Benin

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

agricultural land:

31.3%;

• arable land 22.9%;
• permanent crops 3.5%;
• permanent pasture 4.9%

forest:

40%

other:

28.7% (2011 est.)

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:

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.74 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.66 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2015 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); note - Cotonou (seat of government)

geographic coordinates:

6 29 N, 2 37 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

chief of state:

President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); Prime Minister Lionel ZINSOU (since 18 June 2015)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• last held on 13 March 2011 (next to be held in April 2016)

election results:

Thomas YAYI Boni reelected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni (FCBE) 53.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (PRD) 35.6%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE 6.1%, other 5.2%

description:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 26 April 2015 (next to be held in 2019)

election results:

percent of vote by party - FCBE 30.2%, UN 14.4%, PRD 10.6%, ; seats by party - FCBE 32, UN 15, PRD 10, RB-RP 7, other 19

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 limited to 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 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 [Yayi BONI];
• Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Theophile NATA];
• Key Force or FC [Lazare SÉHOUTÓ];
• Movement for the People's Alternative or MAP [Olivier CAPO-CHICHI];
• Patriotic Awakening or RP [Janvier YAHOUEDEOU];
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Dominique HOUNGNINOU];
• Social Democrat Party or PSD [Emmanuel GOLOU];
• Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca LAFIA];
• Union for the Relief or UPR [Issa SALIFOU];
• Union Makes the Nation or UN [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] (superceded Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD)

note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

other:

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador Omar AROUNA (since 21 May 2014)

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:

Caporal Bernard Anani, 01 BP 2012, 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

name:

"L'Aube Nouvelle" (The Dawn of a New Day)

lyrics/music:

Gilbert Jean DAGNON

note: adopted 1960

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 providing 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

narrow gauge:

438 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 114

total:

16,000 km

paved:

1,400 km

unpaved:

14,600 km (2006)

country comparison to the world: 119

major seaport(s):

Cotonou

LNG terminal(s) (import):

Cotonou

• 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 near 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)