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Porto-Novo

capital of Benin

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Grand Popo

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Abomey

Royal Palaces are on the UNESCO World Heritage List

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Sights (5)

Cotonou Cathedral

building in Africa

1.3km

6.3572822.440073

Stade de l'Amitié

football stadium

6.4km

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Ganvie

Ganvié

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Ouidah

city in Benin

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Grand-Popo

commune of Benin

67km

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Nature

we will see

Cotonou

Benin
Someday we will visit Cotonou or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Cotonou

Cotonou is the largest city in Benin and the country's primary port of entry for visitors. The city is located in the south of the country, on the coastline.

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 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.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

30.8°C23.8
Precipitation: 9.2 mm

Feb

31.6°C25.4
Precipitation: 36.8 mm

Mar

31.9°C25.9
Precipitation: 73.8 mm

Apr

31.6°C25.6
Precipitation: 137 mm

May

31°C24.6
Precipitation: 196.9 mm

Jun

29.2°C23.7
Precipitation: 356 mm

Jul

28°C23.7
Precipitation: 147 mm

Aug

27.8°C23.4
Precipitation: 64.9 mm

Sep

28.4°C23.6
Precipitation: 99 mm

Oct

29.6°C23.8
Precipitation: 126.7 mm

Nov

30.9°C24.3
Precipitation: 41.4 mm

Dec

30.8°C23.8
Precipitation: 19.6 mm
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