Benin

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

total:

0.13 cu km/yr (32%/23%/45%)

per capita:

18.74 cu m/yr (2001)

• 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, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Beninese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Beninese

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.71 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.67 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

degree of risk:

very high

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)

total number:

1,020,981

percentage:

46 % (2006 est.)

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)

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 3 chamber presidents organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts) Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members including the court president);
• High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president)

; 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

• African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN];
• Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD;
• 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;
• 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 PRD [Dominique HOUNGNINOU];
• Social Democrat Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU];
• Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca LAFIA];
• Union for the Relief or UPR [Issa SALIFOU];
• Union Makes the Nation or UN

note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

other:

• economic groups;
• environmentalists;
• political groups;
• teachers' unions and other educational groups

chief of mission:

Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN (since 13 March 2001)

chancery:

2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 232-6656

FAX:

[1] (202) 265-1996

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 24 May 2012)

embassy:

Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou

mailing address:

01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou

telephone:

[229] 21-30-06-50

FAX:

[229] 21-30-66-82

• 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

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

lowest 10%:

3.1%

highest 10%:

29% (2003)

general assessment:

inadequate system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment

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)

• 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)

total:

438 km

country comparison to the world: 113

narrow gauge:

438 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

total:

16,000 km

country comparison to the world: 119

paved:

1,400 km

unpaved:

14,600 km (2006)

• 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)

males age 16-49:

2,095,373

females age 16-49:

2,038,351 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

1,385,065

females age 16-49:

1,400,045 (2010 est.)

male:

108,496

female:

104,526 (2010 est.)

• 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

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