Mount Afadja, known as Afadjato to the

Ewe people The Ewe people (; , lit. "Ewe people"; or ''Mono Kple Amu (Volta) Tɔ́sisiwo Dome'', lit. "Between the Rivers Mono and Volta"; ''Eʋenyígbá'' Eweland) are a Gbe languages, Gbe-speaking ethnic group. The largest population of Ewe people is in G ...

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

and

Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

, is one of the highest mountains in Ghana. The summit is located in the

Volta Region Volta Region (or Volta) is one of Ghana's sixteen administrative regions, with Ho designated as its capital. It is located west of Republic of Togo and to the east of Lake Volta. Divided into 25 administrative districts, the region is multi- ...

, near the border with Togo, close to the villages of Liati Wote and Gbledi Gbogame in the Afadjato South District and

Hohoe Municipality Hohoe is a town and the district capital of Hohoe Municipality located in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is about from Ho, the regional capital and from Accra, the national capital. The population of Hohoe Municipality, according to the 2010 P ...

, respectively. It is about northeast of

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, and northwest of

Lomé Lomé ( , ) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Togo, largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437

. Part of the Agumatsa sub-range of the

West Africa Mountains West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

, its summit is often cited at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

, but in reality is only . The summit of

Mount Aduadu Mount Aduadu is a mountain in Ghana, standing at an elevation of c. . The mountain is located in the Agumatsa Range near the villages of Gblede, Liati Wote and Wli, in the Volta Region of Ghana at the border with Togo Togo, officially the To ...

() lies to the east, while Ghana's highest peak, Leklata, lies about 4.6 kilometers (2.9 miles) to the east. The mountain's name is "Afadja," while the suffix "-to" in the Ewe language means mountain. The correct name in the English language, therefore, would be "Mount Afadja", not "Mount Afadjato", which would be a repetition of the word "mountain" and the correct name in the French language would be "Mont Afadja", not "Mont Afadjato". According to legend, the Ewe people were beset by wild animal attacks when they first migrated to the area. In response, they fought back, overwhelming the animals and pursuing them as they retreated. This counterattack was stalled by an itching plant that prevented them from reaching the mountain to continue the battle. In the Ewe language, “afar” means “war”, “dja” means “plant”, and “to” means “mountain”. Additionally, there were creeping plants on the mountain that resembled the water yam plant, so they called the mountain “Avadze-to.” Over time, the word became palatalised into “Afadjato.” Mount Afadja is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the Volta Region of Ghana, welcoming thousands of visitors from around the globe annually. The nearby

Tagbo Falls Tagbo Falls is a waterfall near Mount Afadjato in Ghana, located at Liati Wote, approximately 27 kilometres east of the township of Hohoe. The water falls down in several stages, with the last stage being about 60 m. high. The area is surrounded ...

and Wli Falls (the highest in West Africa) are also popular tourist attractions. There are several caves, streams and other waterfalls in the area.

History

Mount Afadja derives its name from the Ewe Word “Avadzeto” which means at war with the bush. 'Afadja' is the name of the mountain whereas 'to' in the Ewe language means mountain therefore it is called 'Afadjato' by the indigenes. The correct name would be 'Mount Afadja' as 'Mount Afadjato' will be a repetition of the 'Mountain.' The mountain is located in the Agumatsa Range near the villages of Gbledi and Liati Wote. The lush green mountains of the ridge mark the country's border with Togo.

Tourist attractions

The nearby

and Wli Agumatsa Waterfalls (the highest in West Africa) are also considered tourist attractions. There are several caves, streams and other waterfalls in the area. There is a plant species on the mountainsides that causes severe irritation. Shielded by the tropical forests of Ghana, the mountain provides a home to many species of flora and fauna. More than 33 species of mammals and about 300 butterfly species live in the ecological region. Also, regularly spotted in the mountains is the Mona and spotted monkeys. People often come to climb the mountain or observe the surrounding beauty.

Location

The mountain is located in the Volta region, close to the Ghana-Togo border and Volta Lake on the east of Ghana.

References

{{Reflist Afadja Volta Region Highest points of countries