Biguina | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 8°44′N1°38′E / 8.733°N 1.633°E Coordinates: 8°44′N1°38′E / 8.733°N 1.633°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Department | Donga Department |
Commune | Bassila |
Arrondissement | Bassila |
Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
Biguina is a community or village in the commune of Bassila in the Donga Department of northwestern Benin. It is located near the border with Togo and it sits on Benin's Route Nationale 3, one of the two main north-south highways in the country.
Biguina is composed of four small villages. The four villages are situated in a line along the highway, each spaced one to two kilometers apart. From north to south, Biguina's constituent villages are Koiwali, Biguina 1 (Akpassa), Biguina 2, and Biguina 3. Biguina 1, usually known to the residents as Akpassa, is the largest of the four villages. It is home to a majority of the total population, to the village's weekly market, and to the community health center.
Biguina 1 is located 28 km south of the commune capital town of Bassila. Koiwali is 2 km to the north of Biguina 1. Biguina 2 is a kilometer south of Biguina 1 and Biguina 3 is a further 2 km. Other nearby villages include Prekete (12 km to the south), Aworo (6 km to the north), Kamboli, Togo (8 km to the southwest), and Balanka, Togo (10 km to the northwest).
The population of Biguina is uncertain, but likely in the range of 5,000 to 8,000 people. Approximately half of the total population resides in Biguina 1. Biguina 3 is the next largest of the four villages, with perhaps a quarter of the population, while Biguina 2 and Koiwali are both small.
A large majority of residents of Biguina are ethnic Lokpa (or Lukpa) who speak Lukpa. The Lokpa are closely related to the Kabye people who live in adjacent areas of Togo and speak Kabiye. Both Lukpa and Kabiye are members of the Gurunsi or Grusi branch of the Gur language group. Gur languages are widely spoken across Burkina Faso, northern Ghana, northern Togo, and northwestern Benin.
Biguina also has a significant resident Fulani (or Fula; French : Peul or Peuhl; Fula : Fulɓe) population. The resident Fulani primarily live in small villages or encampments located in the farmlands to the east and west of the main villages. In addition to these two main ethnic groups, there are small minorities of ethnic Nago and Fon.
Biguina was founded in the 1960s by Lokpa migrants from the Ouake area, the population center of the Lokpa ethnic group in Benin. Migrants cleared forest land and settled neighboring Aoro first, then settled Biguina later in the 1960s. The primary school in Biguina 1 was founded in 1972. Biguina 2, Biguina 3, and Koiwali were settled later.
Each of the four constituent villages of Biguina has a public primary school. There are two secondary schools, known as collèges d'enseignement général, or CEGs. CEG Sourou is located a kilometer north of Koiwali (at the far north end of Biguina). It was founded in 2004 to serve Biguina and Aoro. CEG Biguina is situated between Biguina 1 and Biguina 2. It was founded in 2010 to offer a more convenient location for students, most of whom walk to school. Both schools offer instruction through troisième classe, equivalent to ninth grade.
Biguina 1 has a community health center and an open-air village market, held every Tuesday. Each of four villages has a mosque. Biguina 1 has a Protestant evangelical church, a Catholic church, and a Christian Celeste church.
Biguina is part of the commune of Bassila and therefore falls under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Bassila.
Biguina also has a local governance structure, consisting of a village chief and council. The eight councillors (conseillers) and the chief (chef de village or délégué) each represent one of the neighborhoods (quartiers) of the village. They are elected locally by the villagers. Their most frequent responsibility is to mediate and resolve disputes. Additionally, they are responsible for organizing and supervising projects relating to the development of the village. For instance, the village council organized the construction of a new secondary school, CEG Biguina, in 2010.
Biguina 2, Biguina 3, and Koiwali have discussed splitting from Biguina 1 in 2014 to elect their own village councils and chiefs.
Biguina is a rural village with a primarily agricultural economy. It is a located in an agriculturally rich region of Benin. Nearly every crop that is grown in Benin is grown in Biguina. The major food crops are corn, African yams, and manioc. Corn and cashews are the two most important cash crops. Other important local crops include soybeans, beans, rice, sorghum, millet, tomatoes, okra, and cotton. Minor crops (in terms of cash value) include mangoes, bananas, papayas, shea nuts, palm nuts, Rônier palm fruits, and various leaf vegetables.
Commerce is also an important sector of the local economy. There are several small stores, and the village hosts an open-air market every Tuesday.
Biguina does not have electricity. Local homes do not have indoor running water, but the village does have a clean water supply. Biguina has a central diesel-powered water pump, which fills a water tower located on high ground in Biguina 2. From the tower, water flows to spigots located around the village.
The demographics of Benin include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
The Fula,Fulani, or Fulɓe people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa but also in South Sudan, Darfur, Eritrea, and regions near the Red Sea coast. The approximate number of Fula people is unknown due to clashing definitions regarding Fula ethnicity; various estimates put the figure between 55 and 69.2 million worldwide.
The Kabiye, also known as Kabye, Kabre, Cabrai', are a people living in the north central mountains and northern plains of Togo. They speak the Kabiye language. The Kabye are primarily known for farming and cultivation of harsh, dry, infertile lands of Togo. They grow cotton, millet and yams.
Yorubaland ; is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of 142,114 km2 or about 60% of the land area of Ghana. Of this, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Nigeria, 18.9% in Benin, and the remaining 6.5% is in Togo. Prior to today, a portion of this was known as Yoruba country. The geocultural space contains an estimated 55 million people, the overwhelming majority of this population being ethnic Yorubas.
Parakou is the largest city in northern Benin, with an estimated population of around 206,667 people, and capital of the Borgou Department. Administratively the commune of Parakou makes up one of Benin's 77 communes. Since 2015, its mayor is Souradjou Adamou Karimou.
The Lossos are an ethnic and linguistic group of people living in the Doufelgou District (Préfecture) of the Kara Region in Northern Togo, West Africa. The district capital is Niamtougou which is also an important regional market town. The Lossos live on a plateau in the Togo Mountains between two mountain ranges: the Kabiyé Mountains to the South and the Défalé Chain to the North. They occupy the communities of Niamtougou, Koka, Baga, Ténéga, Siou, Djogrergou, Sioudouga, Kpadeba, Hago, Koukou, and Kounfaga. The Doufelgou District is bordered by the Kozah District to the South, by the Binah District to the East, by the Bassar District to the West, by the Kéran District to the North, and by the international border with Bénin to the Northeast.
Donga is one of the twelve departments of Benin; its capital is Djougou, the fourth largest city in the country. The department of Donga was created in 1999 when it was split off from Atakora Department. Donga is subdivided into five communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Bassila, Copargo, Djougou Rural, Djougou Urban and Ouaké.
Bassila is a town, arrondissement, and commune located in the Donga Department of Benin. The commune covers an area of 120 square kilometres and as of 2013 had a population of 130,770 people.
Tchaourou is a commune, arrondissement, and city located in the Borgou Department of Benin, a country in Western Africa, formerly known as Dahomey. It is the birthplace of former Beninese president Yayi Boni. It is 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of Parakou.
Kabiye is an Eastern Gurunsi Gur language spoken primarily in northern Togo. Throughout the 20th century, there was extensive migration to the centre and south of Togo and also to Ghana and Benin. Kabiye speakers made up over 23% of the Togolese population in 1999.
Gogounou is a town, arrondissement and commune in the Alibori Department of Benin, about 35 kilometres south of Kandi. The commune covers an area of 4910 square kilometres and as of 2013 had a population of 117,793 people.
Kara is a city in northern Togo, situated in Kara Region, 413 km north of the capital Lomé. Kara is the capital of the Kara region and, according to the 2010 census, had a population of 94,878. The Kara River flows through the city and is its main resource of water. The city developed from the 1970s onwards from the village originally known as Lama-Kara. Its growth was largely due to the influence of the previous Togolese head of state Gnassingbé Eyadéma who was born in the nearby village of Pya and understood Kara's strategic position at a crossroads of two trade routes.
The languages of the African Union are languages used by citizens within the member states of the African Union (AU). For languages of the institution, see African Union: Languages.
The Lambas are an ethnic and linguistic group of people living in the Kéran and Doufelgou Districts (Préfecture) of the Kara Region in Northern Togo and in the Atakora and Donga Departments of Bénin, West Africa. The capital of the Kéran District is Kanté and the capital of the Doufelgou District is Niamtougou.
Aworo is a village in the commune of Bassila in the Donga Department of western Benin. It is located near the border with Togo. Le village du feu MAHAMADOU COULIBALY. CRÉE PAR DEGUENON en 1910. Les habitants sont des Nagots, réjouint après par les Lokpa. Le chef du village actuel s appelle. SABI ADAM SAIDOU. LE CHEF COUTUMIER est ABOUDOU SONGA.
Bodi is a village in the commune of Bassila in the Donga Department of western Benin. It is located near the border with Togo. Bodi has a population of 10,221.
Farimaké is a commune of the Cercle of Youwarou in the Mopti Region of Mali. The local government is based in the village of Gathi-Loumbo. The commune covers an area of 3,148 km2. It is bounded to the west by the commune of Youwarou, to the north by the communes of Dianké, Léré and Alzounoub, to the east by the commune of Nampalari and to the south by the communes of Kareri, Toguéré Coumbé and Bimbere Tama. The commune lies to the west of the Issa-Ber, the larger of the two branches of the Niger River that flow out of Lake Débo. The commume contains 29 small villages and in 2009 had a population of 11,869. The largest ethnic group are the Fulani who make up more than 40 percent of the population.
Mont Sokbaro is a hill that is mostly cited as the highest point of Benin, with an elevation of 658 metres (2,159 ft). This designation is contested, as SRTM readings at coordinates 10°17′22″N1°32′38″E give an elevation of 672 metres (2,205 ft). This is a location 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) southeast of Kotoponga.
The Anii or Basila language is spoken in Benin, and central eastern Togo and central eastern Ghana. It is part of the geographic group of Ghana Togo Mountain languages of the Kwa branch of Niger–Congo.
Bougou is an arrondissement in the Donga department of Benin. It is an administrative division under the jurisdiction of the commune of Djougou. According to the population census conducted by the Institut National de la Statistique Benin on February 15, 2002, the arrondissement had a total population of 9 505.There are Yom, Lokpa, Fulani, Koura and Kotokoli languages in Bougou.