Map of Benin | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 112,620 km²
Land: 110,620 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use: arable land: 12%; permanent crops: 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 4,997,599 (July 1992), growth rate 3.3% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Beninese (singular and plural; adjective - Beninese

Ethnic groups:

Languages: French (official; Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north

Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 49 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 15 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification
Current issues note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 115 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 53 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Benin

Government type:

Capital: Porto-Novo

Administrative divisions:

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)

National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)

Constitution: 2 December 1990

Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 18
National Assembly: last held 10 and 24 March 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7, RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1
President: last held 10 and 24 March 1991; results - Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%
Communists: Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active

Executive branch: president, cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Chancery at 2,737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008; telephone (202) 232-6,656
US:

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview:
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $2.0 billion, per capita $410; real growth rate 3% (1991)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops - corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption

Industries: textiles, cigarettes, construction materials, beverages, food production, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate --0.7% (1988; accounts for 15% of GDP

Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $194 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1990 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $263.3 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa
Partners: FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%

Imports: $428 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods
Partners: France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 4%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)


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Electricity
Production: 30,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1991)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp:

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs