Collines is one of the twelve

departments of Benin Benin is divided into 12 departments Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and ...

, located in the centre of the country; its name means "''hills''" in French. The department of Collines was created in 1999 when it was split off from Zou Department. In 2016, the city of

Dassa-Zoumé Dassa-Zoumé, also known as Igbo Idaasha or simply Dassa, is a city in central Benin, on the Cotonou-to- Parakou railway and the main north-south highway. It is the capital of Collines Department. The commune covers an area of , and as of 2013 ...

(also called Igbo Idaasha) became the department's capital (formerly Savalou was the capital). , the total population of the department was 717,477, with 353,592 males and 363,885 females. The proportion of women was 50.70%. The total rural population was 72.50%, while the urban population was 27.50%. The total labour force in the department was 213,069, of which 45.30% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 57.60%.

Geography

Collines Department borders Donga Department and Borgou Department to the north,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of G ...

to the east, Plateau Department and Zou Department to the south, and

Togo Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its ...

to the west. The topography of Collines is characterised by plateaus ranging from above the mean sea level; the plateaus are split by valleys running from north to south, created by the

Couffo Kouffo or Couffo is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Kouffo borders the country of Togo and the departments of Mono, Zou and Atlantique. Since 2008, the department's capital has been Aplahoué. The department of Kouffo was created in 199 ...

, Zou and Oueme rivers. The southern regions of Benin receive two seasons of rainfall 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 .

Settlements

is the departmental capital; other major settlements include

Glazoué Glazoué is a town, arrondissement, and commune in the Collines Department of central Benin. It is located on the railway line from Cotonou to Parakou Parakou is the largest city in northern Benin, with an estimated population of around 206,66 ...

, Kilibo,

Savalou Savalou is a little kingdom located in the Collines Department of Benin. The commune covers an area of 2,674 square kilometres and as of 2012 had a population of 35,433 people. It is the birthplace of Olympic Beninese hurdler Odile Ahouanwanou ...

and

Savè Savè is a city in Benin, lying on the Cotonou- Parakou railway and the main north–south road. It is known for its local boulders, popular with climbers. "Savè" is from the historical Yoruba name Ṣábẹ̀ẹ́. The commune covers an area ...

Demographics

According to Benin's 2013 census, the total population of the department was 717,477, with 353,592 males and 363,885 females. The proportion of women was 50.70%. The total rural population was 72.50%, while the urban population was 27.50%. The proportion of women of childbearing age (15 to 49 years old) was 23.50%. The foreign population was 9,647, representing 1.30% of the total population in the department. The labour force participation rate among foreigners aged 15–64 years was 41.60%. The proportion of women among the foreign population constituted 46.30%. The number of households in the department was 129,159 and the average household size was 5.6. The intercensal growth rate of the population was 2.60%. Among women, the average age at first marriage was 21 and the average age at maternity was 28.2. The synthetic index of fertility of women was 5.1. The average number of families in a house was 1.3 and the average number of persons per room was 1.9. The total labour force in the department was 213,069, of which 45.30% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 57.60% and the proportion of households with children attending school was 72.50%. The crude birth rate was 37.6, the general rate of fertility was 160.40 and the gross reproduction rate was 2.50. The main ethnic groups in the department, according to the latest national census, are the

Yoruba The Yoruba people (, , ) are a West African ethnic group that mainly inhabit parts of Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. The areas of these countries primarily inhabited by Yoruba are often collectively referred to as Yorubaland. The Yoruba consti ...

of the Nagot group at 46.8% and the Yoruba of the Idaasha at 14.9%, followed by the Mahi at 25.7%, or just over a quarter of the region's population, while the Fon represent 13% of the population. Other ethnolinguistic groups in the department include the

Aguna An ''agunah'' ( he, עגונה, plural: agunot (); literally "anchored" or "chained") is a Jewish woman who is stuck in her religious marriage as determined by ''halakha'' (Jewish law). The classic case of this is a man who has left on a journey ...

, Biali, Ede and Tchumbuli.

Administrative divisions

The department of Collines was created in 1999 when it was split off from Zou Department, with

as its original capital. In 2016, the city of

(also called Igbo Idaasha) became the department's capital. Collines is subdivided into six

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...

, each centered at one of the principal towns:

Bantè Bantè is a town, arrondissement, and commune in western Benin. It is located in the former Zou Province of which since 1999 is part of the Collines Department. The commune covers an area of 2695 square kilometres and as of 2013 had a population o ...

, Ouèssè,

and Savé. Benin originally had six administrative regions (''départements''), which have now been bifurcated to make 12. Each of the deconcentrated administrative services (''directions départementales'') of the sectoral ministries takes care of two administrative regions. A law passed in 1999 transformed the ''sous-prefectures'', the lowest level of territorial administration, into 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 in June 2015.

References

External links

{{Authority control Departments of Benin States and territories established in 1999 Departments in Yorubaland