Cotonou, Crossroads of West Africa

Cotonou is the largest city and the economic capital of the Republic of Benin. While Porto-Novo is the official administrative capital, Cotonou is where the government, the presidency, embassies, and the majority of major national and international businesses are based.

1. Geography and Demographics

Cotonou stretches along a sandy coastal strip between the Gulf of Guinea to the south and Lake Nokoué to the north. It forms the entirety of the Littoral department — the smallest in area but the most densely populated in the country, with more than 679,000 residents according to official census figures (the wider metropolitan area exceeds one million).

2. The Autonomous Port of Cotonou (PAC)

The Autonomous Port of Cotonou is the true economic engine of the city, and of Benin as a whole. It generates the bulk of the country's customs revenue and serves as the main maritime gateway for landlocked countries in the West African hinterland — including Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali — that have no direct access to the sea.

3. Climate and Seasons

Cotonou has an equatorial climate with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons:

• Main dry season: December to March (marked by the Harmattan, a dry wind from the desert).
• Main rainy season: April to July.
• Short dry season: August to September.
• Short rainy season: October to November.

Temperatures stay fairly constant year-round, generally between 25°C and 32°C, with high humidity.