Benin
Benin Cotonou Mission
Cotonou, Littoral, Benin
- Location
- Cotonou, Littoral, Benin
- Country
- Benin
- Region
- Western Africa
- Local time
- Africa/Porto-Novo
- Coordinates
- 6.4° N, 2.4° E
- Population of Cotonou
- 679,012
- Climate
- Tropical savanna (Köppen Aw)
- Currency
- West African CFA franc (XOF Fr)
- Languages in Benin
- French
Where is the Benin Cotonou Mission?
The Benin Cotonou Mission is based in Cotonou, in Littoral, Benin. Cotonou lies about 30 km (20 miles) south-west of Porto-Novo, at 6.4° N, 2.4° E.
Cotonou has a recorded population of about 679,000.
Missionaries assigned here serve across areas set by the mission, which can reach well beyond Cotonou itself, and they are transferred between those areas during a mission.
Where this information comes from
Local time in Cotonou
Missionary Tracker shows this clock and today’s weather next to your missionary, so nobody has to work out whether it is a reasonable hour to write.
Climate and seasons in Cotonou
Cotonou has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Hot through the whole year, split into a distinct wet season and a distinct dry season rather than into summer and winter. The warmest month is February, averaging a daily high of 32 °C (90 °F); the coolest is August, averaging a daily low of 23 °C (73 °F). Around 1,181 mm (46.5 in) of precipitation falls in an average year, most of it in June and least in January.
Wet season
April – July
- Average high
- 30 °C (86 °F)
- Average low
- 24 °C (75 °F)
- Rainfall
- 692 mm (27.2 in)
Dry season
January – December
- Average high
- 31 °C (88 °F)
- Average low
- 24 °C (75 °F)
- Rainfall
- 489 mm (19.3 in)
This describes the weather, not what to pack. Your Missionary Portal and the mission’s own “what to bring” instructions decide your clothing and equipment, and they take priority over anything here.
Languages
Languages most widely used in Benin are French.
- French
This describes the country, not the assignment. The language a missionary is called to speak is set by the Church and stated in the call itself — it can differ from the languages above, and missionaries in one mission are not always assigned the same one.
Preparing to serve in the Benin Cotonou Mission
Start with the instructions in your Missionary Portal and the mission’s own letter — those are the only sources that speak for the Benin Cotonou Mission. These guides cover the practical side nobody sends you: the paperwork, the shopping, the packing and the last weeks at home.
What to Do After Receiving Your Mission Call
The call answers where and when. This is the order to do everything that follows, starting with the parts that have deadlines.
Read the guideLDS Mission Preparation Checklist: Everything to Do Before You Leave
The whole runway in one place — from the year before you submit a recommendation to the morning you leave for the MTC.
Read the guideLDS Missionary Packing List
Everything worth packing, in the order you should buy it, and the things most missionaries wish they had left at home.
Read the guideWhat to Bring to the MTC
The quick answer first, then the detail: what you actually need on arrival day and what can stay in the suitcase.
Read the guideVisa and travel arrangements are handled through your Missionary Portal and the Church’s travel office. Follow their instructions rather than any third-party summary, including this one.
Mission tools
Both tools are free, run entirely in your browser, and open with the Benin Cotonou Mission already selected.
Know your mission dates?
Enter the start and expected return dates for days served, days remaining and the halfway point — then download a shareable countdown card.
Create a CountdownPrintable countdown map
Turn the mission length into a free printable countdown map of Benin, with one numbered square for each mission day to colour in.
Create a Countdown MapCalled to the Benin Cotonou Mission?
Set up your mission before you leave. Add the Benin Cotonou Mission and your dates to Missionary Tracker so your family has one private place to follow your countdown, current serving area and updates once your mission begins.
Free on iPhone and Android. Profiles are shared by join code, not published anywhere.
Create Mission CountdownMission boundaries, assignments and instructions change; always use current information from the Church and your Missionary Portal.