Kpalimé

Kpalimé is a city situated in the Plateaux Region of Togo, positioned 120 km north of Lomé and 15 km from the border with Ghana. Functioning as the administrative capital of Kloto Prefecture, the settlement supports a population of 75,084, ranking as the fourth-biggest town in the country after Lomé, Sokodé, and Kara.

Originally known as Agomé-Kpalimé among the villages of the Agomé people, the location derives its name from Mokpalipé, meaning crossroads. Early settlers chose the site for its potential for expansion and communication near the Kpegolo River. The community later came into contact with Hausa traders traversing the area with caravans, which established commercial roots that expanded during the colonial era when administrative services and infrastructure were introduced by German, British, and French administrations.

Urban infrastructure includes a cathedral, a scientific lycée, a post-office, banks, medical centres, pharmacies, cyber-cafés, and petrol stations. The town's historical architecture is concentrated primarily in the Domé district, which serves as the town center and contains extant colonial buildings alongside the terminus of the former Lomé–Kpalimé railway branch opened in 1907.

Linguistic patterns reflect a mixture of regional identities and official administration. Ewe functions as the primary local language and lingua franca across southern Togo, while northern languages such as Kabiye, Nawdm, and Tem are also widely spoken due to southern migration. French serves as the official language utilized by those who have attended school.