Porto Novo
[ pawr-toh noh-voh, pohr- ]
/ ˈpɔr toʊ ˈnoʊ voʊ, ˈpoʊr- /
noun
a seaport in and the capital of Benin.
Definition for porto novo (2 of 2)
Benin
[ be-neen ]
/ bɛˌnin /
noun
Formerly Dahomey.
a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Capital: Porto Novo.
Bight of,
a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa.
a former native kingdom in W Africa: now incorporated into Nigeria.
a river in S Nigeria, flowing into the Bight of Benin.
British Dictionary definitions for porto novo (1 of 2)
Porto Novo
/ (ˈpɔːtəʊ ˈnəʊvəʊ) /
noun
the capital of Benin, in the southwest on a coastal lagoon: formerly a centre of Portuguese settlement and the slave trade. Pop: 253 000 (2005 est)
British Dictionary definitions for porto novo (2 of 2)
Benin
/ (bɛˈniːn) /
noun
a republic in W Africa, on the Bight of Benin, a section of the Gulf of Guinea: in the early 19th century a powerful kingdom, famed for its women warriors; became a French colony in 1893, gaining independence in 1960. It consists chiefly of coastal lagoons and swamps in the south, a fertile plain and marshes in the centre, and the Atakora Mountains in the northwest. Official language: French. Religion: animist majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 9 877 292 (2013 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)
Former name (until 1975): Dahomey
a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes