Cotonou . It is the main city and economic capital of Benin , it is also the largest city in the country and although the official capital is Porto-Novo, it is the headquarters of the national government. It is located in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué, around the Cotonou lagoon, specifically between the coordinates: 6 ° 21′36 ″ N 2 ° 26′24 ″ E, and has a population of 761,137 population.
Summary
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- 1 History
- 2 Geography
- 3 Population
- 4 Economy
- 5 Education
- 6 Source
History
In its beginnings, the current city of Cotonou was a small fishing town that evolved slowly, remaining without many changes until the beginning of the 19th century , before this date in the 18th century the city was dominated by the kingdom of Dahomey.
In 1851 the French colonialists obtained permission to establish a trading post in Cotonou, which was achieved through a treaty they signed with King Ghezo of Dahomey.
Years later, on May 19, 1868, Glele, the successor of Ghezo and the new monarch of the kingdom, signed a treaty through which he ceded the territory to France.
In 1883, due to the danger posed to France by the British conquests in the area, the French army occupied the city to avoid occupation by the English.
The name Cotonou means the mouth of the river of death in the Fon language.
Geography
The city is located in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué, around the Cotonou lagoon (which is actually a strait), specifically between the coordinates: 6 ° 21′36 ″ N 2 ° 26 ′ 24 ″ E,
Population
According to official data from the 2006 census, the city had 761,137 inhabitants by that date, however some unofficial estimates indicate that the city could have more than 1.2 million.
Economy
Cotonou is considered the economic capital of the country and has two-thirds of Benin’s industries, and the headquarters of the largest companies and banks in the country. Due to the development achieved by the city in the branch of transport and the infrastructures related to this economic activity, Cotonou has become the main communication center of the country and a central point for the commerce of West Africa . These infrastructures include the city’s airport, various road and rail communication routes as well as its important port which has made the city famous and is recognized as one of the largest in the entire region.
The city is called throughout the region “market city”, for all the facilities it provides for its development, especially trade with inland African states such as Mali , Burkina Faso and Niger .
In the city, cement, palm oil , beer , textiles are manufactured, motor vehicles and bicycles are assembled, in addition to the intense activity that takes place in the various sawmills that it has.
Among the products that the city exports , petroleum derivatives , bauxite and iron stand out .
The city also has a free zone inside to be used by landlocked states.
Education
In the city, all levels of education are developed, including university. The city has the National University of Benin.
