Porto-Novo, city, southern Benin (formerly Dahomey), capital of the country and of Ouémé Province, on Porto-Novo lagoon (an arm of the Gulf of Guinea). It is one of the country's largest cities, a major seaport, and the administrative and commercial center for the surrounding agricultural region. It is the site of the National Library, the National Archives, the Institute of Applied Research, and an old cathedral built by the Portuguese. The community was probably founded in the late 16th century as the capital of a small African state. In the 17th century the Portuguese built a trading post here; the settlement subsequently became a center for sending black Africans as slaves to the Americas. In the late 19th century the area came under the control of the French. It was made the capital of the French dependency of Dahomey in 1900, and in 1960, when the country became independent, it continued to serve as the administrative center of the new nation, which was renamed Benin in 1975. Population (1992) 179,138.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Porto-Novo Information info
|
