Benin Location : Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo
Capital City : Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Curreny : Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Languages Spoken : French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Climate : tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
National Holiday : National Day, 1 August (1960)
Background Information
Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.
Geographical Note
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Economy
The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output averaged a stable 5% in the past five years, but rapid population rise 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. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation.
Religions
indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Ports : Cotonou, Porto-Novo
International Disputes - Risks to travellers
: Benin and Niger have refered to the ICJ the dispute over l'Ete and 14 smaller disputed islands in the Niger River, which has never been delimited; with Nigeria, several villages are in dispute along the Okpara River and only 35 km of the 436 km boundary are demarcated; the Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint remains undemarcated; Benin accuses Togo of moving boundary markers and stationing troops in its territory; two villages are in dispute with Burkina Faso
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