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Benin - History & Geography

Benin History 

Benin is the cradle of ancient and brilliant civilizations built around city-states centered kingdoms.

The major three kingdoms created by the Fon were the Kingdom of Allada, founded in the 16th century, the Kingdom of Abomey in 1625, and the Kingdom of Porto-Novo, first called Adjacè, and then Hogbonou. These well-organized political entities were provided with functional urban quarters. They had developed a local business based on slave trade, in the seventeenth century, then on palm oil after abolition of slave trade in 1848. This trade economy promoted the installation, along the coast (called "Slave Coast"), of trading posts controlled by the English, Danish, Portuguese and French. Here are some milestone dates of historical evolution of Benin:

  • 1650 : Construction of a stronghold in Ouidah by English merchant navigators 
  • 1664 : Settlment of the first French Capuccino missionnaries in Juda (Ouidah)
  • 1704 : France was allowed to build a fort in Ouidah, while Portuguese moved in1752 in Hogbonou which they named Porto-Novo;
  • 1863 : The first French Protectorate was signed with the King of Porto-Novo who was in quest of help against belligerence from the King of Abomey and attacks by English invadors based in Lagos. The same year, GLELE, King of Abomey, allowed French to settle in Cotonou;
  • 1882 : The King of Porto-Novo signed a new Protectorate Agreement with France which appointed a « French Resident » to assist the King.
  • 1894 : Dahomey fell under  French rule after the surrender of King Behanzin of Abomey. A decree established new designation of the new territories as « Colony of Dahomey and its dependencies ».
  • 1904 : Dahomey was incorporated to  the AOF (French West Africa).
  • December 4, 1958, The Republic of Dahomey was proclaimed and the country became an Independent State on August 1st, 1960.
  • Outbreak of a restless political period with succession of 6 coups between 1960 and 1972, when Commander Mathieu KEREKOU seized the power.
  •  Novembre 30, 1975: Dahomey became « The People Republic of Benin» (RPB) as by the decision of the Revolution Military Government (GMR) headed by Colonel Mathieu KEREKOU.
  • December 1989: after 17 years in power, President KEREKOU renounced Marxism-Leninism, compelled by  street demonstrations and donors'pressure. 
  • From February 19 to 28, 1990 "The All-Nation Stakeholders Conference" took place under the leadership of Mgr Isidore de SOUZA, Archibishop of Cotonou, which set up a transitional Government topped by Prime Minister Nicéphore SOGLO.
  • After the March 1991 multiparty presidential elections,  Nicéphore SOGLO came out President of the Republic with over 67 % votes. 
  • 1996: presidential elections led, once again, former President Mathieu KEREKOU into power.
  • In March 2001,  President Mathieu KEREKOU was reelected.

Since then Benin has proved to be a model country in Sub-Saharan Africa by successfully completing a transition to democracy without a bloodshed or coup.

In December 2002, Benin held its first municipal elections, which offered women the opportunity to access some municipal seats. Similarly, some of them were elected Mayors and borough leaders.

A year later, elections for the fourth term of Parliament Members were largely won by the "Union pour le Bénin du Futur"(UBF), a political party which claimed allegiance to President KEREKOU.

In April 2006, President Mathieu KEREKOU exhausted his two terms (10 years) in power. He kept his commitment not to amend the Constitution for a third term. He withdrew and left the field for other challengers in the race to  "presidential seat".

The retirement of President KEREKOU who accumulated nearly 30-year of power between 1972 and 2006 has enabled a new dawn in political life and history of Benin.

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Benin Geography

Benin is located in West Africa in the tropics between the equator and the Tropic of Cancer (between parallels 6°30' and 12°30' north latitude, and meridians 1° and 30°40' longitude). It is bordered in the north by the Niger River which separates it from the Republic of Niger, in the north-west by Burkina Faso, west by Togo, east by Nigeria and south by the Atlantic Ocean.

Benin is 112,622 km 2 large. North to south, the country stretches on 700 Km, with its width ranging from 125 Km (along the coastside) to 325 Km ( at the  Tanguiéta-Ségbana latitude).

The country is fairly flat with five (05) natural regions :

  • A coastal strip, low and sandy, bordered by lagoons (coco plantations) ;
  • A central plain, hilly and monotonous, which rises gradually from 200 to 400 m from south to north around Nikki and then descends to the Niger Valley and the Kandi Basin; in north-east ; the Kandi Basin looks like a plain drained by the Sota River and its tributaries flowing through  very flared little valleys;
  • The Atacora mountain range in the north-west hosting the country's highest peak, Mount Aledjo (658m);
  • The vast  Gourma plain in the far north-west between Atacora and the border with Burkina Faso and Togo;
  • The humid savanna covers most of the country. Some patches of primary forest remain in the southern and central regions. Crops areas, wetlands and the huge palm grove of Lower Benin occupy the remaining territor.

Climate:

There are two (02) types of climate in Benin: 

In the south, an equatorial climate with high humidity. A mix of dry seasons (November to March and from mid-July to mid-September) and rainy seasons (April to mid-July and mid-September to October);
In the center and north, a tropical climate with a dry season from November to April and a rainy season from June to September.

The harmattan, a hot dry wind from the Sahara blows over the territory during the dry season.
In Cotonou, the temperatures are low amplitude

Temperature gaps in Cotonou are low enough: maxima range from 28 to 32°C and minima are between 23 and 26°C. Annual rainfall is this city 1245 mm.

The relief of Benin is slightly hilly and includes:

  • A coastal,  low and sandyregion limited by lagoons;
  • A ferruginous clay plateau;
  • A sand-clay plateau, dotted with some undergrowth;
  • In the north-west, the Atacora mountain range (800 meters);
  • In the north-east, the very fertile sand-clay Niger Plains .

 

Benin Hydrography :

Several rivers flow across Benin.

The Niger Basin including tributaries of the Niger River, namely: 

  • the MEKROU : 410 km;
  •  the ALIBORI : 338 km;
  • the SOTA: 250 km;
  • and the PENDJARI.

The Coastal Basin whose rivers join the sea includes:

  • the OUEME : 510 km;
  • the COUFFO : 190 km,
  • and the MONO: 350 Km.

There are also several lakes in the south, namely:

  • Lake NOKOUE : 138 km2;
  • Lake AHEME : 78 Km2;
  • and the PORTO-NOVO Lagoon: 35 km2.

Vegetation and Wildlife :

Three (03) kinds of vegetation typify Benin:

  • Tree-made savanna in the sudanian regions in the north;
  • Savanna in the center with wood species lile mahogany, iroko, samba ; and
  • Forest in the south and mid-Benin.

As for wildlife, there are two (02) National Parks in the north:

  • the  PENDJARI Park : 275.000 ha;
  • the Park  «W»: 502.000 ha.

Among other animal species in these parks are elephants, buffaloes, hippos, lions, cheetahs, alligators, antelopesdes birds,monkeys, reptiles, leopards, insects, etc.

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