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 Travel Tips Benin
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Find important informations
about Benin
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| OVERVIEW |
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Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. |
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| HISTORY |
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Benin was the seat of one of the great medieval African kingdoms called Dahomey. Europeans began arriving in the area in the 18th century, as the kingdom of Dahomey was expanding its territory. The Portuguese, the French, and the Dutch established trading posts along the coast (Porto-Novo, Ouidah, Cotonou), and traded weapons for slaves. Slave trade ended in 1848. Then, the French signed treaties with Kings of Abomey (Guézo, Toffa, Glèlè) to establish French protectorates in the main cities and ports. However, King Behanzin fought the French influence, which cost him deportation to Martinique. As of 1900, the territory became a French colony ruled by a French Governor. Expansion continued to the North (kingdoms of Parakou, Nikki, Kandi), up to the border with former Upper Volta. On December 4, 1958, it became the République du Dahomey, self-governing within the French community, and on August 1, 1960, the Republic of Benin gained full independence from France. |
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| GEOGRAPHY |
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Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
Coordinates: |
9 30 N, 2 15 E |
Area: |
total: 112,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km |
Comparative: |
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Land boundaries: |
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
Coastline: |
121 km |
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 200 NM |
Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
Terrain: |
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
Natural resources: |
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
Natural hazards: |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
Environment - current issues: |
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification |
Geography - note: |
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
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| POPULATION |
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Population: |
7,862,944
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) |
Median age: |
17.6 years |
Growth rate: |
2.73% |
Infant mortality: |
79.56 deaths/1,000 live births |
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 53.04 years
male: 51.9 years
female: 54.22 years |
Total fertility rate: |
5.2 children born/woman |
Nationality: |
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
Ethnic groups: |
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
Religions: |
indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% |
Languages: |
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) |
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 33.6%
male: 46.4%
female: 22.6% |
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| ECONOMY |
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The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.
GDP: |
$8.553 billion (2005 est.) |
GDP real growth rate: |
3.5% |
GDP per capita: |
$1,100 |
GDP composition by sector: |
agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 13.8%
services: 54.6% |
Inflation rate: |
3.5% |
Budget: |
revenues: $766.8 million
expenditures: $1.017 billion |
Industries: |
textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials |
Electricity production by source: |
fossil fuel: 14.2%
hydro: 85.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% |
Agriculture: |
cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock |
Exports: |
cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa |
Export partners: |
China 31.6%, India 19.4%, Ghana 6.6%, Niger 6.2%, Indonesia 4.4%, Nigeria 4.4% (2005) |
Imports: |
foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products |
Import partners: |
China 39.1%, France 8.7%, Thailand 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 6.1% (2005) |
Currency: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Communications: |
Telephones: main lines in use: 66,500 (2003); mobile cellular: 236,200 (2003).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000).
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001).
Internet hosts: 879 (2004).
Internet users: 70,000 (2003). |
| Transportation: |
Railways: total: 578 km (2004).
Highways: total: 6,787 km; paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways); unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.).
Waterways: 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2004).
Ports and harbors: Cotonou.
Airports: 5 (2004 est.). |
| International disputes: |
Two villages remain in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso; accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated, and the states expect a ruling in 2005 from the ICJ over the disputed Niger and Mekrou River islands; a joint task force was established in 2004 that resolved disputes over and redrew the maritime and the 870-km land boundary with Nigeria, including the sovereignty over seven villages along the Okpara River; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones. |
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| GOVRNMENT |
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Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
local long form: Republique du Benin |
Government type: |
republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991 |
Capital: |
Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government |
Administrative divisions: |
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou |
Independence: |
1 August 1960 (from France) |
National holiday: |
National Day, 1 August (1960) |
Constitution: |
December 1990 |
Legal system: |
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch: |
chief of state: President Yayi BONI (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yayi BONI (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)
election results: Yayi BONI elected president; percent of vote - Yayi BONI 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5% |
Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31 |
Judicial branch: |
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice |
Political parties and leaders: |
Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties |
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