Kétou

Sister cities

• Vauréal
• La Mothe-Achard

History

Kétou (Ketu) is said to have been founded by Ede, son of Sopasan and grandson of Oduduwa (also known as Odùduwà or Oòduà), who ruled the Yoruba kingdom of Ilé-Ifẹ̀ (also known as Ife) in present-day Nigeria. The oba (meaning 'king' or 'ruler' in the Yoruba language) is referred to as the Alákétu of Kétu. Most Gbe speaking people (Ewe, Adja, Fon, and speakers of Phla-Phera languages) trace their origins to Ketou. According to their oral history, Ketou was originally known as Ketume (in the sand). Alternatively, they also refer to Ketou as Amedzorfe (place of human origin). They were displaced by the Yoruba because the Yoruba had larger population and access to horses / cavalry from the north. Ketu North and Ketu South administrative districts in the Volta region of Ghana are named in remembrance of these peoples' origins from Ketou in Benin. The indigenes of these two districts are mainly Ewes. Ketou was conquered by Dahomey in 1886, and restored by the French Protectorate in 1893.

Most-observed species

• African Pygmy-Goose

  Nettapus auritus (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  2
• Malachite Kingfisher

  Corythornis cristatus (Pallas, 1764) · Aves
  2
• White-throated Bee-eater

  Merops albicollis Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  1
• Pied Kingfisher

  Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  1
• Lizard Buzzard

  Kaupifalco monogrammicus (Temminck, 1824) · Aves
  1
• Pied Crow

  Corvus albus Statius Muller, 1776 · Aves
  1
• Yellow-crowned Gonolek

  Laniarius barbarus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  1
• Common Bulbul

  Pycnonotus barbatus (Desfontaines, 1789) · Aves
  1

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2009-09-11
  13 km NNE of Abomey-Calavi, Benin