Cotonou city is the capital of Atlantique province, S Benin, on the Gulf of Guinea. It is Benin's chief seaport and commercial center. With a population of approximately 761,137 inhabitants (2006), the city lies in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and Nokoué Lake, located at 6°22' North, 2°26' East. The urban area continues to expand, notably towards the west.
The name 'Cotonou' means 'the mouth of the river of death' in the Fon language. At the beginning of the 19th century, Cotonou (then spelled Kotonou) was merely a small fishing village. It was initially dominated by the Kingdom of Dahomey. In 1851, the French made a treaty with the Dahomean King Ghezo that allowed them to establish a trading post at Cotonou. During the reign of Glele, his successor (1858-89), the territory was ceded to France by a treaty signed on May 19, 1868. In 1883, the French navy forcibly occupied the city to forestall British ambitions in the area. After Glele's death in 1889, his son Behanzin tried to challenge the treaty, but did not succeed. The port was enlarged and modernized in the 1960s.
The city houses many of its government and diplomatic services. Cotonou's airport, road and rail connections also make it the transportation and communications hub of Benin. The city has small-scale industries; manufactures include palm oil and cake, brewing, textiles, cement and other construction materials, aluminum sheet, beverages, and processed seafood. Motor vehicles and bicycles are assembled, and there are sawmills in the city. Cotonou is a distribution center for petroleum products, and bauxite and iron are exported (primarily to Guinea).
Cotonou is also home to an airport and a railway that links to Parakou. Other features include Cotonou Friendship Stadium, Cotonou Cathedral, Cotonou Central Mosque and 20-hectare Dantokpa Market that enables trade with countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The National University of Benin is located in the city. Another familiar feature of the city is the motorcycle-taxis known as Zémidjans.
Reference:
http://www.cotonou.biz/
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0813739.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotonou
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotonou
By Purity Njeru
Ms. Njeru is an African Executive staff writer
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