Cotonou is the biggest city, monetary focus and seat of legislature of Benin. Its official populace include was 761,137 occupants in 2006; in any case, a few appraisals show its populace to be as high as 1.2 million. The populace in 1960 was just 70,000. The urban zone keeps on extending, outstandingly toward the west. The city lies in the southeast of the nation, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué.