Togo vs. Ghana
Geography
| Togo | Ghana | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 1 10 E | 8 00 N, 2 00 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 56,785 sq km land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km | total: 238,533 sq km land: 227,533 sq km water: 11,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than West Virginia | slightly smaller than Oregon |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,880 km border countries (3): Benin 651 km, Burkina Faso 131 km, Ghana 1098 km | total: 2,420 km border countries (3): Burkina Faso 602 km, Cote d'Ivoire 720 km, Togo 1098 km |
| Coastline | 56 km | 539 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 30 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north | tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north |
| Terrain | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes | mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mont Agou 986 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 236 m | highest point: Mount Afadjato 885 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 190 m |
| Natural resources | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land | gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone |
| Land use | agricultural land: 67.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 45.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.4% (2018 est.) forest: 4.9% (2018 est.) other: 27.7% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 69.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 11.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 36.5% (2018 est.) forest: 21.2% (2018 est.) other: 9.7% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 70 sq km (2012) | 340 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; very little rain forest still present and what remains is highly degraded; desertification; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas | recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threaten wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
| Geography - note | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna | Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi); the lake was created following the completion of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, which holds back the White Volta and Black Volta Rivers |
| Total renewable water resources | 14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 56.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | one of the more densely populated African nations with most of the population residing in rural communities, density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map | population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
