Introduction
The capital of Benin, Porto-Novo is a centuries-old city that played a key role in the African slave trade. The city is situated on a lagoon and has a hot and humid climate.
Porto-Novo is the seat of Benin's legislature. However, the president's office, most government departments, and most embassies of foreign countries are in the city of Cotonou, 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the west. Porto-Novo is also second to Cotonou in population.
Places of interest
Among the government buildings in Porto-Novo are the National Library and the National Archives. The National Archives houses the country's historical records. In addition to being the capital, Porto-Novo is also Benin's cultural center. A museum preserves masks, costumes, and drums from the region's past. The city also features European-style buildings left over from its days as a colony. One such building is an old Portuguese church that Muslims have converted into a mosque. The palace of King Toffa, the last of Porto-Novo's rulers when it was a kingdom, has been restored.
Economy
Despite its name, Porto-Novo is not a major port. Unlike Cotonou, it is located on a lagoon and not directly on the Gulf of Guinea. Porto-Novo is a major marketplace for the country's homegrown goods. Among Benin's main exports, or items sold to other countries, are palm oil, cotton, and kapok, a fiber used for padding in mattresses and life preservers.
History
A group of people whose homeland had been conquered by the powerful kingdom of Dahomey, fled into the region of Porto-Novo early in the 18th century. Their main town, known originally as Ajasé, became the center of a small kingdom. When Portuguese traders gained influence in the region, they renamed the town and kingdom Porto-Novo after the city of Porto in Portugal. During the 1700s, Porto-Novo became a leading center of the African slave trade. The Portuguese shipped African captives from the city to their colonies in the Americas for use as slave labor.
Late in the 19th century, the French conquered the region and made Porto-Novo the capital of the colony they named Dahomey. Porto-Novo remained the capital of Dahomey after it became independent in 1960. In 1975, officials changed the name of the country to Benin. Population (1994 estimate), 200,000.
