|
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. YAYI has
begun a high profile fight against corruption and has strongly promoted
accelerating Benin's economic growth. |
|
Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the Bight
of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
9 30 N, 2 15 E |
|
Map references: |
Africa |
|
Area: |
total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
|
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 1,989 km
border
countries: 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
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 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
25.8 cu km (2001) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 0.13 cu km/yr
(32%/23%/45%)
per capita: 15 cu m/yr (2001) |
|
Natural hazards: |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may
affect north from December to March |
|
Environment - current issues: |
inadequate supplies of potable water;
poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
|
|
Environment - 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
signed, but not
ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
Geography - note: |
sandbanks create difficult access to
a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
|
Population: |
8,294,941
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,
higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the
distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 43.6% (male
1,824,803/female 1,790,723)
15-64 years: 54% (male 2,210,525/female
2,268,138)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 80,081/female 120,671) (2008
est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 17.9 years
male: 17.5 years
female: 18.3 years (2008 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
2.619% (2008 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
37.36 births/1,000 population (2008
est.) |
|
Death rate: |
11.67 deaths/1,000 population (2008
est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008
est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97
male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total
population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 76.19 deaths/1,000 live
births
male: 80.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 71.66
deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 53.85 years
male: 52.67 years
female: 55.06 years (2008 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate: |
4.96 children born/woman (2008 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 and
yellow fever
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)
|
|
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)
|
|
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) |
|
Languages: |
French (official), Fon and Yoruba
(most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in
north) |
|
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: |
unicameral National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
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: |
Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or
ADD; Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and
Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO];
Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Force Cowrie for an
Emerging Benin or FCBE; 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 [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Union for the Relief
or UPR [Issa SALIFOU]; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca
LAFIA]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
|
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, OPCW, PCA, 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
chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656
FAX: [1] (202)
265-1996 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador
Gayleatha B. BROWN
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone: [229]
21-30-06-50
FAX: [229] 21-30-03-84 |
|
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 seven
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 though the government annulled the
privatization of Benin's state cotton company in November 2007 after the
discovery of irregularities in the bidding process. 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. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely
affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to
increase domestic power production. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$12.1 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$5.433 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
4.2% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$1,500 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 33.2%
industry: 14.5%
services: 52.3% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
5.38 million (2007 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
NA% |
|
Population below poverty line: |
37.4% (2007 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 29% (2003) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
36.5 (2003) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
19.4% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $959.2 million
expenditures: $1.211 billion (2007 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: |
4.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
105 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 14.2%
hydro: 85.8%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
587 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
595 million kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2007) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
9,232 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2007) |
|
Oil - imports: |
16,830 bbl/day (2007 est.) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
8.21 million bbl (1 January 2006
est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
1.086 billion cu m (1 January 2006
est.) |
|
Current account balance: |
-$310 million (2007 est.) |
|
Exports: |
$585 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
cotton, cashews, shea butter,
textiles, palm products, seafood |
|
Exports - partners: |
China 20.9%, Indonesia 7.7%, India
7%, Netherlands 6.2%, Niger 5.7%, Togo 4.6%, Nigeria 4.3% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$1.095 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities: |
foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum
products |
|
Imports - partners: |
China 46.6%, France 7.5%, Thailand 6%
(2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$374.7 million (2006) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$1.209 billion (31 December 2007
est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$1.2 billion (2007) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$NA |
|
Currency (code): |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African
States |
|
Currency code: |
XOF |
|
Exchange rates: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine
francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29
(2004), 581.2 (2003)
note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has
been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
77,300 (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
1.056 million (2006) |
|
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 subscribership is
increasing
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 stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)
|
|
Radios: |
660,000 (2000) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
6 (2007) |
|
Televisions: |
66,000 (2000) |
|
Internet country code: |
.bj |
|
Internet hosts: |
798 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
4 (2002) |
|
Internet users: |
700,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
5 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437
m: 1 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047
m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 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 (2006) |
|
Waterways: |
150 km (on River Niger along northern
border) (2005) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Cotonou |
|
Military branches: |
Benin Armed Forces (FAB): Army
(l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin People's Air
Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2008) |
|
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) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 16-49: 1,908,457
females age 16-49: 1,882,421 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 16-49: 1,173,742
females age 16-49: 1,162,113 (2008 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age
annually: |
males age 16-49: 96,230
females age 16-49: 94,436 (2008 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.7% (2006) |
| Transnational Issues |
Benin |
|
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):
9,444 (Togo) (2007) |
|
This page was last updated on 10 June, 2008 | |
