Zou Department
| Zou | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
 Map highlighting the Zou Department | |
| Coordinates: 7°11′N 1°59′E / 7.183°N 1.983°ECoordinates: 7°11′N 1°59′E / 7.183°N 1.983°E | |
| Country |
 Benin |
| Capital | Abomey |
| Area[1] | |
| • Total | 5,243 km2 (2,024 sq mi) |
| Population (2013 census) | |
| • Total | 851,623 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (420/sq mi) |
| Time zone | WAT (UTC+1) |
Zou is one of the twelve departments of Benin.
The department obtains its name from the Zou River which traverses the land before emptying into the atlantic in the south of the country.
The Zou department is one of only two in the country where the main resident ethnic group makes up a super-majority of the population at over 90%. In this case, it is the Fon people who constitute 91% of the departmental population. The Aja people make up a distant 4%, while the Yoruba who are native to the eastern fringes of the department make up 3% of the populace. All other ethnic groups of the country resident in the department result to a combined 2%.[2]
The département of Zou lost its northern territory in 1999 when it split off to become Collines Department. The capital of Zou is Abomey.
Administrative divisions
Zou is subdivided into nine communes, each centered at one of the principal towns:
References
| ||||||||