Cotonou
Cotonou | |
---|---|
Littoral Department | |
Government | |
• Mayor | Luc Atrokpo |
Area | |
• Total | 79 km2 (31 sq mi) |
Elevation | 51 m (167 ft) |
Population (2013 census)[1] | |
• Total | 679,012 |
• Density | 8,600/km2 (22,000/sq mi) |
Cotonou (French pronunciation: [kɔtɔnu]; Fon: Kútɔ̀nú)[2] is the largest city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.[3]
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.[4]
Cotonou is the seat of government in Benin, although Porto-Novo is the official capital.
History
The name "Cotonou" means "by the river of death" in the Fon language.[5] 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.[5] It grew as a centre for the slave trade, and later palm oil and cotton.[5] In 1851 the French Second Republic made a treaty with King Ghezo that allowed them to establish a trading post at Cotonou.[6] During the reign of King Glele (1858–89), the territory was ceded to the Second French Empire by a treaty signed in 1878.[7] 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.[5]
The population in 1960 was only 70,000.[8]
Geography
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.
The city has established transportation infrastructure including air, sea, river (to
Climate
Under
Climate data for Cotonou (1991–2020, extremes 1910–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 36.1 (97.0) |
38.6 (101.5) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.4 (95.7) |
39.0 (102.2) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.5 (92.3) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.6 (88.9) |
33.4 (92.1) |
35.4 (95.7) |
36.6 (97.9) |
39.0 (102.2) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31.6 (88.9) |
32.2 (90.0) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
31.3 (88.3) |
29.6 (85.3) |
28.5 (83.3) |
28.2 (82.8) |
29.0 (84.2) |
30.1 (86.2) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31.9 (89.4) |
30.7 (87.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.0 (82.4) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.6 (85.3) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.4 (83.1) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.5 (79.7) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.7 (80.1) |
27.3 (81.1) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.4 (83.1) |
27.9 (82.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.3 (79.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
25.3 (77.5) |
24.9 (76.8) |
25.1 (77.2) |
Record low °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) |
17.9 (64.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
20.7 (69.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
20.0 (68.0) |
18.8 (65.8) |
19.8 (67.6) |
20.0 (68.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.0 (69.8) |
17.9 (64.2) |
17.0 (62.6) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 19.4 (0.76) |
38.2 (1.50) |
80.5 (3.17) |
126.1 (4.96) |
213.0 (8.39) |
333.2 (13.12) |
135.2 (5.32) |
39.0 (1.54) |
134.9 (5.31) |
165.1 (6.50) |
43.9 (1.73) |
12.1 (0.48) |
1,340.6 (52.78) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 105 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
75.5 | 77.3 | 78.2 | 79.8 | 81.3 | 84.1 | 84.2 | 83.7 | 83.8 | 83.1 | 80.6 | 77.9 | 80.8 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 188.8 | 188.3 | 213.5 | 209.7 | 196.5 | 137.7 | 141.3 | 150.8 | 155.1 | 200.9 | 233.0 | 219.1 | 2,234.7 |
Source 1: NOAA[12] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[13] |
Demographics
- 1979: 320,348 (census count)
- 1992: 536,827 (census count)
- 2002: 665,100 (census count)
- 2013: 679,012 (census count)
Transport
The Autonomous Port of Cotonou is one of the largest in West Africa. The city is connected to
In 2015 a suburban passenger railway line was being developed between Cotonou and Pahou.[15]
Economy
Important manufactured goods include
By 2012, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea had significantly decreased trade at the port of Cotonou.[20]
In the Missebo area is a textile market of African prints mainly handled by Indian wholesalers and retailers.[21]
Places of worship
-
Temple Salem de Cotonou (Assemblies of God)
-
Mosquée centrale de Cotonou (Islam)
Among the
Education
The city has a campus of the:
- University of Science and Technology of Benin (Université des sciences et technologies du Bénin)
- African University of Technology and Management (Université africaine de technologie et de management).
Cotonou is a home to African University Institute Foundation (AUi Foundation) one of the biggest educational philanthropic foundations in Africa.
It also hosts some of the most prestigious private universities in Africa which includes:
- African University of Benin(AUB)
- Ecole Superieure de Gestion de Technologie (ESGT UNIVERSITY BENIN)
- Ecole Supérieure D’Administration, D’Economie, De Journalisme Et Des Métiers De L’Audiovisuel (ESAE UNIVERSITY BENIN)
- Institut Superieur de Communication d’Organisation et de Management
- Iscom University Benin
Media
The Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB) — the national television and radio operator — is based in Cotonou.[23]
Sister cities and twin towns
- Atlanta, United States
- Salvador da Bahia, Brazil
- Taipei City, Taiwan, since 1967
See also
- Timeline of Cotonou
- Cotonou Agreement
- List of deep water ports
- Railway stations in Benin
References
- ^ "Bénin • Fiche pays • PopulationData.net".
- ^ Spelt Kotonu in Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 67.
- ^ "cotonou population 2.4 million - Google Search". www.google.com. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ "GNS: Country Files". Earth-info.nga.mil. 12 June 2004. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Butler, Stuart (2019) Bradt Travel Guide - Benin, pgs. 74-91
- ^ "Benin - History". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Benin, Rowman & Littlefield, USA, 2013, p. 117
- ^ "Benin Population (2021) - Worldometer". www.worldometers.info. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ IRIN Humanitarian News. BENIN: Coastal erosion threatening to wipe out parts of Cotonou. Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Benin's Cotonou – a city slowly swallowed by waves" Archived 2019-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, The Terra Daily, 25 January 2008
- ^ "Cotonou climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Cotonou water temperature - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Cotonou". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Station Cotonou" (in French). Meteo Climat. Archived from the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
- ^ "Languages of Benin". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ "Benirail concession: Bolloré Group starts rehabilitation work on the Cotonou-Parakou rail link". Bolloré Africa Logistics. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2015-09-13.
- ^ Britannica, Cotonou Archived 2016-04-22 at the Wayback Machine, britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019
- ^ "Cotonou, Benin". AffordableTours.com. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ^ "StackPath". www.offshore-mag.com. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
- ISBN 0-910714-04-5
- ^ "UN says piracy off Africa's west coast is increasing, becoming more violent". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2012-02-29.[dead link]
- ^ "Archived copy". zoneforyourprize.life. Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-06.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, ‘‘Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices’’, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 338
- ^ Private Radio Station sciencedirect.com. Retrieved 5 September 2021