Benin - Benin at a glance
The Republic of Benin is located in the western part of Africa. Formerly known as Republic of Dahomey, the country was renamed Benin in 1975; its political capital is the city of Porto-Novo.
Situated between parallels 6°30 'and 12°30' north latitude, on the one hand, and meridians 1° and 3°40' east longitude, on the other hand, the Republic of Benin, 112,622 km2 large with 6.9 million inhabitants, shares boundaries with Niger in the north, Burkina Faso in the north-east, Nigeria in the east, Togo in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the south.
Beside the capital city Porto-Novo, other major cities in the Republic of Benin are: Cotonou, Parakou, Bohicon, Djougou Lokossa, Abomey, Kandi, Come, Malanville, Save, Pobè, Kétou; Natitingou, etc.
The official language in the Republic of Benin is French. However, its proximity to Nigeria and trade between nationals of both countries enable Beninese to speak pidgin English, if not proficient enough in standard English. Main national languages in Benin are:
- Fongbé (26%, in the mid-country and in the south) ;
- Yoruba (14%, in the south) ;
- Bariba (13%, in the north) ;
- Goungbé (12%, in the south) ;
- Ayizo-gbé (8%, in the south) ;
- Adja-gbé (11%, in the south) ;
- Ditamari (5%, in the north) ;
- Tem (4%, in the north) ;
- Dendi (3%, in the north) ;
- Pulha (2%, in the north) ;
- Etc.
The currency in use in the Republic of Benin is the CFA franc (CFAF 100 = 0.15 Euro). The national colors are green, red and yellow (see flag). Benin became independent on August 1st, 1960, which also stands for the annual celebration of the National Day.
With an annual 2.6% growth rate as per the World Bank data in 2004, life expectancy is 53 years in Benin. Literacy rate according to same sources is 39.8%, which highlights that much is still to be done in terms of school enrollment in the country.
- Traditional religions including Voodoo (61%),
- Roman Catholicism (19%),
- Islam (15%),
- Protestantism (3%),
- other (2%).
For further information about Benin, please visit the following websites:
