Benin

Republic of BeninRepublique du Benin

republicIndependence 1 August 1960 (from France)

Benin as the 2007 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 123 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 (official capital), UTC+1
Position9 30 N, 2 15 E
Area112,620 sq km
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
2007

Every edition of Benin

Populationas each edition published it
8.08 million July 2007 est. · 4.67m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.674% 2007 est. · 3.33% in 1993
Median ageyears
17.7 years 2007 est. · 16.4 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
53.44 years 2007 est. · 51.31 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
5.08 children per woman 2007 est. · 7.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
77.85 deaths per 1,000 live births 2007 est. · 121 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,100 2006 est. · $410 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4% 2006 est. · 3% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

18 fields

Land useshare of 112,620 sq km

arable land 23.53%permanent crops 2.37%other 74.1% (2005)irrigated 120 sq km (2003)
Area
112,620sq km
land: 110,620 sq kmwater: 2,000 sq kmslightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Coastline
121km
territorial sea: 200 nm
Highest point
658m
Mont Sokbarolowest 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 Bight of Benin, 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

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

People

20 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2007 est.)

77,844
65 and over2.4%
115,342
2,138,649
15-6453.7%
2,203,291
1,788,248
0-1443.9%
1,754,940
MaleFemale
Population
8,078,314
growth rate: 2.674% (2007 est.)
Note
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.)

Per 1,000 population(2007 est.)

Birth
38.1Death
11.94Net migration
0.58

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2007 est.)53.44
52.28 · 54.63Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)77.85
82.32 · 73.26
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2002 census)34.7%
47.9% · 23.3%Median age years (2007 est.)17.7
17.3 · 18.1
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(2002 census)

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(2002 census)

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)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.019 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.971 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.675 male(s)/female
total population:
0.983 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.08 children born/woman (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - 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)

Nationality

noun:
Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Beninese

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

74.5%
Thomas YAYI Boni 74.5%Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2011)

National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 83 seats, elected 31 March 2007one dot, one seat

FCBE 35ADD 20PRD 10other and independents 18

Country name

conventional long form:
Republic of Benin
conventional short form:
Benin
local long form:
Republique du Benin
local short form:
Benin
former:
Dahomey

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

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 [Nicephore SOGLO];
  • Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP;
  • African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN];
  • Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI];
  • Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin or FCBE;
  • 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;
  • The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA];
  • Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]

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
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] 21-30-06-70

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) 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.

42 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$8.989billion
(2006 est.)official exchange rate: $4.622 billion (2006 est.)
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,100
(2006 est.)
Real growth rate
4%
(2006 est.)industrial production growth: 8.3% (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2006 est.)

agriculture 32.8%industry 13.7%services 53.5% (2006 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

20.9%
China
46.6%
7.7%
Indonesia
France
7.5%
7%
India
6.2%
Netherlands
Thailand
6%
5.7%
Niger
4.6%
Togo
4.3%
Nigeria
Exports $605 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)Imports $839 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)(2006)

Budget

Revenues
$786 millionExpenditures
$1.024 billion (2006 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production
105 million (2005)Electricity consumption
587 million (2005)Electricity imports
595 million (2005)

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.

Labor force

3.211 million (1996)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%:
NA% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock

Industries

textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - consumption

14,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves

8.21 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

1.086 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance

$-259 million (2006 est.)

Exports

$605 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

Imports

$839 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

Economic aid - recipient

$349.1 million (2005)

Debt - external

$1.6 billion (2000)

Currency (code)

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

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)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
750,000
(2005)
Fixed lines
76,300
(2005) · country code .bj

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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)

Internet users

700,000 (2006)

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

1,524 to 2,437 m
1

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

2,438 to 3,047 m
11,524 to 2,437 m
1914 to 1,523 m
2

Networkskm

Roadways
16,000Railways
758Waterways
150 (2005)
Roadways: paved: 1,400 km · unpaved: 14,600 km (2005) · Railways: narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) · Waterways: (on River Niger along northern border)

Airports

5 (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)

Military

Benin Armed Forces: Ground Forces Command, Benin Navy, Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2007)

6 fields

Military branches

Benin Armed Forces: Ground Forces Command, Benin Navy, Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2007)

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 21-49:
1,295,230
females age 21-49:
1,301,936 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 21-49:
749,774
females age 21-49:
751,329 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49:
76,661
females:
75,068 (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Benin.” The World Factbook 2007. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/benin/2007.

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