Introduction
Largest city in Benin
City in Littoral Department, BeninCotonou
Kútɔ̀nú (Fon)CityCotonou in 2019Central Mosque of CotonouCotonou CathedralAmazon MonumentMonument de Bio GuéraPresidency of the Republic of BeninBeach of CotonouAutonomous Port of Cotonou
FlagCoat of armsInteractive map of CotonouCotonouLocation within BeninCoordinates: 6°22′N 2°26′E / 6.367°N 2.433°E / 6.367; 2.433Country BeninDepartmentLittoral DepartmentGovernment • MayorLuc AtrokpoArea • Total79 km2 (31 sq mi)Elevation51 m (167 ft)Population (2013 census) • Total679,012 • Density8,600/km2 (22,000/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (WAT)
Cotonou (French pronunciation: [kɔtɔnu]; Fon: Kútɔ̀nú) is the largest city and seat of government of Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué.
Cotonou is the seat of government of the Republic of Benin, where most of the government buildings are situated, government departments operate and foreign embassies are located, but the official capital, where the national legislature sits, is the smaller city of Porto-Novo.
History
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Fort of Cotonou in 1900
See also: Timeline of Cotonou
The name "Cotonou" means "by the river of death" in the Fon language. At the beginning of the 19th century, Cotonou (then spelled "Kutonou") was a small fishing village, and is thought to have been formally founded by King Ghezo of Dahomey in 1830. It grew as a centre for the slave trade, and later palm oil and cotton. In 1851 the French Second Republic made a treaty with King Ghezo that allowed them to establish a trading post at Cotonou. During the reign of King Glele (1858–89), the territory was ceded to the Second French Empire by a treaty signed in 1878. In 1883, the French Navy occupied the city to prevent British conquest of the area.
After Glele's death in 1889, King Béhanzin unsuccessfully tried to challenge the treaty. The town grew rapidly following the building of the harbour in 1908.
The population in 1960 was only 70,000.
Geography
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The Ouémé River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Cotonou
Cotonou is on the coastal strip between Lake Nokoué and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is cut in two by a canal, the lagoon of Cotonou, dug by the French in 1855. Three bridges are in this area. The Ouémé River flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Cotonou.
Bridge in Cotonou
The city has established transportation infrastructure including air, sea, river (to Porto Novo), and land routes that facilitate trade with its neighbors Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Togo.
Coastal erosion has been noted for several decades. It worsened in 1961 following construction of the Nangbeto Dam and deep-water port of Cotonou. A pilot project funded by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) revealed that in 40 years, the coast to the east of Cotonou had retreated by 400 meters. This erosion has led many people to leave their homes along the coast.
