Ganvie is a lake village in
Benin
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...
, Africa, lying in
Lake Nokoué
Lake Nokoué is a lake in the southern part of Benin. It is wide and long and covers an area of . The lake is partly fed by the Ouémé River and the Sô River, both of which deposit sediments from throughout the region in the lake.
The city ...
, near
Cotonou
Cotonou (; ) is the largest city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies ...
. With a population of around 20,000 people, it is probably the largest lake village in Africa and is very popular with tourists.
The village was created in the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries by the
Tofinu people who took to the lake to avoid
Fon warriors who were taking people hostage to sell them to European enslavers. Making the shallow waters and islands of Lake Nokoue a haven, the Ganvie villagers are often referred to as "water men" and the area itself is often called the "Venice of Africa."
Originally based on farming, the village's main industries other than tourism are now fishing and
fish farming
Fish farming or pisciculture involves commercial breeding of fish, most often for food, in fish tanks or artificial enclosures such as fish ponds. It is a particular type of aquaculture, which is the controlled cultivation and harvesting of ...
. The only means of transportation to and from the village is through wooden boats.
The village was added to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
Tentative List on October 31, 1996 in the Cultural category.
Ganvie, like many areas of Benin, is home to a
constituent monarchy.
Etymology
Early
Fon people
The Fon people, also called Dahomeans, Fon nu, Agadja and historically called Jeji (Djedji) by the Yoruba in the South American diaspora and in colonial French literature are a Gbe ethnic group. moved persued by
Aja people
The Aja or Adja are an ethnic group native to south-western Benin and south-eastern Togo.
According to oral tradition, the Aja migrated to southern Benin in the 12th or 13th century from Tado on the Mono River, and , three brothers, Kokpon, Do- ...
for slavery. They found refuge in the middle of the lake thanks to deities that protected them. Therefore the place was called 'Ganvie', "I was rescued here" in
Fon language
Fon (, ) also known as Dahomean is the language of the Fon people. It belongs to the Gbe group within the larger Atlantic–Congo family. It is primarily spoken in Benin Republic, as well as in Nigeria and Togo by approximately 2.3 million sp ...
.
Gallery
File:Ganvié au fil de l'eau (2).webm, Boating through Ganvie
Image:ganvie1.jpg, House
Image:bateau_ganvie.jpg, Boat
See also
*
Stilt house
Stilt houses (also called pile dwellings or lake dwellings) are houses raised on Stilts (architecture), stilts (or piles) over the surface of the soil or a body of water. Stilt houses are built primarily as a protection against flooding; they als ...
Notes
External links
Ganvie, Benin : The Venice of Africa : The Water People of Nokoue Lake
Populated places in Benin
{{Benin-geo-stub