Notsé (also Notsie or Nuatja) is a town in the Plateaux Region of

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...

. It is the capital of

Haho Prefecture Haho is a prefecture located in the Plateaux Region of Togo. The prefecture seat is located in Notsé. Canton (administrative divisions) of Haho include Notsé, Wahala, Ayito, Assrama, Kpédomé, Dalia, Atsavé, and Djéméni. On October 12, 2 ...

and is situated 95 km north of the capital Lomé. The town was formed around 1600 by the Ewe people, after they were displaced westward by the expansion of the

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...

History

Founded by tribes from the

Nile Valley The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest rive ...

and after a transition to Oyo (

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

), Ketou (

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

), Tado (

), Dogbo , Notse is the last stage of Ewe migrations around the 15th century.To protect his people from enemies and slave raiders , the chief built an imposing wall called "Agbogbo" 14,5 km whose remains are still visible in places. In the seventeenth century, following an internal crisis as a result of oppressive rule by Agorkorli I (Agor Akorli), the Ewe revolted and fled south , east and west to neighbording

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

(now Volta Region) and Benin. Those who remained founded the six original quarters (Alinou, Agbaladome (Agbanadome), Adime Ekli, Tegbe and Kpedome) which have district chiefs, notables of the chief Superior who is today Agokoli IV. Notse is also the

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

capital. The name Notse is a distortion of the word ''NOIN'' the leader of the group OUPE, who says "we stay here" in the Ewe dialect. Nuatja is a distortion of the same name by the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

colonizers. Notse is located 100 km north of

Lome Lome may refer to: Places * Lomé, the capital and largest city of Togo * Lome (woreda), a woreda in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia * Lome, Slovenia, a dispersed settlement in the Municipality of Idrija in the Inner Carniola region Other uses * Lom ...

. It is part of the Plateaux Region of which Atakpame is the chief town. More than a ritual feast, "Agbogbo-Za" is the biggest traditional celebration of the Ewe people. It marks the commemoration of the exodus of Ewe people in the 17th century. Etymology Ewe: Noin tsi- Noin remains Or Noin yi tsie- Noin has gone to the land of the dead

References

3 Felix Kuadugah- Etymology of Nortsie {{DEFAULTSORT:Notse Populated places in Plateaux Region, Togo