Cotonou, Benin

Cotonou skyline, Benin
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotonouskyline.jpg
Author: MVN


Cotonou is the largest city as well as commercial capital of Benin. It is located on the southeastern edge of the country, between the coast of Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué. The city has a population of around one million people (2012 estimate).

Although the official capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, Cotonou houses many of the government departments, making it the de facto capital of the coountry. It also has the main port, airport and railway station of the country. It is indeed the most important city in Benin.

Cotonou began as a small fishing village which was originally part of the Kingdom of Dahomey. In 1851, the French was granted permission to establish a trading post in Cotonou. This led to the ceding of Cotonou and its surrounding territory to France in 1868, during the reign of King Glele. From its humble beginning, Cotonou - which means "mouth of the river of death" - grew to become the principal port in the area.

Places of Interest in Cotonou

Visiting Cotonou

Cotonou is served by the Cadjehoun Airport (COO). It receives flights from Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Bamako, Bata, Brazzaville, Brussels, Casablanca, Conakry, Dakar, Douala, Johannesburg, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lomé, Malabo, N'Djamena, Nouakchott, Ouagadougou, Paris, and Pointe-Noire.

Cotonou, Benin
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotonou3.jpg
Author: Dominik Schwarz


Cotonou Cathedral
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotonoucathedral.jpg
Author: MVN

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