Ouémé [we.me] is one of the twelve departments of Benin, containing the capital of the country Porto Novo, named for the Ouémé River. It is subdivided into nine communes, each centred at one of the principal towns: Adjarra, Adjohoun, Aguégués, Akpro-Missérété, Avrankou, Bonou, Dangbo, Porto-Novo and Sèmè-Kpodji. In 1999, the northern section of Ouémé was split off to form the department of Plateau.
As of 2013, the total population of the department was 1,100,404, with 534,814 males and 565,590 females. The proportion of women was 51.40%. The total rural population was 37.20%, while the urban population was 62.80%. The total labor force in the department was 383,716, of which 49.50% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 43.80% and the proportion of households with children attending school was 81.70%.
Ouémé Department borders Zou Department to the north, Plateau Department to the northeast, Nigeria to the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Littoral Department to the southwest, and Atlantique Department to the west. It is located in a coastal area that has interconnected lakes and lagoons and elongated coastlines with wide marshes.
Porto Novo is the departmental capital (as well as the capital of Benin as a whole); other major settlements include Adjarra, Adjohoun, Affamè, Aguégués, Avrankou, Bonou, Ekpè and Sèmè-Kpodji.
Prefect of Ouémé department
Dr. Marie Akpotrossou
The main ethnolinguistic groups in the department include the Ayizo, Ede, Gun, Nagô, Phla (or ‘Xwla’), Tofin, Tori, Sêto and Yoruba.
Freshwater and seawater fishing is the major profession in the region. Petroleum was discovered in the 1960s in offshore areas, while titanium, low quality iron ore, ilmenite and chromite are the major minerals.
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In 1999, the department of Plateau was split off from Ouémé, reducing Ouémé’s area to 1,865 square kilometres (720 sq mi). Ouémé is subdivided into nine communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Adjarra, Adjohoun, Aguégués, Akpro-Missérété, Avrankou, Bonou, Dangbo, Porto-Novo and Sèmè-Kpodji.
