| GEOGRAPHY |
| 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: |
Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government |
| Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
9 30 N, 2 15 E |
| Area: |
total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
| Coastline: |
121 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: 200 nm |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| Terrain: |
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991 |
| Administratives
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: |
December 1990 |
| Legal
System; |
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage |
18 years of age; universal |
| Executive
Branch: |
chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)
election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9%
note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president) 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match" |
| 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 30 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Presidential Movement 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
African Congress for Renewal or DUNYA [Saka SALEY]; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Coalition of Democratic Forces [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Key Force or FC [leader NA]; Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, IDP, and 4 other small parties); Renaissance Party du Benin or PRB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
7,250,033
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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 46.8% (male 1,711,075; female 1,679,439)
15-64 years: 51% (male 1,802,990; female 1,890,915)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 68,890; female 96,724) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 16.5 years
male: 16 years
female: 16.9 years (2004 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
| Ethnic groups: |
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
| Religions: |
indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% |
| Languages: |
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
66,500 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
236,200 (2003) |
| Telephone system: |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections
international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000) |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
1 (2001) |
| Internet country
code: |
.bj |
| Internet hosts: |
879 (2004) |
| Internet users: |
70,000 (2003) |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: |
total: 6,787 km
paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: |
150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2004) |
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
Cotonou, Porto-Novo |
| Merchant marine: |
none |
| Airports: |
5 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
|
