| Mount Agou | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 986 m (3,235 ft) |
| Prominence | 757 m (2,484 ft) |
| Coordinates | 6°52′N0°45′E / 6.867°N 0.750°E /6.867; 0.750[1] |
| Geography | |
  Mount Agou Location of Mount Agou in Togo | |
| Location | Plateaux Region,Togo |
Mount Agou (French:Mont Agou, earlier known asBaumannspitze or Baumann Peak) is the highestmountain inTogo at 986 metres (3,235 ft).[2] It is situated to the south east ofKpalimé in thePlateaux Region of Togo. The mountain lies close to the border withGhana; this country can be seen from the summit.
Mount Agou is part of an extreme western outlier of theAtakora Mountains that cross neighbouringBenin.[3] Within the Togolese borders, this range is sometimes called theTogo Mountains. Together with these mountains, Mount Agou forms part of theDahomeyide Orogen, an area that was uplifted in anorogenic process when theWest African Craton bumped into theBenin-Nigerian Shield. The internalsuture zone of this belt contains several isolatedmassifs that are oriented in North-South direction. Mount Agou is part of one of these massifs which, depending on the scientific classification, is either called theLato-Agou Massif (together with nearbyLato Hill) or theAhito-Agou Massif (together withMount Ahito).[4][5][6]
Although geologically part of these structures, Mount Agou presents itself as aninselberg, rising abruptly above the relatively flatDanyi Plateau with a drop of around 700 metres (2,300 ft).[7] It stands on a base ofcharnockiticigneous rock from theNeoproterozoic Era. The mountain itself is mainly made up ofamphibolite,pyroxenites andgabbro,[8] and contains deposits ofbauxite.[9][10]
Historically, the region is inhabited byEwe people. In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century,Adangme refugees settled at Mount Agou, fleeing from slave traders.[11] In1870,Ashanti troops tried to subdue the area, but were pushed back by the villages on the mountain. For this reason, the mountain is still seen as a symbol of resistance.[12]
In times of the German protectorateTogoland, the mountain was called Baumann Peak (Baumannspitze), named after geographerOscar Baumann.[13] A mythical narration tells that when the Germans arrived in nearbyNaviè village, they made an agreement to buy what can fit into a sheepskin. They then cut a skin in pieces and surrounded the mountain with them. This story is similar to the traditional tale of the foundation ofCarthage byDido.[12]
Near the top of Mount Agou, the remains of military installations from both the German era and fromFrench Togoland can be seen. These include a French military hospital from World War II. Memorial stones have been laid on the mountain that refer to these periods.
In 1955, thecacao swollen shoot virus entered Togo from Ghana through the cocoa fields around Mount Agou. A particularly virulant variant of the virus was called "Agou 1".[14]
In the 2000s there were plans for commercial exploitation of the bauxite deposits on the mountain, which were met with protests from local environmental organisations.[12] In the present day, the summit area is used for communications; the equipment includes an antenna on the mountain top.
The slopes are lined with several villages and withcocoa andcoffee fields that are interspersed withbanana plants and other fruit trees. There is a paved road to the top that can be travelled by motorbike or car. Most tourists however prefer to take the unpaved footpaths that are used by the local population to commute between the villages and to the fields. These paths cross several streams, and pass by a waterfall. Depending on where one leaves the paved road, the walk to the summit can take from a few minutes to up to 3 hours. There are several check points in the area, and local authorities charge a fee from tourists wishing to climb the mountain.
Occasionally, a fullmarathon is organised under auspices of the Togo Leading Athletics Association that includes a climb to the top of Mount Agou.[15]
The mountain and the surrounding areas were densely covered with rainforest in the past, with strong biological connections from Mount Agou to the rest of the Atakora chain. Starting from the second half of the twentieth century, strong deforestation has taken place for logging and agriculture, associated with considerable biodiversity loss, leaving only patches of original forest on isolated spots along the mountain slopes.[16] Nevertheless, biological research has been done, for example on butterflies (Heliconiinae,[17]Papilionoidea,Hesperioidea[16]) and onPteridophytes.[18]
Anexoplanet (planet orbiting another star) has the nameAgouto, which is derived from Mount Agou. It circles the starWASP-64 at a distance of 1200 lightyears in the constellation ofCanis Major It received its name from Togolese amateur astronomers in theNameExoWorlds contest of 2019, organised by theInternational Astronomical Union.[19]
it rises to 3,235 feet (986 metres) and is the highest point in Togo.
