Background: Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and half centuries became a regional power largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975. 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. YAYI who won a second five-year term in March 2011 has attempted to stem corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth.

Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N 2 15 E

Area
Rank: 102
Land: 110,622 km²
Water: 2000 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Border countries: (4) Burkina Faso 386 km; Niger 277 km; Nigeria 809 km; Togo 651 km

Coastline: 121 km

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

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

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits limestone marble timber

Land use
Permanent crops: 2.61%
Other: 74.9% (2011)

Irrigated land: 230.4 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 26.39 km³ (2011)

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: 10,160,556
Rank: 88
Growth rate: 2.81% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 17
Below poverty line: 37.4% (2007 est.)

Nationality
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: Catholic 27.1% Muslim 24.4% Vodoun 17.3% Protestant 10.4% (Celestial 5% Methodist 3.2% other Protestant 2.2%) other Christian 5.3% other 15.5% (2002 census)

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.1% (male 1,036,963/female 1,001,400)
25-54 years: 29.9% (male 1,530,283/female 1,504,201)
55-64 years: 3.5% (male 149,883/female 205,701)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 112,830/female 170,373) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 77.7 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.3 %
Potential support ratio: 18.9 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 17.4 years
Female: 18.1 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.81% (2014 est.)
Rank: 17

Birth rate: 36.51 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 20

Death rate: 8.39 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 83

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 99

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 4.12% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: COTONOU (seat of government) 924,000; PORTO-NOVO (capital) 314,000 (2011)

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

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.3

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 26
Male: 60.26 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 53.76 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 191
Male: 59.75 years
Female: 62.47 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.04 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 16

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 12.9% (2012)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.06 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 0.5 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2012 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 45
People living with hivaids: 71,500 (2012 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 53
Deaths: 3,100 (2012 est.)
Deaths rank: 52

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever malaria and yellow fever
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6% (2008)
Rank: 151

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 20.2% (2006)
Rank: 30

Education expenditures: 5.3% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 64

Literacy
Total population: 42.4%
Male: 55.2%
Female: 30.3% (2010 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 13 years
Female: 9 years (2011)

Country name
Conventional short form: Benin
Local long form: Republique du Benin
Local short form: Benin
Former: Dahomey

Government type: republic

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 6 29 N 2 37 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: previous 1946 1958 (preindependence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990 promulgated 11 December 1990 (2012)

Legal system: civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); Prime Minister Pascal KOUPAKI (since 28 May 2011)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 13 March 2011 (next to be held in March 2016)
Election results: Thomas YAYI Boni re-elected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 53.1% Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 35.6% Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE 6.1% other 5.2%

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 on 30 April 2011 (next to be held in 2015)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 41 UN 30 other 12

Judicial branch: note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is to limited cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the national president upon the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the national president; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; High Court of Justice 'other' members elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; district courts; village courts; Assize courts

Political parties and leaders: Be African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin or FCBE [Yayi BONI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Theophile NATA]; Key Force or FC [Lazare SÈHOUÉTO]; Movement for the People's Alternative or MAP [Olivier CAPO-CHICHI]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Dominique HOUNGNINOU]; Social Democrat Party or PSD [Emmanuel GOLOU]; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca LAFIA]; Union for the Relief or UPR [Issa SALIFOU]; Union Makes the Nation or UN [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] (superceded Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD)

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU CD ECOWAS Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSMA MONUSCO NAM OAS (observer) OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
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 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] 21-30-66-82

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side; green symbolizes hope and revival yellow wealth and red courage

National symbols: leopard

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Gilbert Jean DAGNON

Economy overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture cotton production and regional trade. Growth in real output had averaged almost 4% before the global recession and it has returned to roughly that level in 2011-12. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth 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. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation with Benin benefiting from a G-8 debt reduction announced in July 2005 while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production. Private foreign direct investment is small and foreign aid accounts for the majority of investment in infrastructure projects. Cotton a key export suffered from flooding in 2010-11 but high prices supported export earnings. The government agreed to a 25% increase in civil servant salaries in 2011 following a series of strikes increasing pressure on the national budget. Benin has appealed for international assistance to mitigate piracy against commercial shipping in its territory.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 141

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 59

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 202

Gross national saving:
Rank: 135

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 12.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.2%
Exports of goods and services: 13.2%
Imports of goods and services: -26%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 12.9%
Services: 55.6% (2013 est.)

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

Industries: textiles food processing construction materials cement

Industrial production growth rate: 3.7% (2013 est.)
Rank: 79

Labor force: 3.662 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 95

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 37.4% (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 29% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 36.5 (2003)
Rank: 85

Budget
Expenditures: $1.825 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 67

Taxes and other revenues: 20.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 159

Public debt: 31.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 124

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.8% (2012 est.)
Rank: 88

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 91

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%

Stock of narrow money: $1.755 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 126

Stock of broad money: $2.943 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 144

Stock of domestic credit: $1.529 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 144

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$684.9 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 111

Exports: $1.071 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 157
Commodities: cotton cashews shea butter textiles palm products seafood
Partners: China 25% India 23.5% Lebanon 18.7% Niger 4.3% Nigeria 4% (2012)

Imports: $1.755 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 166
Commodities: foodstuffs capital goods petroleum products
Partners: China 37.2% US 8.9% India 6.7% France 5.6% Malaysia 5.3% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $712.8 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 144

Debt external: $1.123 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 156

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 142.1 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 191
Consumption: 870.1 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 155
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 109
Imports: 935 million kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 66
Installed generating capacity: 61,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 183
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 55
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 53
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 140
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 159

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 155
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 88
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 163
Crude oil proven reserves: 8 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 93

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 124
Products consumption: 29,170 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 116
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 156
Products imports: 34,840 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 87

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 106
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 123
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 68
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 164
Proven reserves: 1.133 billion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 102

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 4.655 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 156,700 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 135
Mobile cellular: 8.408 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 90

Telephone system
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity only about 2 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly
International: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; long distance fiber-optic links with Togo Burkina Faso Niger and Nigeria; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2008)

Broadcast media: state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB) operates a TV station with multiple channels giving it a wide broadcast reach; several privately owned TV stations broadcast from Cotonou; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio under ORTB control includes a national station supplemented by a number of regional stations; substantial number of privately owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available on FM in Cotonou (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bj
Hosts: 491 (2012)
Hosts rank: 183
Users: 200,100 (2009)
Users rank: 139

Military expenditures:
Rank: 100

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; a higher education diploma is required; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2013)

Airports: 6 (2013)
Rank: 171
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)

Railways
Rank: 113
Narrow gauge: 438 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 119
Paved: 1400 km
Unpaved: 14,600 km (2006)

Waterways: 150 km (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border) (2011)
Rank: 102

Disputes international: talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River; Benin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso around the town of Koualou; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved

Illicit drugs: transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations (2008)