Benin

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

mean elevation:

273 m

elevation extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; Mont Sokbaro 658 m

agricultural land:

31.3%;

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

forest:

40%

other:

28.7% (2011 est.)

• 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:

0.76 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.66 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2016 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 (2016)

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

etymology:

named for the Bight of Benin, the body of water on which the country lies

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)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Benin

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:

President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016); Prime Minister (vacant)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• last held on 6 March and 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

election results:

• Patrice TALON elected president;
• first round percent of vote - Lionel ZINSOU (FCBE) 28.4%, Patrice TALON (independent) 24.8%, Sebastien AJAVON (independent) 23.0%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE (ABT) 8.8%, Pascal KOUPAKI (NC) 5.9%, other 9.1%;
• second round percent of vote - Patrice TALON 65.4%, Lionel ZINSOU 34.6%

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 April 2019)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - FCBE 30.2%, UN 14.4%, PRD 10.6%, AND 7.6%, RB-RP 7.1%, other 30.1%;
• seats by party - FCBE 33, UN 13, PRD 10, AND 5, RB-RP 7, other 15

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 while in office

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

• Alliance for a Triumphant Benin or ABT [Abdoulaye BIO TCHANE]
• African Movement for Development and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]
• Benin Renaissance or RB [Lehady SOGLO]
• Cowrie Force for an Emerging Benin or FCBE [Yayi BONI]
• Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]
• New Consciousness Rally or NC [Pascal KOUPAKI]
• Patriotic Awakening or RP [Janvier YAHOUEDEOU]
• Social Democrat Party or PSD [Emmanuel GOLOU]
• Sun Alliance or AS [Sacca LAFIA]
• Union Makes the Nation or UN [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] (alliance superceded Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD)
• United Democratic Forces or FDU [Mathurin NAGO]

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 Lucy TAMLYN (since 8 November 2015)

embassy:

Caporal Bernard Anani, 01 BP 2012, Cotonou

mailing address:

01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou

telephone:

[229] 21-30-06-50

FAX:

[229] 21-30-03-84

• 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) (2015)

• 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)

number of registered air carriers:

1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

112,392

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

805,347 mt-km (2015)

total:

438 km

narrow gauge:

438 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

country comparison to the world: 118

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)

• 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)