Atlantique is one of the twelve departments in Benin. The department is located in south-central Benin along the Atlantic coast, between Mono and Kouffo Department in the west, Zou in the north, and Ouémé in the east. The department of Atlantique was bifurcated in 1999 when some of its territories was transferred to the newly formed Littoral Department.
As of 2013, the total population of the department was 1,398,229, with 686,747 males and 711,482 females. The proportion of women was 50.90%. The total rural population was 55.50%, while the urban population was 44.50%. The total labour force in the department was 433,515, of which 43.40% were women. The proportion of households with no level of education was 39.20% and the proportion of households with children attending school was 77.30%.