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.
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Geographic coordinates
9 30 N, 2 15 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
112,620 sq km
land
110,620 sq km
water
2,000 sq km
Area - 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
Land use
arable land
23.53%
permanent crops
2.37%
other
74.1% (2005)
Irrigated land
120 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Environment - current issues
Environment - international agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Population
8,078,314
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
43.9% (male 1,788,248/female 1,754,940)
15-64 years
53.7% (male 2,138,649/female 2,203,291)
65 years and over
2.4% (male 77,844/female 115,342) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
17.7 years
male
17.3 years
female
18.1 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.674% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
38.1 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
11.94 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.019 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.971 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.675 male(s)/female
total population
0.983 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
77.85 deaths/1,000 live births
male
82.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female
73.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
53.44 years
male
52.28 years
female
54.63 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.08 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
1.9% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
68,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
5,800 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations
respiratory disease
meningococcal meningitis (2007)
Nationality
noun
Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective
Beninese
Ethnic groups
Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)
Religions
Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)
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
34.7%
male
47.9%
female
23.3% (2002 census)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Benin
conventional short form
Benin
local long form
Republique du Benin
local short form
Benin
former
Dahomey
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Porto-Novo (official capital)
geographic coordinates
6 29 N, 2 37 E
time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 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
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD [Nicephore SOGLO]; Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin or FCBE (a coalition of 20 smaller parties); 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; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side
Economy - overview
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. 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 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 (purchasing power parity)
$8.989 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$4.622 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,100 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
32.8%
industry
13.7%
services
53.5% (2006 est.)
Labor force
3.211 million (1996)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
33% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$836.8 million
expenditures
$1.064 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
China 21%, Indonesia 7.8%, India 7.1%, Netherlands 6.3%, Niger 5.7%, Togo 4.6%, Nigeria 4.4% (2006)
Imports
$927.3 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners
China 47.3%, France 7.6%, Thailand 6.1% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$607.3 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$1.6 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient
$342.6 million (2000)
Currency (code)
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code
XOF
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
76,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
386,700 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections
international
country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Radios
660,000 (2000)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2001)
Televisions
66,000 (2000)
Internet country code
.bj
Internet hosts
867 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
4 (2002)
Internet users
425,000 (2005)
Airports
5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
2 (2006)
Railways
total
578 km
narrow gauge
578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
16,000 km
paved
1,400 km
unpaved
14,600 km (2005)
Waterways
150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)
Ports and terminals
Cotonou
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force Benin Armed Forces: Ground Forces Command, Benin Navy, Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2007)
Military service age and obligation
21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2006)
Manpower available for military service
males age 21-49
1,295,230
females age 21-49
1,301,936 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 21-49
749,774
females age 21-49
751,329 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
76,661
females
75,068 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.7% (2006)
Disputes - international
two villages remain in dispute along the border with Burkina Faso; Benin accused Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin, but border relations remain strained by rival gang clashes; Benin and Togo announced plans in 2006 to construct a joint hydroelectric dam on the Mona River at the southern end of the border
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 26,632 (Togo) (2006)
Illicit drugs
transshipment point used by Nigerian traffickers for narcotics destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations
