Editing Cotonou (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Lagoon in Cotonou02.jpg|thumb|The [[Ouémé River]] as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Cotonou]]
Cotonou is on the coastal strip between [[Lake Nokoué]] and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is cut in two by a canal, the lagoon of Cotonou, dug by the French in 1855. Three bridges are in this area. The [[Ouémé River]] flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Cotonou.
[[File:Akpakpa bridge of Cotonou.jpg|thumb|Bridge in Cotonou]]
The city has established transportation infrastructure including air, sea, river (to [[Porto Novo]]), and land routes that facilitate trade with its neighbors [[Nigeria]], [[Niger]], [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Togo]].

[[Coastal erosion]] has been noted for several decades. It worsened in 1961 following construction of the [[Nangbeto Dam]] and deep-water port of Cotonou. A pilot project funded by the [[United Nations Environment Program]] (UNEP) revealed that in 40 years, the coast to the east of Cotonou had retreated by 400 meters.<ref>IRIN Humanitarian News. BENIN: [http://www.irinnews.org/report/80126/benin-coastal-erosion-threatening-to-wipe-out-parts-of-cotonou Coastal erosion threatening to wipe out parts of Cotonou.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208020051/http://www.irinnews.org/report/80126/benin-coastal-erosion-threatening-to-wipe-out-parts-of-cotonou |date=2015-12-08 }}</ref> This erosion has led many people to leave their homes along the coast.<ref>[http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Benins_Cotonou_a_city_slowly_swallowed_by_waves_999.html "Benin's Cotonou – a city slowly swallowed by waves"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516070235/http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Benins_Cotonou_a_city_slowly_swallowed_by_waves_999.html |date=2019-05-16 }}, ''The Terra Daily'', 25 January 2008</ref>