Porto-Novo
Benin · Africa
About Porto-Novo
Porto-Novo is the capital and second-largest city of Benin. The commune covers an area of 52 square kilometres (20 sq mi) and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people.
In 1863, following British bombardment, Porto-Novo accepted French protection, and by 1900, it became the capital of French Dahomey. After Benin's independence in 1960, Porto-Novo retained its status as the official capital, while Cotonou emerged as the economic and administrative hub.
Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Guinea, in the southeastern portion of the country, the city was originally developed as a port for the transatlantic slave trade led by the Portuguese Empire. It is Benin's second-largest city, and although it is the official capital, where the national legislature sits, the larger city of Cotonou is the seat of government, where most of the government buildings are situated and government departments operate.
The name Porto-Novo is of Portuguese origin, literally meaning "New Port". It remains untranslated in French, the national language of...
Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.