| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
9° 30' North Latitude
2° 15' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
112,620 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| Natural Resources |
Small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Benin |
| Capital City |
Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government |
| Government Type |
Republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989 |
| Administrative Divisions |
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou |
| Independence Day |
1 August 1960 (from France) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
7,460,025 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Beninese |
| Ethnic Groups |
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
| Religion |
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) |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.82% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF)
note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Industries |
Textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement (2001) |
| Labor Force |
NA (1996) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
- |
| Agriculture Products |
Cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) |
| Export Commodities |
Cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa |
| Export Partners |
China 30.2%, India 15.6%, Thailand 6%, Ghana 5.9%, Niger 4.5% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products |
| Import Partners |
China 29.7%, France 13.8%, Thailand 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
578 km |
| Highways |
6,787 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
5 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Cotonou |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+229 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.bj |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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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