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Aflao

Coordinates: 06°08′48.4″N 01°10′47.6″E / 6.146778°N 1.179889°E / 6.146778; 1.179889
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Aflao
Border town
View of Aflao and the Ghana–Togo border
View of Aflao and the Ghana–Togo border
Aflao is located in Ghana
Aflao
Aflao
Location in Volta Region
Coordinates: 06°08′48.4″N 01°10′47.6″E / 6.146778°N 1.179889°E / 6.146778; 1.179889
Country Ghana
RegionVolta Region
DistrictKetu South District
Government
[1]
 • Municipal chiefHon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor
Population
 (2012)[2][3]: 4, 32 
 • Total66,546
 • Ethnicities
 • Religions
 Ranked 28th in Ghana
Time zoneGMT
 • Summer (DST)GMT
Postal district
VZ
Area code+233 (3625)
ClimateAw
Websiteketusouth.gov.gh Edit this at Wikidata

Aflao is a border town in the Ketu South District in the Volta Region of Ghana on the border with Togo.[4][3] Aflao is the twenty-eighth most populous settlement in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 66,546 people (according to a 2012 estimate).[2] The current municipal chief of Aflao is Hon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor.[1]

History

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During the Atlantic slave trade, the town grew from interference from the Anlo, towards the west, and Little Popo (Aného) towards the east, located in present-day Togo. During this time, it change hands from the Danish to the British in 1850 due to slavery ending. In 1879, The British added Aflao into the Gold Coast after initially not being included.[5] During the late 20th century, the border became a site of reincurring tensions. At the peak of the 1982-83 revolution, the town was under consist surveillance as border guards and cadres attempted to enforce a curfew. During this time, from 1986 to 1987, Togolese officers install a fence along the border's southern stretch after attacks from Ghanaian insurgents.[6]

Economy

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Customs office in Aflao (1962)

The Diamond Cement Ghana Limited factory is located at Aflao.[7] In early 2014, a 2.5 km rail siding was completed to connect the cement works to the port of Lomé.[8] This siding crosses the border from Togo to Ghana and is of the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. The total average annually volume of trade that goes trough the border crossing, from data in 1996, is 24,876,651 kilograms (54,843,628 lb).[4]: 18 

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
198420,904—    
200038,927+86.2%
2010*56,988+46.4%
2012*66,546+16.8%
*Estimate
Source: Ghana Statistical Service.[a]

As of a 2012 estimate, Aflao has a population of 66,546 people.[2] Most of the population is religious, with the largest religion being Christianity. Other popular religions include Islam and traditional African religions. Historically, Aflao people believed in one universal goddess named Mawu, which is believed to be all powerful and everywhere.[3]: 32, 4  The majority of the population is Ewe, followed by the Akan and Ga-Adangbe people.[3]: 4 

Administration

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Further information: Ketu South (Ghana parliament constituency)

The town's municipality has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor (executive chief) is appointed by the president of Ghana and approved by the town council, the Ketu South Municipal Assembly.[10] As of 2024, the current mayor of the municipal is Hon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor.[1]

Geography

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Aflao is located on the eastern coast of Ghana and is the major border town with neighboring Togo.[4]: 10 

Municipality area

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The town is also located in the Ketu South Municipal District, which has a total land area of 779 square kilometres (301 sq mi). The municipality bordered Togo to the east, Keta Municipal District towards the west, the Ketu North District to the north and the Gulf of Guinea towards the south.[3]: 1 

Climate

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Aflao has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), experiencing a wet season and a dry season annually whilst the dry season occurs from December to February. The wet usually lasts from April to July or from September to October. The mean annual rainfall ranges from 850 to 1,000 mm (2.79 to 3.28 ft) while the mean monthly temperatures are usually from 24 to 30 °C (75 to 86 °F).[3]: 1, 2 

Culture

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Aflao is located in the Aflao traditional area[b] has Togbui Amenya Fiti V as its paramount chief.[12] He is the traditional ruler of the land and performs traditional administrative and ceremonial functions in the area.[13]

Transportation

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At the border crossing, the most popular mode of transportation is pushcarts, followed by trucks/cargo trucks.[4]: 11 

Healthcare

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See also: List of hospitals in the Volta Region

Aflao is home to an port health unit, an facility under the Port Health Directorate (division of the Ghana Health Service) which helps to combat public health emergencies at Ghana's land border crossings.[14]

Notable people

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

See also

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Explanatory notes

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  1. ^ Sources: 2000 census,[9] 2010 and 2012 estimates[2]
  2. ^ In Ghana, the term 'traditional area' is used to describe an area in which all of its community members shared the same culture, and are under the same Omanhene (Paramount Chief)[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kpodo, E. (13 February 2024). "Choose peace: Maxwell Lugudor appeals to Ketu South chiefs". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "World Gazetteer online". World-gazetteer.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f 2010 population & housing census (Ketu South District) (PDF) (Report). Ghana Statistical Service. 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Morris, G.; Dadson, J. (2000). Ghana: Cross-border Trade Issues (PDF) (Report). USAID. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  5. ^ Mikhailov & Garrard 2021, p. 148.
  6. ^ Mikhailov & Garrard 2021, p. 149.
  7. ^ "Production slumps at Diamond Cement". ghanaweb.com. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  8. ^ Anane, M. (22 February 2014). "Rail line linking Diamond Cement, Lome Port completed". Graphic Online. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Population of Regions and Districts Report (2000) (Report). Vol. 1. Ghana Statistical Service. p. 126. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  10. ^ A Guide to District Assemblies in Ghana (PDF). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Ghana. 2010. pp. 37, 38. ISBN 9988572131. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  11. ^ Awuah-Nyamekye, S. Managing the Environmental Crisis in Ghana: The role of African Traditional Religion and Culture—A case study of Berekum Traditional Area (PDF) (Thesis). University of Leeds. OCLC 883285669. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  12. ^ Togbui, Fiti. "Togbui Fiti Appeals For Gov't Intervention In Aflao Dispute". Spyghana. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Language Ideology and Practice on the Aflao-Lome Borderland: The Case of two Border School". Archived from the original on 17 June 2011.
  14. ^ "IOM supports Government with handling public health emergencies at main land borders". IOM Ghana. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Ketu-South: Dzifa Gomashie wins primary in NDC's 'World Bank'". Citinewsroom. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Mami Wata", Encyclopedia of African Religion, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States: SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009, doi:10.4135/9781412964623.n256, ISBN 9781412936361, retrieved 14 September 2024{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  17. ^ "Body of Komla Dumor arrives in Ghana". myjoyonline.com. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2024.

Bibliography

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  • Mikhailov, E.; Garrard, J., eds. (2021). "11". Twin Cities across Five Continents: Interactions and Tensions on Urban Borders. Taylor & Francis. pp. 147–158. ISBN 9781000479119.
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06°08′48.4″N 01°10′47.6″E / 6.146778°N 1.179889°E / 6.146778; 1.179889

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