Atakora Department

Atakora
Department
Map highlighting the Atakora Department
Coordinates: 10°18′N 1°23′E / 10.300°N 1.383°E / 10.300; 1.383
Country	Benin
Capital	Natitingou
Area [1]
• Total	20,499 km2 (7,915 sq mi)
Population  (2013 census)
• Total	769,337
• Density	38/km2 (97/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)

Atakora [a.ta.kɔ.ʁa] (also spelled Atacora, named for the Atakora Mountains) is the northwesternmost department of Benin. Externally it borders Togo to the west and Burkina Faso to the north; internally it borders the departments of Alibori, Borgou and Donga. Major towns in the Atakora include Natitingou and Tanguiéta, and the major tourist areas include the Tata Somba houses, Pendjari National Park, and various waterfalls. The department of Atakora was bifurcated in 1999, with its southern territory removed to form the newly created Donga Department. The capital of Atakora Department is Natitingou, which lies among the Atakora Mountains.

As of 2013^[update], the total population of the department was 772,262, with 380,448 males and 391,814 females. The proportion of women was 50.70%. The total rural population was 62.80%, while the urban population was 37.20%. The total labour force in the department was 170,333, of which 27.20% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 72.80%.