Atakora Department

Geography

Atakora Department is located in the northwest of Benin, bordering Burkina Faso to the north, Alibori Department and Borgou Department to the east, Donga Department to the south and Togo to the west. The terrain is mainly forested mountains, from which two tributaries of the Niger River - the Mékrou River and the Pendjari River - originate. Part of the Atakora Mountain Range is located in the region and continues into northeastern Togo. The mountain range is characterised by numerous dambo areas (shallow wetlands) and head swamps. The bulk of the Pendjari National Park lies within Atakora.