Borgou Department

Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori, Atakora, Collines and Donga. The capital of Borgou is Parakou. The department of Borgou was bifurcated in 1999, with its northern territory transferred to the newly created Alibori Department. According to the 2013 census, the total population of the department was 1,214,249, with 607,013 males and 607,236 females. The proportion of women was 50.00%. The total rural population was 56.40%, while the urban population was 43.60%. The total labour force in the department was 271,652, of which 25.20% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 64.30%. Geography Borgou borders Alibori Department to the north, Nigeria to the east, Collines Department to the south, and Donga Department and Atakora Department to the west. Geographically, the department is part of the larger Borg(o)u region divided by the Benin–Nigeria border, with in Benin and in Nigeria. The northern regions of Benin, in general, receive one season of rainfall from May to September, compared to the southern regions which receive two spells of rain from March to July and September to November. The average temperature from April to June reaches , while the average temperature between November and March ranges between . The average elevation of the department is above the mean sea level.