Map of Benin | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 112,620 km²
Land: 110,620 km²
Water: 2,000 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1,989 km
Border countries: (4) 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: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use
Arable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 4%
Permanent pastures: 4%
Forests and woodland: 31%
Other: 48% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter

Geography
Note: no natural harbors


top of page


Population: 5,902,178 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 3.31% (1997 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,420,335; female 1,411,160)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,401,360; female 1,530,626)
65 years and over: 2% (male 60,704; female 77,993) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.31% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 46.28 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 13.14 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 102.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.15 years
Male: 51.15 years
Female: 55.21 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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 can read and write
Total population: 37%
Male: 48.7%
Female: 25.8% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (since 9 April 1996) acts as assistant to the president; a prime minister is not provided for in the constitution but was appointed by President KEREKOU with the permission of the constitutional court
Cabinet: Council of Ministers headed by the prime minister; all are appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001)
Election results: Mathieu KEREKOU elected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%

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 28 March 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RB 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2, Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, other 17

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, High Court of Justice

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, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
In the us chancery: 2,737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-6,656, 6,657, 6,658
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES
From the us embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
From the us mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou
From the us telephone: [229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92
From the us FAX: [229] 30-14-39, 30-19-74

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


top of page


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 1990-95, rose to 5.5% in 1996. Rapid population growth 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 has subsided gradually over the past two years, with 14.5% inflation in 1995 and a target of 4.5% inflation in 1996. Commercial and transport activities, which make up a large part 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: 5.5% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 36.8%
Industry: 12.6%
Services: 50.6% (1993)

Agriculture products: corn, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, rice, cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, livestock

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

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.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

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
Total value: $300 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Partners: Brazil 18%, Portugal 14%, Morocco, Libya, France

Imports
Total value: $380 million (c.i.f., 1995)
Commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods
Partners: France 27%, Thailand 9%, China, Hong Kong

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.6 billion (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production: 10 million kWh (1994)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 45 kWh (1994 est.)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system
Domestic: fair system of open wire and microwave radio relay
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $33 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 3.2% (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 5 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 2
2438 to 3047 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 3
15-24 to 2437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 578 km (single track)
Narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Roadways

Waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

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 US