World Facts Index
 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. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term
in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and
independent. YAYI has begun a high profile fight against corruption and has
strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.
Geography of Benin
|
Location:
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Western Africa, bordering
the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
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Coordinates:
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9 30 N, 2 15 E |
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Area:
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total: 112,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km |
|
Comparative:
|
slightly smaller than
Pennsylvania |
|
Land boundaries:
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total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773
km, Togo 644 km |
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Coastline:
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121 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200
NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in
south; semiarid in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to undulating
plain; some hills and low mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
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Natural resources:
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small offshore oil
deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan
wind may affect north from December to March |
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of
potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation;
desertification |
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Geography - note:
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sandbanks create difficult
access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
|
Population of Benin
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Population:
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8,532,547 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 45.5% (male 1,978,897/female
1,901,005)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 2,195,667/female 2,236,458)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 91,213/female 129,307) |
|
Median age:
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17.1 years |
|
Infant mortality:
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79.56 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 53.04 years
male: 51.9 years
female: 54.22 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.2 children born/woman |
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Nationality:
|
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
|
Ethnic groups:
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African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most
important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%,
Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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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%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
local long form: Republique du Benin |
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Government type:
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republic under multiparty democratic rule;
dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990;
transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991 |
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Capital:
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Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou
is the seat of government |
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Administrative divisions:
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12 departments; Alibori, Atakora,
Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou |
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Independence:
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1 August 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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National Day, 1 August (1960) |
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Constitution:
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December 1990 |
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law and customary
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Thomas YAYI Boni
(since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for
a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held in March
2011)
election results: Thomas YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - Thomas
YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5% |
|
Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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Constitutional Court or Cour
Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 |
Economy
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 seven 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. Specific projects to improve the
business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice
system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million
Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001
privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and
agriculture though the government annulled the privatization of Benin's state
cotton company in November 2007 after the discovery of irregularities in the
bidding process. 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. An
insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic
growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic
power production.
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GDP:
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$12 billion (2007 est.) |
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GDP real growth rate:
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3.5% |
|
GDP per capita:
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$1,100 |
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GDP composition by sector:
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agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 13.8%
services: 54.6% |
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Inflation rate:
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3.5% |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $766.8 million
expenditures: $1.017 billion |
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Industries:
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textiles, food processing, chemical
production, construction materials |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 14.2%
hydro: 85.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% |
|
Agriculture:
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cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil,
peanuts; livestock |
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Exports:
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cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa |
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Export partners:
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China 31.6%, India 19.4%, Ghana 6.6%, Niger 6.2%,
Indonesia 4.4%, Nigeria 4.4% |
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Imports:
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foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum
products |
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Import partners:
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China 39.1%, France 8.7%, Thailand 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire
6.1% |
|
Currency:
|
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |