Borgou is one of the twelve
departments of Benin
Benin is divided into 12 departments (French: ''départements''), and subdivided into 77 communes (see Communes of Benin). In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12. Each of the six new depa ...
. Borgou borders the country of
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and the departments of
Alibori,
Atakora,
Collines and
Donga. The capital of Borgou is
Parakou. The department of Borgou was bifurcated in 1999, with its northern territory transferred to the newly created
Alibori Department.
According to the 2013 census, the total population of the department was 1,214,249, with 607,013 males and 607,236 females. The proportion of women was 50.00%. The total rural population was 56.40%, while the urban population was 43.60%. The total labour force in the department was 271,652, of which 25.20% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 64.30%.
Geography
![Parakou2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Parakou2.jpg)
Borgou borders
Alibori Department to the north,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
to the east,
Collines Department to the south, and
Donga Department and
Atakora Department to the west. Geographically, the department is part of the larger Borgou region artificially dissected by the
Benin-Nigeria border, with in Benin and in Nigeria. The northern regions of Benin, in general, receive one season of rainfall from May to September, compared to the southern regions which receive two spells of rain from March to July and September to November. The average temperature from April to June reaches , while the average temperature between November and March ranges between . The average elevation of the department is above the mean sea level.
Settlements
Parakou is the departmental capital; other major settlements include
Bembèrèkè
Bembèrèkè is a town, arrondissement, and commune located in the Borgou Department of Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in ...
,
Bori,
Kalalè,
N’Dali,
Nikki,
Sinendé and
Tchaourou
Tchaourou (Saworo in Yoruba etymology, meaning ''rattle'') is a commune, arrondissement, and city located in the Borgou Department of Benin, a country in Western Africa, formerly known as Dahomey (until 1975). It is the birthplace of former Benine ...
.
Demographics
According to Benin's 2013 census, the total population of the department was 1,214,249, with 607,013 males and 607,236 females. The proportion of women was 50.00%. The total rural population was 56.40%, while the urban population was 43.60%. The proportion of women of childbearing age (15 to 49 years old) was 22.30%. The foreign population was 22,665, representing 1.90% of the total population in the department. The
labour force participation rate
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the referen ...
among foreigners aged 15–64 years was 30.20%. The proportion of women among the foreign population constituted 47.00%. The number of households in the department was 158,099 and the average household size was 7.7. The intercensal growth rate of the population was 4.70%.
Among women, the average age at first marriage was 27.1. The synthetic index of fertility of women was 5.4. The average number of families in a house was 1.7 and the average number of persons per room was 1.8. The total labour force in the department was 271,652, of which 25.20% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 64.30% and the proportion of households with children attending school was 47.10%. The crude birth rate was 39.5, the general rate of fertility was 176.90 and the gross reproduction rate was 2.70.
The main ethnolinguistic groups in the department are the
Fulani,
Bariba,
Yoruba
The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba constitute ...
and
Dendi. Other groups include the
Boko,
Ede,
Lukpa,
Tammari (also known as the Betammaribe, or Somba) and
Yom
Yom ( he, יום) is a Biblical Hebrew word which occurs in the Hebrew Bible. The word means day in both Modern and Biblical Hebrew.
Overview
Although ''yom'' is commonly rendered as day in English translations, the word yom can be used in diffe ...
.
Administrative divisions
![Borgou communes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Borgou_communes.png)
Borgou is subdivided into eight
communes, each centered at one of the principal towns:
Bembèrèkè
Bembèrèkè is a town, arrondissement, and commune located in the Borgou Department of Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in ...
,
Kalalé,
N’Dali,
Nikki,
Parakou,
Pèrèrè
Pèrèrè is a town, arrondissement, and commune in the Borgou Department of eastern Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in ...
,
Sinendé and
Tchaourou
Tchaourou (Saworo in Yoruba etymology, meaning ''rattle'') is a commune, arrondissement, and city located in the Borgou Department of Benin, a country in Western Africa, formerly known as Dahomey (until 1975). It is the birthplace of former Benine ...
. The
department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of Borgou was bifurcated in 1999, with its northern territory transferred to the newly created
Alibori Department.
[
Benin originally had six administrative regions (''départements''), which have now been bifurcated to make 12. Each of the deconcentrated administrative services (''directions départementales'') of the sectoral ministries takes care of two administrative regions. A law passed in 1999 transformed the ''sous-prefectures'', the lowest level of territorial administration, into local governments.] Municipalities and communal councils have elected representatives who manage the administration of the regions. The latest elections of the municipal and communal councils were held in June 2015.
References
External links
{{Authority control
Departments of Benin