Togo
Togo is another former French ruled colony in Africa, who also still speaks French today. Togo became a country in 1960 with an installed military ruler, General Gnassingbe Etadema, in 1967 and continued rule for almost four decades. After his death his son Farure Gnassingbe took control of the government. Togo is becoming more democratic as time has passed having its first generally free election in 2007. Togo is located in Western Africa and borders the Bight of Benin and Ghana. Togo’s resources primarily include phosphates, Marble and Arable land. Despite Togo’s wealth of natural resources,  56% of its population is living below the international poverty line and 16.2% of Togolese children under the age of 5 were underweight as of 2014.  

Deforestation 
One major natural resource, lumber, has become a severe environmental problem is deforestation in Togo. Togo has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world. On average Togo has lost 5.75 percent of its forests from 2005 through 2010. A former professor at the university of Oxford stated “In Togo, i don’t think any forest will be left”. This report highlights a major problem in Togo can have devastating effects due to deforestation such as the increase in Desertification which is already prevalent in Africa.