Added: 05/22/2006 |
Cotonou - the Thriving City and Commercial Capital of BeninThe Republic of Benin is a small, culturally rich nation in West Africa with an ethnically diverse population and a varied landscape stretching from the coast of the Gulf of Guinea in the south, to the Niger River in the north. The official national language is French, although a large number of indigenous languages are spoken as well. Benin's tapestries, pottery, wooden masks, and bronze, brass, and ivory sculptures are world-renowned.
The majority of Benin's population is concentrated in the southern edge of the country along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea. The city of Cotonou is the main port and has evolved to become the largest city and commercial capital of Benin with approximately 450,000 inhabitants. Cotonou contains the country's government institutions, major industries, and entertainment and shopping districts.
Benin's capital in everything but name Cotonou thrived after the abolition of slavery, growing as Beninese, Togolese and Nigerian expatriates returned to the region. There is a crowd of bright, upbeat bars and nightclubs along the Jonquet strip. The clubs feature US, West African and even Cameroonian beats. Cotonou offers a huge selection of regional and international restaurants, and the highlight - the huge, picturesque Grand Marche de Dantokpa.
Here you can buy a wide variety of items, ranging from blank cassettes, food and radios to monkey's testicles and voodoo love fetishes. Cotonou is slowly welcoming the age of the Web - there are a few Internet centers but access is often slow and expensive. Although the city itself doesn't boast too many sights it is a lively place and an ideal spot for planning trips to the region. The Boulevard St. Michel is the centre of town and like its counterpart in Paris it's a very busy street with lots of activities.
The end of the boulevard is a good place to find transport to the other attractions. From Cotonou it is 20 minutes to Porto Novo with its museums and royal palace. The slave port of Ouidah with many historical sites and museums is 40 kilometers west of Cotonou. To Abomey, the ancient capital of Dahomey it is 100 km north, it is the site of the Abomey Historical Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. All main roads are paved and in good condition. Ganvie, "the Venice of Africa" a village built on stakes in the lake is a few kilometers north of Cotonou.
Porto Novo is the official capital of Benin, but in economic activity, Cotonou takes the first place. The historical town of Porto Novo, with nearby lagoons and stilted fishing villages, houses the Musee Ethnographique.
Just north of Cotonou is Ganvie, a town of 12,000 inhabitants who live in bamboo huts on stilts several km out on Lake Nokoue. In the 18th century, the Tofinu people built the village as protection against the aggression of the Fon and Dahomey kingdoms; religious custom forbade warriors from venturing into water. Now you can find houses, restaurants, shops and even a hotel are built here 2 miles above the water. Very early or at dusk are the best times to visit Ganvie.
Benin, with its capital Cotonou and other towns and villages is a very interesting place to visit.
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