The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Parakou
(pâr´´k´) (KEY) , town (1992 pop. 103,577), central Benin. It is the trade center for a cotton, grain, and livestock-raising area. Located at the head of the railroad from Cotonou, it is the distribution center for N Benin and Niger. Parakou has an airstrip and a textile research center.