Zou Department

Zou
Department
Abomey royal palace wall
Map highlighting the Zou Department
Coordinates: 7°11′N 1°59′E / 7.183°N 1.983°E / 7.183; 1.983Coordinates: 7°11′N 1°59′E / 7.183°N 1.983°E / 7.183; 1.983
Country	Benin
Capital	Abomey
Area
• 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. 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.

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.

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.