Background: 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.

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: 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 km² (2003)

Natural hazards: hot dry dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Geography
Note: sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors river mouths or islands

Population
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.)
Growth rate: 2.674% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 33% (2001 est.)

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)

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

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)

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/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 11.94 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

Environment
Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.019 male/female
15-64 years: 0.971 male/female
65 years and over: 0.675 male/female
Total population: 0.983 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 77.85 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 82.32 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 73.26 deaths/1000 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.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 68,000 (2003 est.)
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)

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)
Note: Cotonou (seat of government)

Administrative divisions: 12 departments; Alibori Atakora Atlantique Borgou Collines Kouffo Donga Littoral Mono Oueme Plateau Zou

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: National Day 1 August (1960)

Constitution: adopted by referendum 2 December 1990

Legal system: 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
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
Note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MONUC NAM OIC OIF ONUB OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN
In the us chancery: 2,124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-6,656
In the us fax: [1] (202) 265-1996
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN
From the us embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
From the us mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou
From the us telephone: [229] 21-30-06-50
From the us fax: [229] 21-30-06-70

Flag description: 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $8.989 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1100 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 32.8%
Industry: 13.7%
Services: 53.5% (2006 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton corn cassava (tapioca) yams beans palm oil peanuts cashews; livestock

Industries: textiles food processing construction materials cement

Industrial production growth rate: 8.3% (2001 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% (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $786 million
Expenditures: $1.024 billion (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.8% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $-259 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $605 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: cotton cashews shea butter textiles palm products seafood
Partners: China 20.9% Indonesia 7.7% India 7% Netherlands 6.2% Niger 5.7% Togo 4.6% Nigeria 4.3% (2006)

Imports: $839 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs capital goods petroleum products
Partners: China 46.6% France 7.5% Thailand 6% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $912 million (2006 est.)

Debt external: $1.6 billion (2000)

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)

Electricity
Production: 105 million kWh (2005)
Consumption: 587 million kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 595 million kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.086 billion m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 76,300 (2005)
Mobile cellular: 750,000 (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network is almost saturated with fixed-line teledensity stuck at a meager 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density of roughly 10 per 100 persons
Domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; four mobile-cellular providers
International: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bj
Hosts: 798 (2007)
Users: 700,000 (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.7% (2006)

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)

Airports: 5 (2007)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2007)

Railways
Total: 758 km
Narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

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

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