Country Benin Time zone WAT (UTC+1) Team Tonnerre d'Abomey FC | Capital Abomey Area 5,243 km² | |
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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. Fon people who constitute 91% of the departmental population, form the majority, while Aja people make up to 4% and Yoruba make up 3% of the populace. The département of Zou was split during 1999 with the northern territory moved to the newly created Collines Department. The capital of Zou is Abomey. Zou is subdivided into nine communes, each centered at one of the principal towns, namely, Abomey, Agbangnizoun, Bohicon, Cové, Djidja, Ouinhi, Za-Kpota, Zangnanado and Zogbodomey.
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Map of Zou Department, Benin
Per 2013 census, the total population of the department was 851,580 with 407,030 males and 444,550 females. The proportion of women was 52.20 per cent. The total rural population was 67.00 percent, while the urban population was 33.00 per cent. The total labour force in the department was 275,249 out of which 50.10 per cent were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 60.70 and the proportion of households with children attending school was 72.90.
Geography
Zou is characterized by plateaus ranging from 20 m (66 ft) above the mean sea level. The plateaus are split by valleys running from north to south, created by the Zou River and Kauoffo river. The southern regions receive two spells from March to July and September to November while the northern regions of the country receive one season of rainfall from May to September. The country receives an average annual rainfall of around 1,200 mm (47 in). The tributary of Oueme River, the Zou river runs through the department. The region along with nine other departments form the Oueme basin.
Demographics
Per 2013 census, the total population of the department was 851,580 with 407,030 males and 444,550 females. The proportion of women was 52.20 per cent. The total rural population was 67.00 percent, while the urban population was 33.00 per cent. The proportion of women in child bearing age of 15 to 49 years was 23.90 per cent. The total foreign population in the department was 4,615 which formed 0.50 per cent of the total population in the department. The proportion of assets of foreigners aged 10+ years was 38.20 per cent, while for the people aged 15-64 years, it was 37.30 per cent. The proportion of women in foreign population constituted 49.60 per cent. The number of households in the department was 178,698 and the average household size was 4.8. The intercensal growth rate of population was 3.20 per cent.
The average age of women during first marriage in the department was 21 and the average age at maternity was 28.6. The synthetic index of fertility of women was 5.1. The average number of kernels in a house was 1.2 and the average number of persons in a room was 1.9. The total labour force in the department was 275,249 out of which 50.10 per cent were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 60.70 and the proportion of households with children attending school was 72.90. The crude birth rate was 37.8, general rate of fertility was 158.50 and the gross reproduction rate was 2.50.
Administrative divisions
The département of Zou was split during 1999 with the northern territory moved to the newly created Collines Department. The capital of Zou is Abomey. It is subdivided into nine communes, each centered at one of the principal towns, namely, Abomey, Agbangnizoun, Bohicon, Cové, Djidja, Ouinhi, Za-Kpota, Zangnanado and Zogbodomey. Benin, formerly known as Dahomey, was a French colony till 1894. It gained independence during 1960 and was admitted to the United Nations. From 1960 to 1972, there was political instability with frequent change of leadership. Benin originally had six administrative divisions, but was further bifurcated to make it 12. Each de-concentrated administrative services, called directions départementales(DD) of the sectoral ministries, take care of two administrative regions. A law passed during 1999 empowered the territorial administration to local governments. Municipalities and communal councils have elected representatives who manage the administration of the regions. The latest elections of the municipal and communal councils were held during June 2015.