Sokodé
Sokodé | |
|---|---|
 Downtown Sokodé | |
  Sokodé Location in Togo | |
| Coordinates:8°59′N1°08′E/ 8.983°N 1.133°E | |
| Country |  Togo |
| Region | Centrale Region |
| Prefecture | Tchaoudjo |
| Elevation | 340 m (1,120 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 189,000 |
Sokodéis the second largest city inTogo,with a population of about 189,000.[1]It is a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural areas, and seat of theTchaoudjo PrefectureandCentrale Region.It is in the center of the country, 339 kilometres (211 mi) north ofLomé,between theMoandMonorivers. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious city, but is dominated byIslam.The ethnic majority are Kotokolis, who live alongside Muslims.
History
[edit]
Ancient indigenous stock of the region mixed with more recent migrants ofGurma,from the eastern part of theNiger Bend,betweenOuagadougouandNiamey,who brought the political system of chiefdoms with them.[2]Added to this structure were Sudanese traders and craftsmen (theMandinka,fromhistoric Mali) andHausa,a dynamic force since the 16th century. By choosing, in late 1897, to establish an outpost at Sokodé,Germansentrenched the role of the now dominant Kotokoli chiefdoms.
The city developed in precolonial times as a commercial crossroads on theKola nutroute betweenGhanaandBenin.Currently it is center on the only north-south road in Togo, linking the capital Lomé toBurkina Faso.Urbanization accelerated during colonization. The city consists of older villages that have now become neighborhoods.[2]
Sokodé continues to be governed by a system balanced between a municipal administration and traditional chiefs. Historically, the chiefs of various villages were included in a leadership council, the Tchaoudjo.
Geography
[edit]
Sokodé's region is characterized by a dense network of rivers and hilly terrain. The two main rivers are the Kpondjo and Kpandi, which flow into the Na which in turn feeds theMono River.The border between the Mono and theVolta Riverdrainage basinsis located a few kilometers north of the city. It is now in the catchment of theriver Mô.
Demographics
[edit]
Sokodé is the city with the highest proportion of Muslims in Togo. 70% of the population is Muslim and the remaining 30% areChristians,mostlyCatholics.Sokodé is home to theTempeople and most people in Sokodé speakKotokoli(or Tem). The ethnonym Kotokoli is the name that was given to these speakers by traders of the Niger Bend. Many other languages are spoken in Togo, especiallyEwé,the dominant language of the south, andKabyé,dominant language of theKara region,further north. The Kotokoli and Kabyè languages are closely related.
From the standpoint of urban landscape, the city can be divided into two parts: the center, with high density traditional housing, and the suburbs, with housing becoming progressively less dense as one moves away from the center. Modern materials have been increasingly replacing traditional materials (mudbrick).
Climate
[edit]Situated at an average altitude of 340 metres or 1,120 feet, midway between the ocean and the Sahel strip, Sokodé experiences atropical savanna climate(KöppenAw), with two distinct seasons: the rainy season, which lasts from April to October, peaking from July to September and the dry season from November to March. The rainfall is between 1,200 and 1,500 mm (47 and 59 in) per year and the number of rainy days varies between 100 and 130. The average temperature is 26 °C (79 °F) (1961–1990). The evaporation rate is high, estimated at 1,500 mm (59 in) / year, and is particularly marked in theharmattanperiod from November to January. The humidity is very variable, and depends on all the above factors.
| Climate data for Sokodé (1991–2020, extremes 1901–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.5 (104.9) |
41.0 (105.8) |
40.5 (104.9) |
40.5 (104.9) |
38.0 (100.4) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.5 (101.3) |
38.0 (100.4) |
35.7 (96.3) |
40.5 (104.9) |
39.9 (103.8) |
38.0 (100.4) |
41.0 (105.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 34.8 (94.6) |
36.3 (97.3) |
36.5 (97.7) |
34.7 (94.5) |
33.0 (91.4) |
31.1 (88.0) |
29.6 (85.3) |
29.0 (84.2) |
30.2 (86.4) |
32.2 (90.0) |
34.5 (94.1) |
34.4 (93.9) |
33.0 (91.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.0 (80.6) |
28.8 (83.8) |
29.8 (85.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
27.8 (82.0) |
26.5 (79.7) |
25.6 (78.1) |
25.3 (77.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
26.3 (79.3) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
27.1 (80.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 19.2 (66.6) |
21.4 (70.5) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.6 (72.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
21.5 (70.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
21.3 (70.3) |
21.2 (70.2) |
19.3 (66.7) |
18.5 (65.3) |
21.2 (70.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.0 (50.0) |
11.0 (51.8) |
15.8 (60.4) |
18.0 (64.4) |
18.0 (64.4) |
16.0 (60.8) |
16.0 (60.8) |
16.8 (62.2) |
15.5 (59.9) |
16.0 (60.8) |
11.0 (51.8) |
10.0 (50.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
| Averageprecipitationmm (inches) | 4.3 (0.17) |
13.0 (0.51) |
38.8 (1.53) |
101.6 (4.00) |
119.4 (4.70) |
149.0 (5.87) |
219.5 (8.64) |
258.3 (10.17) |
249.5 (9.82) |
111.3 (4.38) |
13.3 (0.52) |
0.9 (0.04) |
1,278.9 (50.35) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.4 | 1.1 | 4.6 | 8.7 | 11.9 | 13.9 | 18.8 | 21.4 | 19.9 | 11.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 113.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity(%) | 35 | 49 | 64 | 71 | 76 | 82 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 80 | 69 | 54 | 70 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 262.9 | 243.1 | 235.0 | 214.7 | 220.2 | 174.8 | 124.7 | 110.4 | 135.5 | 213.9 | 250.6 | 256.0 | 2,441.8 |
| Source 1:NOAA(sun 1961-1990),[3][4] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Deutscher Wetterdienst(humidity 1961-1990)[5]Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[6] | |||||||||||||
Economy
[edit]The economy of Sokodé is dominated by transport, trade and handicrafts. There is little industrial activity, like cotton ginning and sugar processing.[7]
Farmers grow primarilycorn,cassava,yams,pepperandbeans,and many gardeners and farmers live on the periphery of Sokodé. They have herds of cows in the fields. Meanwhile, nomadicFulanifrequently pass near Sokodé, with their herds ofzebuen route between Burkina Faso and Nigeria.
The vegetables are grown especially along the Kpondjo and Inusayo rivers. Most agricultural areas are floodplains, with growers beginning cultivation following the rainy season.
Culture
[edit]Festivals
[edit]
'Gadao-Adossa-Kosso':the main Kotokoli festival consists of three days of festivities, from Friday to Sunday. Celebrated the evening before Adossa, Gadao's function is to thank the ancestors for abundant harvests. Adossa, or the Festival of Knives, is an initiation rite originating with Semassi warriors who demonstrate their strength and courage by undergoing physical challenges. The next day is Kosso, the Festival of Women, in which women dance in the Municipal Park in Sokodé City.
Among others, major festivals are held by different Sokodé clans. In most festivals traditional dancers are invited from the region, as well as riders mimicking the Semassi warriors, spinning at full speed in the middle of the crowd.
Places of worship
[edit]Among theplaces of worship,they are predominantlyMuslimmosques.[8]There are alsoChristianchurches and temples:Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokodé(Catholic Church),Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo(World Communion of Reformed Churches),Togo Baptist Convention(Baptist World Alliance),Living Faith Church Worldwide,Redeemed Christian Church of God,Assemblies of God.[9]
Sport
[edit]The town is home toAC Semassi F.C.who play at theStade Municipalas do theTchaoudjo Athlétic Club.
Notable people
[edit]- Kotokro- the founder of Sokodé.
- Zarifou Ayéva- politician
- Mohamed Kader- footballer
- Edem Kodjo- formerPrime Minister of Togo
- Assimiou Touré- footballer
- Arissou Traorè- footballer
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^"Sokodé - Population - CityFacts".
- ^abBarbier Jean-Claude, Klein Bernard, 1995,Sokodé, ville multicentrée du Nord-Togo – Petit atlas urbain,Orstom Editions
- ^"Climate Normals 1991–2020".World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved28 September2023.
- ^ "Sokode Climate Normals 1961–1990".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Retrieved18 December2018.
- ^ "Klimatafel von Sokodé/Tchauodjo / Togo"(PDF).Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world(in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst.Retrieved18 December2018.
- ^ "Station Sokode"(in French). Météo Climat.Retrieved18 December2018.
- ^Britannica, Sokodé,britannica.com, USA, accessed on June 30, 2019
- ^Britannica,Sokodé,britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019
- ^J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ‘‘Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices’’, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 2875-2877
8°59′N1°08′E/ 8.983°N 1.133°E
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