former Portuguese exclave (detached portion) of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the city of Ouidah, Benin. Founded in 1721, it consisted of a fort and old factory (trading station). Until 1961, when the enclave was forcibly taken by Dahomey (now Benin) and its inhabitants expelled, the fort had been occupied by a few Portuguese officials and their families. The fort currently houses the Ouidah Historical Museum, which contains a collection of artifacts, photographs, and other items depicting the slave trade.