Aného

Aného
Aného
	A beach in Aného
	Aného Location in Togo
	Coordinates:6°14′0″N1°36′0″E/ 6.23333°N 1.60000°E
Country	Togo
Region	Maritime

Aného,previously known asAnecho,is a town in southeasternTogo,lying on theGulf of Guineanear the border ofBenin.Founded in the late 17th century by Ane people fleeing fromDenkyiraattacks inElmina(now in Ghana), Aného developed as a slave port and commercial center. It was the capital ofGerman Togolandfrom 1885 to 1887 and of the French occupation from 1914 to 1920. Aného remains an important intellectual center for Togo, though it has not grown as rapidly as Togo’s other major cities. Its estimated population in 2005 was 25,400.

It is situated 45 km east of the capitalLomé,between theAtlantic OceanandLake TogoinMaritime Region.Historically it was known asPetit Popoand it had aPortuguese slave market.The nearby town ofZebebecame the secondcapitalofGerman Togolandin 1887.^[1]It gradually declined in importance after the capital was transferred to Lomé in 1897, a decline exacerbated bycoastal erosion.

The town's main industries arefarmingandfishing,while it is still a center forVoodoo.Notable buildings includeAneho Protestant Church(built in 1895) andAneho Peter and Paul Church,cathedral of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Aného,dating from 1898. These buildings were together added to the UNESCO Tentative List on December 12, 2000, in the Cultural category.^[2]