Cotonou, << koht uhn OO >>, is the largest city in the western African nation of Benin. About 680,000 people live there. The nearby city of Porto-Novo is the country’s official capital, but Cotonou is the center of government and economic activity. It is also the country’s chief port. Cotonou has rail and road connections to the country’s interior. It also has an airport.
Cotonou was developed as a trading post of the kingdom of Dahomey in the mid-1800’s. By the late 1800’s, the French had established control of the area and built a wharf to develop Cotonou as a major port. The former kingdom of Dahomey became part of French West Africa in 1904, and Cotonou’s importance as a trading center grew. Dahomey (later Benin) gained its independence from France in 1960. The new government soon began construction on a permanent artificial harbor at Cotonou to compete with ports in neighboring nations.
