lingua-franca of southern Benin, while Ewe is spoken as a second language by those Aja living in Togo and Ghana. Due to severe land shortages in the densely populated Togolese-Beninois border region mentioned above, many Aja have migrated in recent years, seeking arable land for subsistence farming or work in urban centers. There are a significant number of Aja living throughout the coastal region of Benin and Togo, southern Nigeria and Gabon. The urban centers of Cotonou, Lome, Lagos and Libreville all have significant Aja migrant populations. The Aja, Fon, Ewe, Ga-Adangbe accounted for most of the people carried to the Americas from the Bight of Benin, Togo and Ghana in the transatlantic slave trade prior to the late eighteenth century (when Yoruba people became the more common captives from the region). Etymology Yoruba language- Ata: ado: mi - Now the village will grow and prosper Adja Tado was originally known as Azame. In ancient times there was a debilitating smallpox outbreak in Adja Tado resulting in a massive loss of life. A Yoruba traditional priest purified the town and stemmed the spread of the epidemic. He assured the survivors in his native Yoruba with those words and with the passage of time, Azame came to be known as Atado. References Further reading In the context of slavery: External links Aja and Fon people in images and stories Ethnic groups in Benin Ethnic groups in Togo