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: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

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

Land boundaries: Total 1,989 km, 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
Extremes highest point: Mount Tanekas 641 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 4%
Forests and woodland: 35%
Other: 45%

Irrigated land: 60 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Beninese

Ethnic groups:

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

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years:
15-64 years:
65 years and over:

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Current issues Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter
International agreements: party to_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified_Desertification, Law of the Sea
International agreements note: No natural harbors

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
All ages:

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.69 years (1996 est.), 52.24 years (1995 est.)
Male: 50.74 years (1996 est.), 50.34 years (1995 est.)
Female: 54.7 years (1996 est.), 54.2 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

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
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)
Total population: 37%
Male: 48.7%
Female: 25.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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 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

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

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: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state and head of government:
Cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: Unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):Elections last held 28 March 1995; results_percent of vote by party NA; seats_(83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2, Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

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: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output, which had averaged a sound 4% in 1990-94, rose to 6% in 1995. Rapid population growth, now 3.3% per year, offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994, but subsided gradually in 1995. Commercial and transport activities, which make up 37% of GDP, are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria as evidenced by decreased reexport trade in 1994 due to a severe contraction in Nigerian demand. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 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: Accounts for 35% of GDP; small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops_corn, sorghum, cassava, yams, beans, rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate -0.7% (1988; accounts for 10% of GDP

Labor force: 1.9 million (1987)
By occupation agriculture: 60%
By occupation transport commerce andpublicservices: 38%
By occupation industry: less than 2%

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: $272 million (1993 est.)
Expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $84 million (1993 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:
Commodities:
Partners:

Imports
Total value:
Commodities:
Partners:

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity
Capacity: 30,000 kW
Production: 10 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 25 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 16,200 telephones (1986 est.); fair system of open wire and microwave radio relay
Local: NA
Intercity: microwave radio relay and open wire
International: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station, submarine cable

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $33 million, 3.2% of GDP (1994)

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: 5
2438 to 3047 m: 2
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: Navigable along small sections, important only locally

Merchant marine: None

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: Transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the U.S.