Parakou

Parakou is the largest city in northern Benin and the point where the railway from Cotonou stops, which made it the transfer point for goods moving on to Niger by road and gave the city its trade. It is a Bariba and Dendi town with a large market, a mosque and a mix of peoples drawn by the transport business. The country around is savanna and cotton, and the north begins here in earnest.

History

Traders founded the city in the 16th century, and in the 18th, like much of the region, it came under the rule of princes from Nikki. When the Nikki-led invasion of Ilorin was defeated in 1837 and its king was killed, Parakou and the other vassals gained more control over trade and more independence, and after the Anglo-French Convention of 1898 divided the Borgu federation, Parakou became the main administrative centre of the half joined to French Dahomey (Wikipedia, Parakou).

The main sights

• The railway terminus - the end of the line from Cotonou.
• The market - the trading centre for the whole northern region.
• The transfer trade - the goods moving on by road towards Niger.
• The northern setting - savanna and cotton country around the city.

When to go

November to February is the cool dry season, though the harmattan brings haze from December. The rains fall from May to September. March and April are extremely hot.

Good to know

The city is a working commercial centre with little for visitors. Rail services have been unreliable for years. Facilities are basic outside a few hotels.

Nearby

Nikki is northeast, and Natitingou is northwest.

Key facts