View source for Aflao

{{short description|Town in Volta Region, Ghana}}
{{Use Ghanaian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
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| official_name          = Aflao
| other_name             =
| native_name            =  <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| nickname               =
| settlement_type        = [[Border town]]
| motto                  =
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| image_skyline          = Aflao Border view.jpg
| imagesize              = 250
| image_caption          = View of Aflao and the [[Ghana–Togo border]]
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| pushpin_map            = Ghana <!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
|pushpin_label_position = bottom
|pushpin_map_caption    = Location in [[Volta Region]]
<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = {{flag|Ghana}}
| subdivision_type1      = [[Regions of Ghana|Region]]
| subdivision_name1      = [[Volta Region]]
| subdivision_type2      = [[Districts of Ghana|District]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[Ketu South District]]
| subdivision_type3      =
| subdivision_name3      =
| subdivision_type4      =
| subdivision_name4      =
<!-- Politics ----------------->
| government_footnotes   = <ref name="mayor">{{cite news|last=Kpodo|first=E.|url=https://gna.org.gh/2024/02/choose-peace-maxwell-lugudor-appeals-to-ketu-south-chiefs/|title=Choose peace: Maxwell Lugudor appeals to Ketu South chiefs|date=13 February 2024|publisher=[[Ghana News Agency]]|access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>
| government_type        =
| leader_title           = Municipal chief
| leader_name            = Hon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor
| leader_title1          =  <!-- for places with, say, both a mayor and a city manager -->
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| area_blank1_km2          =
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<!-- Population   ----------------------->
| population_as_of               = 2012
| population_footnotes           = <ref name="World Gazetteer">{{cite web|url=http://bevoelkerungsstatistik.de/wg.php?x=1170623253&men=gcis&lng=de&dat=32&geo=-85&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=x |title=World Gazetteer online |publisher=World-gazetteer.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111172126/http://bevoelkerungsstatistik.de/wg.php?x=1170623253&men=gcis&lng=de&dat=32&geo=-85&srt=npan&col=aohdq&pt=c&va=x |archive-date=2012-01-11 }}</ref><ref name="2010 census">{{cite report|url=https://www2.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/2010_District_Report/Volta/Ketu%20South.pdf|title=2010 population & housing census (Ketu South District)|date=2014|publisher=[[Ghana Statistical Service]]|access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>{{rp|4,32}}
| population_note                = Ranked 28th in Ghana
| population_total               = 66,546
| population_density_km2         =
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| population_blank1_title        = Ethnicities
| population_blank1              = {{hlist|[[Ewe people|Ewe]]|[[Akan people|Akan]]|[[Ga-Adangbe people|Ga-Adangbe]]}}
| population_blank2_title        = Religions
| population_blank2              = {{hlist|Christianity|Islam|[[Traditional African religions#West Africa|traditional African religions]]}}
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<!-- General information  --------------->
| timezone               = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
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| coordinates            = {{coord|06|08|48.4|N|01|10|47.6|E|region:GH|display=inline}}
| elevation_footnotes    =  <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
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<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
| postal_code_type       = [[Postal codes in Ghana|Postal district]] <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code            = VZ
| area_code_type         = [[Telephone numbers in Ghana|Area code]]
| area_code              = +233 (3625)
| blank_name             = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info             = ''[[tropical savanna climate|Aw]]''
| blank1_name            =
| blank1_info            =
| website                = {{Official website|name=ketusouth.gov.gh}}
| footnotes              =
}}

'''Aflao''' is a [[border town]] in the [[Ketu South District]] in the [[Volta Region]] of [[Ghana]] on the [[Ghana–Togo border|border]] with [[Togo]].<ref name="town's location">{{cite report|last1=Morris|first1=G.|last2=Dadson|first2=J.|url=https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACK109.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061009034905/http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACK109.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 October 2006|title=Ghana: Cross-border Trade Issues|date=2000|publisher=[[USAID]]|access-date=24 August 2024}}</ref><ref name="2010 census"/>  Aflao is the twenty-eighth most populous [[Human settlement|settlement]] in Ghana, in terms of population, with a population of 66,546 people (according to a 2012 estimate).<ref name="World Gazetteer"/> The current municipal chief of Aflao is Hon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor.<ref name="mayor"/>

== History ==
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 Realm|Danish]] to the [[British Empire|British]] in 1850 due to [[slavery]] ending. In 1879, The British added Aflao into the [[Gold Coast (British Colony)|Gold Coast]] after initially not being included.{{sfn|Mikhailov|Garrard|2021|p=148}}
During the late twentieth century, the border became a site of reincurring tensions. At the peak of the [[History of Ghana#Rawlings era|1982-83 revolution]], the town was under constant surveillance as border
guards and [[Cadre (politics)|cadre]]s attempted to enforce a [[curfew]]. During this time, from 1986 to 1987, Togolese officers installed a fence along the border's southern stretch after attacks from Ghanaian insurgents.{{sfn|Mikhailov|Garrard|2021|p=149}}

== Economy ==
[[File:ASC Leiden - NSAG - van Es 16b - 009 - A parking lot and an office building "Ghana customs office and excise" - Aflao, Ghana - 21 February 1962.tif|thumb|left|220px|Customs office in Aflao (1962)]]
The [[Diamond Cement Ghana Limited]] factory is located at Aflao.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/artikel.php?ID=291764 | title=Production slumps at Diamond Cement | date=12 November 2013 | publisher=ghanaweb.com | access-date=26 February 2014}}</ref> In early 2014, a 2.5&nbsp;km rail siding was completed to connect the cement works to the port of [[Lomé]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Anane|first=M.|url=https://graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/18126-rail-line-linking-diamond-cement-lome-port-completed.html|title=Rail line linking Diamond Cement, Lome Port completed|date=22 February 2014|publisher=Graphic Online|access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref> This siding crosses the border from [[Togo]] to [[Ghana]] and is of the {{RailGauge|1000mm|lk=on}} gauge. The total average annually volume of trade that goes through the border crossing, from data in 1996, is {{convert|24,876,651|kilogram}}.<ref name="town's location"/>{{rp|18}}

== Demographics ==
{{historical population
|align = left
|source = Ghana Statistical Service.{{efn|'''Sources''': 2000 census,<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www2.statsghana.gov.gh/nada/index.php/catalog/3|title="Population of Regions and Districts Report (2000)|publisher=Ghana Statistical Service|volume=1|p=126|access-date=20 July 2024}}</ref> 2010 and 2012 estimates<ref name="World Gazetteer"/>}}
|1984|20,904
|2000|38,927
|2010*|56,988
|2012*|66,546
|footnote = *Estimate
}}
As of a 2012 estimate, Aflao has a population of 66,546 people.<ref name="World Gazetteer"/> Most of the population is religious, with the largest religion being Christianity. Other popular religions include Islam and [[Traditional African religions#West Africa|traditional African religions]]. Historically, Aflao people believed in one universal goddess named [[Mawu]], which is believed to be all powerful and everywhere.<ref name="2010 census"/>{{rp|32,4}} The majority of the population is [[Ewe people|Ewe]], followed by the [[Akan people|Akan]] and [[Ga-Adangbe people|Ga-Adangbe]] people.<ref name="2010 census"/>{{rp|4}}

== Administration ==
{{further|Ketu South (Ghana parliament constituency)}}
The town's municipality has a [[Mayor–council government|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 District|Ketu South Municipal Assembly]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/ghana/10487.pdf|title=A Guide to District Assemblies in Ghana|publisher=Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Ghana|pages=37,38|date=2010|isbn=9988572131|access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref> As of 2024, the current mayor of the municipal is Hon. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor.<ref name="mayor"/>

== Geography ==
Aflao is located on the eastern coast of Ghana and is a major border town neighboring [[Togo]].<ref name="town's location"/>{{rp|10}}

=== Municipality area ===
The town is also located in the [[Ketu South Municipal District]], which has a total land area of {{convert|779|sqkm|sqmi}}. 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.<ref name="2010 census"/>{{rp|1}}

=== Climate ===
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 {{convert|850|to|1000|mm|ft|abbr=on}} while the mean monthly temperatures are usually from {{convert|24|to|30|C|F|abbr=on}}.<ref name="2010 census"/>{{rp|1,2}}

== Culture ==
Aflao is located in the Aflao traditional area{{efn|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]])<ref>{{cite thesis|last=Awuah-Nyamekye|first=S.|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/20077819.pdf|title=Managing the Environmental Crisis in Ghana: The role of African Traditional Religion and Culture—A case study of Berekum Traditional Area|publisher=University of Leeds|oclc=883285669|access-date=5 August 2024}}</ref>}} has [[Togbui Amenya Fiti V]] as its [[paramount chief]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Togbui|first1=Fiti|title=Togbui Fiti Appeals For Gov't Intervention In Aflao Dispute|url=http://www.spyghana.com/togbui-fiti-appeals-govt-intervention-aflao-dispute/|publisher=Spyghana|access-date=6 October 2014}}</ref> He is the traditional ruler of the land and performs traditional administrative and ceremonial functions in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Language Ideology and Practice on the Aflao-Lome Borderland: The Case of two Border School|url=https://tandfonline.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617063542/http://www.tandfonline.com:80/ |archive-date=2011-06-17 }}</ref>

==Transport==
At the border crossing, the most popular mode of transportation is [[cart|pushcart]]s, followed by trucks/[[Trailer (vehicle)|cargo truck]]s.<ref name="town's location"/>{{rp|11}}

== Healthcare ==
{{also|List of hospitals in the Volta Region}}
Aflao is home to a port health unit, a 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ghana.iom.int/news/iom-supports-government-handling-public-health-emergencies-main-land-borders|title=IOM supports Government with handling public health emergencies at main land borders|publisher=[[International Organization for Migration|IOM Ghana]]|date=17 June 2023|access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>

== Notable people ==
<!--If you are going to add items to this list, make sure to include a reference per WP:RELIABILITY-->
{{dynamic list|date=1 September 2024}}
* [[Dzifa Gomashie]] (born 1965), former Deputy Minister of Tourism<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://citinewsroom.com/2019/08/ketu-south-dzifa-gomashie-wins-primary-in-ndcs-world-bank/|title=Ketu-South: Dzifa Gomashie wins primary in NDC's 'World Bank'|date=2019-08-24|publisher=Citinewsroom|language=en-US|access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>
* [[Joseph Kossivi Ahiator]] (born 1956), artist<ref>{{Citation|title=Mami Wata|date=2009|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412964623.n256|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of African Religion|access-date=14 September 2024|place=Thousand Oaks, California|publisher=SAGE Publications|doi=10.4135/9781412964623.n256|isbn=9781412936361|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
* [[Komla Dumor]] (1972-2014), journalist<ref>{{cite web|title=Body of Komla Dumor arrives in Ghana|url=http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2014/February-3rd/body-of-komla-dumor-arrives-in-ghana.php|date=3 February 2014|publisher=myjoyonline.com|access-date=14 September 2024}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Godigbe festival]]
* [[Railway stations in Togo]]
* [[Railway stations in Ghana]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|editor-last1=Mikhailov|editor-first1=E.|editor-last2=Garrard|editor-first2=J.|date=2021|title=Twin Cities across Five Continents: Interactions and Tensions on Urban Borders|chapter=11|pages=147-158|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=9781000479119}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* {{Commons-inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Aflao}}

{{coord|06|08|48.4|N|01|10|47.6|E|region:GH|display=title}}

{{geographic location
|Centre = Aflao
|N = {{flag|Togo}}
|S = [[Gulf of Guinea]] ([[Atlantic Ocean]])
|E = {{flag|Togo}}
|W = [[Denu]]
}}
{{GhanaLargestCities|state=collapsed}}
{{portal bar|Africa}}
{{Authority Control}}

[[Category:Populated places in the Volta Region]]
[[Category:Ghana–Togo border crossings]]