Benin

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

• inadequate supplies of potable water;
• poaching threatens wildlife populations;
• deforestation;
• desertification

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

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

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:

0.69 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

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 (2005)

noun:

Beninese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Beninese

conventional long form:

Republic of Benin

conventional short form:

Benin

local long form:

Republique du Benin

local short form:

Benin

former:

Dahomey

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)

• Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle;
• Supreme Court or Cour Supreme;
• High Court of Justice

• Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP;
• African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN];
• Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI];
• Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD;
• Key Force or FC;
• Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS;
• Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP;
• New Alliance or NA;
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP;
• Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO];
• The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA];
• Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]

note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Wayne NEILL

embassy:

Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou

mailing address:

01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou

telephone:

[229] 30-06-50

FAX:

[229] 30-06-70

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

general assessment:

NA

domestic:

fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections

international:

• country code - 229;
• satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean);
• fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

total:

578 km

narrow gauge:

578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)

total:

16,000 km

paved:

1,400 km

unpaved:

14,600 km (2005)

• 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 (2004)

males age 21-49:

1,295,230

females age 21-49:

1,301,936 (2005 est.)

males age 21-49:

749,774

females age 21-49:

751,329 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

76,661

females:

75,068 (2005 est.)

• Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters;
• much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated;
• in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist;
• a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones

• transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US;
• vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure