Cotonou

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Cotonou

Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin

Benin

Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin....
, as well as its largest city. Its official population count was 761,137 inhabitants in 2006; however, some estimates indicate its population may be as high as 1.2 million. The population in 1960 was only 70,000. The urban area continues to expand, notably towards the west. The city lies in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

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Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin

Benin

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
and Nokoué Lake, located at 6°22' North, 2°26' East (6.36667, 2.4333).

In addition to being Benin's largest city, it houses many of its government and diplomatic services; thus, it is Benin's de facto
De facto

De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning the fact" or in practice but not necessarily ordained by law. It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or technique that are found in the common experience as created or developed without or contrary to a regulation....
capital, even though the official

De jure

De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".The terms de jure and de facto are used instead of "in principle" and "in practice", respectively, when one is describing politics or legal situations....
capital is Porto-Novo

Porto-Novo

Porto-Novo Porto-Novo is located at 6?28' North, 2?36' East ....
. The city is a major port

Port

||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|}A port is a facility for receiving ships and transferring cargo. They are usually found at the edge of an ocean, sea, river, or lake....
, and is also home to an airport

Cadjehoun Airport

Cotonou Cadjehoun Airport is an airport located in Cotonou, the biggest city in Benin in West Africa.In 2004, the airport served 301,493 passengers....
and a railway that links to Parakou

Parakou

Parakou is the largest city in eastern Benin, with an estimated population of around 188,853 people, and capital of the Borgou Department. The mayor as of 2008 was Samou Seidou Adambi and administatively the commune of Parakou makes up one of Benin's 77 communes....
. Other features of Cotonou include Cotonou Friendship Stadium

Cotonou Friendship Stadium

The Cotonou Friendship Stadium is a sports venue in Cotonou, Benin. In 2002, the pitch was Benin's only serviceable stadium, despite it's pitch not being well-maintained....
, Cotonou Cathedral

Cotonou Cathedral

File:Cotonoucathedral.jpgFile:Cotonoucathedralinterior.jpgThe cathedral of Notre Dame des Apotres, commonly known as Cotonou Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral, located near the Ancien Pont Bridge in Cotonou, Benin....
, Cotonou Central Mosque

Cotonou Central Mosque

The Cotonou Central Mosque is a mosque in Cotonou, Benin. It is the most important building for the Islam in Benin....
, the Ancien Pont Bridge

Ancien Pont Bridge

File:Ancien Pont Bridge.jpgThe Ancien Pont Bridge is a bridge in Cotonou, Benin....
and the 20-hectare Dantokpa Market

Dantokpa Market

The Dantokpa Market is a market in Cotonou, Benin. It is one of the most important retailing areas in Benin, covering over 20 hectares. It is also economically important for the country, with a reported commercial turnover of over a billion CFA Francs a day....
, which has a commercial turnover of over a billion CFA Franc

CFA franc

The CFA franc is a currency used in twelve formerly France-ruled African countries, as well as in Guinea-Bissau and in Equatorial Guinea . The ISO 4217s are XAF for the Central African CFA franc and XOF for the West African CFA franc....
s a day. The National University of Benin

National University of Benin

The National University of Benin is the principal university in the country of Benin. The university was founded in 1970 as the Universit? du Dahomey....
is located in Cotonou. Another familiar feature of the city is the motorcycle

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a Single track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an Motorcycle engine. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as Touring motorcycle travel, navigating Naked bike, Cruiser , Motorcycle sport and Motorbike racing, or off-road conditions....
-taxi

Taxicab

A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of public transport for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride....
s known as Zémidjans.

History

The name 'Cotonou' means 'the mouth of the river of death' in the Fon language

Fon language

Fon is part of the Gbe languages language cluster and belongs to the Volta-Niger languages branch of the Niger-Congo languages. Fon is spoken mainly in Benin by approximately 1.7 million speakers, by the Fon people....
. At the beginning of the 19th century, Cotonou (then spelled Kotonou) was merely a small fishing village. Originally dominated by the Kingdom of Dahomey

Dahomey

Dahomey was the name of a country in west Africa now called the Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state founded in the seventeenth century which survived until 1894....
, in 1851 the French

France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
made a treaty with the Dahomean King Ghezo

Ghezo

Ghezo was the ninth King of Dahomey , considered one of the greatest of the twelve historical kings. He ruled from 1818 to 1858. His name before ascending to the throne was Gakpe....
that allowed them to establish a trading post at Cotonou. During the reign of Glele

Glele

Badohou, who took the throne name Glele, is considered to be the tenth King of Dahomey . He succeeded his father, Ghezo, and ruled from 1858 to 1889....
, his successor (1858-89), the territory was ceded to France

France

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
conquest of the area. After Glele's death in 1889, his son Behanzin

Behanzin

B?hanzin is considered the eleventh King of Dahomey . Upon taking the throne, he changed his name from Kondo. He succeeded his father, Glele, and ruled from 1889 to 1894....
tried, unsuccessfully, to challenge the treaty. From then on, the town developed quickly to become the largest harbour in the region.

In June 2000, the Cotonou Agreement

Cotonou Agreement

The Cotonou Agreement is a treaty between the European Union and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states . It was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, by 79 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union....
treaty

Treaty

A Treaty is an agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely states and international organizations. A Treaty may also be known as: agreement, protocol, covenant, convention, exchange of letters, etc....
was signed between the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP countries

ACP countries

The ACP States , alternately called the Group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are the countries that are signatories of the Lom? Convention....
) in Cotonou. The Cotonou Agreement replaced the Lomé Convention

Lomé Convention

The Lom? Convention is a trade and aid agreement between the European Union and 71 ACP countries, first signed in February 1975 in Lom?, Togo....
which had been the basis for ACP-EU development cooperation since 1975. The Cotonou Agreement has a much broader scope, and is aimed at the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty

Poverty

Poverty is the shortage of common things such as food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, all of which determine our quality of life. It may also include the lack of access to opportunities such as education and employment which aid the escape from poverty and/or allow one to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens....
while contributing to sustainable development

Sustainable development

Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but in the indefinite future....
and to the gradual integration of ACP countries into the world economy

World economy

The world economy can be evaluated in various ways, depending on the model used, and this valuation can then be represented in various ways . It is inseparable from the Earth, and is therefore somewhat of a misnomer, since, while definitions and representations of the "world economy" vary widely, they must at a minimum exclude any considerati...
. The revised Cotonou Agreement is also concerned with the fight against impunity and promotion of criminal justice through the International Criminal Court

International Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court , Cour p?nale internationale in french language, is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crime against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression ....
. It was signed by 79 ACP countries and the then fifteen Member States of the European Union. It entered into force in 2003 and is the latest agreement in the history of ACP-EU Development Cooperation

ACP-EU Development Cooperation

Development cooperation between the European Union and the countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007. Although bilateral relations have always been and still remain one of the main features of modern development cooperation, it was the Treaty of Rome in 1957 which first established a collective Europea...
.

Cotonou

History

Geography