Atakora is the northwestern
department||Benin is divided into 12 departments , and subdivided into 77 communes. In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12...
of
BeninBenin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin....
, bordering
TogoTogo is a country in West Africa bordering Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located...
to the west and
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso , also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a landlocked nation in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the south west.Its size is 274,000 km² with an...
to the north. Also, it borders the departments of
AliboriAlibori is the largest and northernmost départements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 km² and a population of 355,950 . The department is subdivided into 6 communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Banikoara, Gogounou, Kandi, Karimama, Malanville, and Segbana. The department borders...
,
BorgouBorgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori, Atakora, Collines and Donga. The capital of Borgou is Parakou and the total area is 25,310km.² or 9,772 mi.²....
, and
DongaDonga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Donga was created in 1999 when the government split up the original six departments into twelve. Donga was split from Atakora. The capital of Donga is Djougou. The total area is 10,691 km.² or 4,128mi.²....
. It is the most mountainous region of Benin, and the birth place of the president,
Mathieu KérékouMathieu Kérékou, also known as Ahmed Kérékou, was President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006. After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 17 years, for most of that time under an officially Marxist ideology, before he was stripped of his powers by the...
. It is a much drier area of the country than the south, with 3 major seasons, a rainy season that runs from May or June to September or October, a
HarmattanThe Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March ....
season of cool, dry winds that runs from October or November to February, and a hot, Famine season that runs from February to April.
Atakora is divided into the communes of
BoukoumbéBoukoumbé is a town in north western Benin on the border with Togo. It is known for its market, its whipping ceremony and for its tradition of pipe making. Mount Kousso-Kovangou, the highest point in Benin, lies nearby.-External links:*...
,
Cobly Cobly or Kobli is a town and commune in the Atakora Department of north-western Benin....
,
Kérou,
KouandéKouandé is a town located in the Atakora Department of Benin.Kouandé is located within the arrondissement of Kouandé, in turn located within the commune of Kouandé....
,
Matéri Matéri is a town and commune in the Atakora Department of north-western Benin...
,
NatitingouNatitingou is a town in north western Benin. It is about 50 km from Benin's Pendjari National Park, where tourists can see West African wildlife during the months of December through June. The Falls of Tanougou and great mud castles of the Betammaribe known as Tata Somba are all within an...
,
PehonkoPéhonko is a town located in the Atakora Department of Benin....
,
TanguiétaTanguiéta is a commune and town located in the Atakora Department of Benin. As of 2007 it had an estimated population of 21,290. It lies on the RNIE 3 highway which connects it to Natitingou....
, and
Toucountouna Toucountouna is a town and commune in the Atakora Department of north-western Benin...
.
Major towns in the Atakora include
DjougouDjougou is the largest city in north west Benin, with a population of 228,314 people. It is an important market town....
,
NatitingouNatitingou is a town in north western Benin. It is about 50 km from Benin's Pendjari National Park, where tourists can see West African wildlife during the months of December through June. The Falls of Tanougou and great mud castles of the Betammaribe known as Tata Somba are all within an...
and
TanguiétaTanguiéta is a commune and town located in the Atakora Department of Benin. As of 2007 it had an estimated population of 21,290. It lies on the RNIE 3 highway which connects it to Natitingou....
, and famous sites to visit include the Tata Somba houses, the
Pendjari National ParkThe Pendjari National Park lies in north western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. Named for the Pendjari River, the national park is known for its wildlife, including elephants, monkeys, lions, hippopotamuses, buffalo and various antelopes and most prominently birds.The...
, and various wateralls.
In 1999 the southern part of Atakora was split off to form the new
Donga DepartmentDonga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Donga was created in 1999 when the government split up the original six departments into twelve. Donga was split from Atakora. The capital of Donga is Djougou. The total area is 10,691 km.² or 4,128mi.²....
.
Only primary education is free in the Atakora province of Benin.
Atakora is the northwestern
department||Benin is divided into 12 departments , and subdivided into 77 communes. In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12...
of
BeninBenin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin....
, bordering
TogoTogo is a country in West Africa bordering Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located...
to the west and
Burkina FasoBurkina Faso , also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a landlocked nation in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the south west.Its size is 274,000 km² with an...
to the north. Also, it borders the departments of
AliboriAlibori is the largest and northernmost départements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 km² and a population of 355,950 . The department is subdivided into 6 communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Banikoara, Gogounou, Kandi, Karimama, Malanville, and Segbana. The department borders...
,
BorgouBorgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori, Atakora, Collines and Donga. The capital of Borgou is Parakou and the total area is 25,310km.² or 9,772 mi.²....
, and
DongaDonga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Donga was created in 1999 when the government split up the original six departments into twelve. Donga was split from Atakora. The capital of Donga is Djougou. The total area is 10,691 km.² or 4,128mi.²....
. It is the most mountainous region of Benin, and the birth place of the president,
Mathieu KérékouMathieu Kérékou, also known as Ahmed Kérékou, was President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006. After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 17 years, for most of that time under an officially Marxist ideology, before he was stripped of his powers by the...
. It is a much drier area of the country than the south, with 3 major seasons, a rainy season that runs from May or June to September or October, a
HarmattanThe Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March ....
season of cool, dry winds that runs from October or November to February, and a hot, Famine season that runs from February to April.
Atakora is divided into the communes of
BoukoumbéBoukoumbé is a town in north western Benin on the border with Togo. It is known for its market, its whipping ceremony and for its tradition of pipe making. Mount Kousso-Kovangou, the highest point in Benin, lies nearby.-External links:*...
,
Cobly Cobly or Kobli is a town and commune in the Atakora Department of north-western Benin....
,
Kérou,
KouandéKouandé is a town located in the Atakora Department of Benin.Kouandé is located within the arrondissement of Kouandé, in turn located within the commune of Kouandé....
,
Matéri Matéri is a town and commune in the Atakora Department of north-western Benin...
,
NatitingouNatitingou is a town in north western Benin. It is about 50 km from Benin's Pendjari National Park, where tourists can see West African wildlife during the months of December through June. The Falls of Tanougou and great mud castles of the Betammaribe known as Tata Somba are all within an...
,
PehonkoPéhonko is a town located in the Atakora Department of Benin....
,
TanguiétaTanguiéta is a commune and town located in the Atakora Department of Benin. As of 2007 it had an estimated population of 21,290. It lies on the RNIE 3 highway which connects it to Natitingou....
, and
Toucountouna Toucountouna is a town and commune in the Atakora Department of north-western Benin...
.
Major towns in the Atakora include
DjougouDjougou is the largest city in north west Benin, with a population of 228,314 people. It is an important market town....
,
NatitingouNatitingou is a town in north western Benin. It is about 50 km from Benin's Pendjari National Park, where tourists can see West African wildlife during the months of December through June. The Falls of Tanougou and great mud castles of the Betammaribe known as Tata Somba are all within an...
and
TanguiétaTanguiéta is a commune and town located in the Atakora Department of Benin. As of 2007 it had an estimated population of 21,290. It lies on the RNIE 3 highway which connects it to Natitingou....
, and famous sites to visit include the Tata Somba houses, the
Pendjari National ParkThe Pendjari National Park lies in north western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. Named for the Pendjari River, the national park is known for its wildlife, including elephants, monkeys, lions, hippopotamuses, buffalo and various antelopes and most prominently birds.The...
, and various wateralls.
In 1999 the southern part of Atakora was split off to form the new
Donga DepartmentDonga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Donga was created in 1999 when the government split up the original six departments into twelve. Donga was split from Atakora. The capital of Donga is Djougou. The total area is 10,691 km.² or 4,128mi.²....
.
Education
Only primary education is free in the Atakora province of Benin. Most students drop out before 7th grade because the cost of attendance is too high. The average, basic costs for tuition, fees, books, etc is approximately $150USD. This is a significant expense in a country where the average annual household income is only $500USD.