Atakpamé is the fifth largest city in

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 ...

by population (84,979 inhabitants in 2006), located in the Plateaux Region of

. It is an industrial centre and lies on the main north-south highway, 161 km north of the capital

Lomé Lomé is the capital and largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437

. It is also a regional commercial centre for produce and cloth.

History

Atakpame is located on a hilly wooded savannah on the eastern end of the Atakora Mountain range, and together with

Kpalimé Kpalimé is a city in the Plateaux Region of Togo, 120 km north of Lomé and 15 km from the border with Ghana. It is the administrative capital of Kloto Prefecture. Kpalimé has a population of 75,084, making it the fourth-biggest tow ...

represent the last major settlements of

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 ...

origin dotted between the Niger and the Volta rivers.Fage, page 315 In the 1764

Battle of Atakpamé The Battle of Atakpamé (1764) was an armed confrontation between the Ashanti Empire and neighboring Akan people, Akan Allies under the leadership of the Kingdom of Akyem who joined up with the Oyo Empire and the Kingdom of Dahomey in and around ...

, the town played host to a clash between the rebellious

Akyem The Akyem are an Akan people. The term Akyem (Akem, Akim or Aki) is used to describe a group of four states: Asante Akyem, Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Bosome. These nations are located primarily in the eastern region in south Ghana. ...

vassal state with the help of Yoruba mercenaries of the

Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a powerful Yoruba empire of West Africa made up of parts of present-day eastern Benin and western Nigeria (including Southwest zone and the western half of Northcentral zone). It grew to become the largest Yoruba language, ...

and the Dahomeans against the forces of the

Ashanti Empire The Asante Empire (Asante Twi: ), today commonly called the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted between 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana as well as parts of Iv ...

under their

Asantehene The is the title for the monarch of the historical Ashanti Empire as well as the ceremonial ruler of the Ashanti people today. The Ashanti royal house traces its line to the Oyoko (an ''Abusua'', or "clan") Abohyen Dynasty of Nana Twum and t ...

, Kusi Obodum. In 1763, the Ashante vassal state of Akyem made contact with the Dahomeans to the east while planning a rebellion with other dissident vassal states within the empire, such as the Kwahu and Brong. In the meanwhile, the Bantamahene, one of the Asante senior military officers had been relentlessly pressuring Asantehene Kusi Obodum to crush the building rebellion in war. The Bantamahene Adu Gyamera even went as far as threatening Asantehene's impeachment from power. However The Asantehene ordered no invasions until news reached them that the Akyems had sought out aid from the Oyo Empire. The result of the battle was a crushing defeat of the Ashanti forces and the death of their Juabenhene (head of one of the royal clans). The repercussion of this defeat by the Oyo Empire was the destoolment of Kusi Obodum, who was replaced by a much younger and charismatic Asantehene, Osei Kwadwo Okoawia. In 1902, the town was the scene of a scandal in which German Catholic missionaries accused German colonial officials of mistreating girls. The scandal had reverberations in German politics. In 1914, during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the British and French invaded the German colony of

Togoland Togoland was a German Empire protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana, approximately 90,400 km2 (29,867 sq mi) in size. During the period kno ...

during the Togoland Campaign. It was aimed at capturing or destroying a powerful German radio station at Kamina near Atakpamé. The

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

feared that German maritime raiders would be able to maintain contact with

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

via the station and thus rapidly pass on intelligence. A short campaign began on 6 August 1914, and the Germans were forced to destroy the station on 24 August before surrendering to the Allies on 26 August. It was during this campaign that

Alhaji Grunshi Alhaji Grunshi, , serving in the Gold Coast Regiment, was the first soldier in British service to fire a shot in the First World War. First World War At the start of the First World War, Germany's West African colony of Togoland was isolated from ...

fired the first shot by anyone in British service during the war. Most native residents of the city are the Ana subgroup of the

Yoruba people 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 ...

. During Colonization the German colonial government built a wireless transmitter center in Kamina at Atakpame from 1911 to 1914 in the Togolese colony. This transcontinental radio station served as a link for the German colonies among themselves and to establish a connection between these colonies and the German metropolis.

Climate

Atakpamé has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Aw'') characterised by a short

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...

with the northeasterly

harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the ...

trade winds The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds that flow in the Earth's equatorial region. The trade winds blow mainly from the northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and from the southeast in the Southern Hemisph ...

from November to February and a lengthy though not intense

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...

between March and October.

Transport

The town is served by a station of the main northern line of

Togo Railways 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 ...

Governance

The town was the administrative centre of

German Togoland Togoland was a German Empire protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana, approximately 90,400 km2 (29,867 sq mi) in size. During the period kno ...

Places of worship

Among the

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, they are predominantly

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

churches and temples :

Roman Catholic Diocese of Atakpamé The Roman Catholic Diocese of Atakpamé ( la, Atakpamen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Atakpamé in the ecclesiastical province of Lomé in Togo. History *29 September 1964: Established as Diocese of Atakpamé from the Metropolitan Ar ...

(

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo is a church of the Bremen Mission, which began its work in the Volta region in Ghana. The first congregation was established in 1893. The church was established at the end of the 19th century. At the tim ...

(

World Communion of Reformed Churches The World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) is the largest association of Calvinist churches in the world. It has 230 member denominations in 108 countries, together claiming an estimated 80 million people, thus being the fourth-largest Chris ...

Togo Baptist Convention The Togo Baptist Convention (french: Convention baptiste du Togo) is a Baptist Christian denomination in Togo. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Lomé. History The Convention has its origins in the establ ...

(

Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...

Living Faith Church Worldwide Living Faith Church Worldwide (also known as Winners' Chapel) is an Evangelical charismatic Christian denomination and a megachurch. The headquarters is located in Ota, Nigeria. The organization has since become a global network of churches w ...

Redeemed Christian Church of God The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is a Pentecostal megachurch and denomination founded in Lagos, Nigeria. The General overseer (most senior pastor) is Enoch Adeboye, ordained in 1981. The church in Lagos had an average church attendanc ...

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

.J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ‘‘Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices’’, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 2875-2877 There are also

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

mosques.

Sports

Atakpamé is the home of Korikossa d'Atakpamé football club.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Atakpamé is twinned with: *

Niort Niort (; Poitevin: ''Niàu''; oc, Niòrt; la, Novioritum) is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department, western France. It is the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres. The population of Niort is 58,707 (2017) and more than 177,000 people live in the u ...

, France

Sources

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atakpame Populated places in Plateaux Region, Togo Cities in Yorubaland