River · Benin
Ouémé
Ouémé is the longest river in Benin, a country in West Africa. It rises in the northern hills, winds south through wide floodplains and ends in the Nokoué lagoon beside the Gulf of Guinea.
Picture credit: MVN (CC BY 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is the Ouémé?
The river starts here: Atakora hills in northern Benin.
It ends in the Lake Nokoué lagoon, Gulf of Guinea.
Countries on the river: Benin.
The story behind it
The Ouémé is the great water road of Benin. After the rains its level climbs and the river spreads across an enormous floodplain, turning fields into shallow lakes and villages into islands that can only be reached by canoe. When the water sinks again it leaves behind soft mud, and farmers plant maize, rice and vegetables in this rich ground. Fishers set nets and traps from narrow wooden boats, and near the mouth whole families live in houses on stilts above the lagoon. Herons and kingfishers hunt along the banks, while crocodiles rest in quiet side channels. In the dry season the current slows and pale sandbanks appear. Boats still carry fruit, fish and firewood to the markets of the south, so the river shapes everyday life for a whole country.
Questions children ask
How long is the Ouémé?
The Ouémé measures about 510 kilometres from its first streams to the lagoon. That makes it the longest river in Benin. Its whole course lies inside the country.
Which countries does the Ouémé flow through?
The river flows only through Benin, from the north of the country to the south coast. It passes farming villages, forests and busy market towns on the way.
Where does the Ouémé flow into?
It empties into the Nokoué lagoon in the south of Benin. That lagoon is linked to the Gulf of Guinea, so the water finally reaches the Atlantic Ocean.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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