Benin

Republic of BeninRepublique du Benin

republic under multiparty democratic ruleIndependence 1 August 1960 (from France)

Benin as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalPorto-Novo is the official capital
Position9 30 N, 2 15 E
Area112,620 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
1998

Every edition of Benin

Populationas each edition published it
6.1 million July 1998 est. · 4.67m in 1990
Population growth% a year
3.31% 1998 est. · 3.33% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 16.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
53.61 years 1998 est. · 51.31 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
6.48 children per woman 1998 est. · 7.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
100.22 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 121 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,900 1997 est. · $410 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
5.8% 1997 est. · 3% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields
Area
112,620sq km
land: 110,620 sq kmwater: 2,000 sq kmslightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Coastline
121km
territorial sea: 200 nm
Highest point
641m
Mount Tanekaslowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Land boundaries
1,989km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Location

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

Climate

  • tropical;
  • hot, humid in south;
  • semiarid in north

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

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 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter

Environment-current issues

  • recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north;
  • inadequate supplies of potable water;
  • poaching threatens wildlife populations;
  • deforestation;
  • desertification

Environment-international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

Geography-note

no natural harbors

People

15 fields
Population
6,100,799
(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 3.31% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth
45.82Death
12.77Net migration
0

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)53.61
51.56 · 55.72
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)37%
48.7% · 25.8%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Religions

indigenous beliefs 70%Muslim 15%Christian 15%

Age structure

0-14 years:
48% (male 1,465,067; female 1,455,852)
15-64 years:
50% (male 1,455,224; female 1,582,880)
65 years and over:
2% (male 61,523; female 80,253) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

100.22 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.48 children born/woman (1998 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)

Government

Republic under multiparty democratic rule; President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996)

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

52.49%
Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001)

Legislature, 83 seats, elected 28 March 1995one dot, one seat

RB 20PRD 19FARD-ALAFIA 10PSD 7NCC 3RDL-VIVOTEN 3PCB 2AC 1RDP 1other 17

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

National capital

Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government

Administrative divisions

6 departments; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

Independence

1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday

National Day, 1 August (1990)

Constitution

2 December 1990

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, PCB 2, AC 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

  • Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development or PNDD and the Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Pascal Chabi KAO];
  • Action for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Mathieu KEREKOU];
  • Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress or UNSP [Bruno AMOUSSOU];
  • Alliance Chameleon or AC;
  • Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Adekpedjon AKINDES];
  • Alliance for Social Democracy or ASD [Robert DOSSOU];
  • Liberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction-Vivoten or RDL-Vivoten [Severin ADJOVI];
  • Communist Party of Benin or PCB [Pascal TODJINOU, first secretary];
  • Our Common Cause or NCC [Albert TEVOEDJRE];
  • Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP;
  • The Renaissance Party of Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]

note: as of February 1996, more than 80 political parties were officially recognized

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, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
chancery:
2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 232-6656, 6657, 6658

FAX

[1] (202) 265-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador John M. YATES
embassy:
Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address:
B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone:
[229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92

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

Economy

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and | dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional | trade.

28 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
-$11.3billion
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
-$1,900
purchasing power parity · (1997 est.)
Real growth rate
5.8%
(1997 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

GDP-composition by sector(1995)

agriculture 34%industry 14%services 52% (1995)

Budget

Revenues
$299 millionExpenditures
$445 million (1995 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $14 million
Fixed lines
16,200
(1986 est.)

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% during 1990-95, rose to 5.5% in 1996 and was targeted at 4.8% for 1997. 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 over the past three years, with a target of 3.5% inflation in 1997. Commercial and transport activities, which make up a large part of GDP, are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria, particularly fuel shortages.

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.

Industries

  • textiles, cigarettes;
  • beverages, food;
  • construction materials, petroleum

Electricity-capacity

15,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-production

6 million kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

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

Exports

total value:
$192 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities:
cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
partners:
Brazil 18%, Portugal 14%, Morocco, Libya, France

Imports

total value:
$693 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

Debt-external

$1.7 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Telephone system

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0

Televisions

20,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

8 fields

Networkskm

Highways
6,787Railways
578
Highways: paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) · unpaved: 5,430 km (1996 est.) · Railways: (single track) · narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Railways

total:
578 km (single track)
narrow gauge:
578 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Highways

total:
6,787 km
paved:
1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways)
unpaved:
5,430 km (1996 est.)

Waterways

navigable along small sections, important only locally

Ports and harbors

Cotonou, Porto-Novo

Airports

6 (1997 est.)

Airports-with paved runways

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports-with unpaved runways

total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Military

Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), | National Gendarmerie

7 fields

Military branches

Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49:
1,311,490
females age 15-49:
1,378,979 (1998 est.)

note: both sexes are liable for military service

Military manpower-fit for military service

males:
671,230
females:
698,290 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males:
65,498
females:
65,112 (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US BERMUDA (dependent territory of the UK)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Benin.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/benin/1998.

How to cite ← 1997 edition 1999 edition →