Bonou

The commune is predominantly inhabited by the Wémènou people, part of the Wémègbe-speaking cultural area of southern Benin.^[3] Historically, the territory was influenced by interactions between the former kingdoms of Allada, Danxomè, and the Oyo Empire.^[3]

Bonou is located in the Ouémé Department of southeastern Benin. The commune covers an area of about 250 square kilometres and is bordered to the east by the commune of Adjohoun, to the north by Ouinhi, to the west by Zangnanado, and to the south by Dangbo.^[3] The Ouémé River crosses the commune from north to south over a distance of approximately 40 kilometres, forming extensive floodplains that play an important role in agriculture and fishing.^[4]

The climate is subequatorial, characterized by two rainy seasons (April–July and September–October) and two dry seasons. Vegetation is mainly composed of grassy and shrubby savannas, with pockets of sacred forests and classified forest areas such as the Gnanhouizounmè Forest Reserve.^[4]

According to the 2013 national census, Bonou had a population of 44,349 inhabitants distributed across about 7,700 households.^[3] The commune has an estimated annual growth rate of about 3.6 percent, with most of the population living in rural areas.^[5]

The local economy is primarily based on agriculture. Main food crops include cassava, sweet potato, cowpea, and maize. Cash crops such as groundnut, oil palm, and pineapple are also cultivated, particularly in the Ouémé valley where pineapple production is expanding.^[6] Livestock breeding (small ruminants and poultry), fishing, and small-scale aquaculture are complementary sources of income.^[4] There are also small industries related to sand extraction, palm oil processing, and timber exploitation.^[4]

The commune is known for traditional cultural practices such as ancestor veneration, the Wémèxwé festival, and the Zangbéto night guardians.^[3] Bonou hosts several natural and cultural sites, including:

• the Gnanhouizounmè Forest Reserve, home to red-bellied monkeys (Cercopithecus erythrogaster), an endangered species;
• the Atchabita thermal spring;
• the Faurax Memorial Site in Affamè, commemorating a French colonial officer killed in the area;
• the Houêdagbo floodplain and Titikpa botanical garden.^[3]