Ouémé Department
Ouémé | |
|---|---|
Grande mosque in Porto-Novo, Benin | |
Map highlighting the Ouémé Department | |
| Coordinates: 6°30′N 2°36′E / 6.500°N 2.600°E | |
| Country | Benin |
| Capital | Porto-Novo |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,281 km2 (495 sq mi) |
| Population (2013 census) | |
• Total | 1,096,850 |
| • Density | 860/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
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%.