathurin NAGO] note: approximately 20 additional minor parties |
| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO | ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Frederic Edem HEGBE (since 24 April 2017) chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-4212 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3190 email address and website: embassyoftogo@hotmail.com https://embassyoftogousa.com/ | chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Claude Felix DO REGO (since 17 July 2020) chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656; [1] (202) 232-2611 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996 email address and website: ambassade.washington@gouv.bj https://beninembassy.us/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Eric W. STROHMAYER (since 11 April 2019) embassy: Boulevard Eyadema, B.P. 852, Lome mailing address: 2300 Lome Place, Washington, DC 20521-2300 telephone: [228] 2261-5470 FAX: [228] 2261-5501 email address and website: consularLome@state.gov https://tg.usembassy.gov/ | chief of mission: Ambassador Patricia MAHONEY (since 4 July 2019) embassy: 01 BP 2012, Cotonou mailing address: 2120 Cotonou Place, Washington DC 20521-2120 telephone: [229] 21-30-06-50 FAX: [229] 21-30-03-84 email address and website: ACSCotonou@state.gov https://bj.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating with yellow; a white five-pointed star on a red square is in the upper hoist-side corner; the five horizontal stripes stand for the five different regions of the country; the red square is meant to express the loyalty and patriotism of the people, green symbolizes hope, fertility, and agriculture, while yellow represents mineral wealth and faith that hard work and strength will bring prosperity; the star symbolizes life, purity, peace, dignity, and Togo's independence note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia | two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side; green symbolizes hope and revival, yellow wealth, and red courage note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
| National anthem | name: "Salut a toi, pays de nos aieux" (Hail to Thee, Land of Our Forefathers) lyrics/music: Alex CASIMIR-DOSSEH note: adopted 1960, restored 1992; this anthem was replaced by another during one-party rule between 1979 and 1992 | name: "L'Aube Nouvelle" (The Dawn of a New Day) lyrics/music: Gilbert Jean DAGNON note: adopted 1960 |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; non-party state to the ICCt | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| National symbol(s) | lion; national colors: green, yellow, red, white | leopard; national colors: green, yellow, red |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Togo dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Benin dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years |
Source: CIA Factbook
