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| Map |  |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
| Geographic coordinates | 9 30 N, 2 15 E |
| Map references | Africa |
| 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 |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
| Natural resources | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
| Land use | arable land: 23.53%
permanent crops: 2.37%
other: 74.1% (2005) |
| Irrigated land | 120 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
| Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification |
| Environment - international agreements | 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
| Population | 7,862,944
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 2006 est.) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.) |
| Median age | total: 17.6 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 18 years (2006 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.73% (2006 est.) |
| Birth rate | 38.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Death rate | 12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Net migration rate | 0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.04 years
male: 51.9 years
female: 54.22 years (2006 est.) |
| Total fertility rate | 5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 1.9% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 68,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 5,800 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005) |
| 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) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 33.6%
male: 46.4%
female: 22.6% (2002 est.) |
| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey |
| Government type | republic |
| Capital | name: Porto-Novo (official capital)
geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Cotonou (seat of government) |
| Administrative 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 Yayi BONI (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Yayi BONI (since 6 April 2006); 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 (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)
election results: Yayi BONI elected president; percent of vote - Yayi BONI 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5% |
| 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 March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 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 | Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [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 |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA |
| International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN
chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone: [229] 30-06-50
FAX: [229] 30-06-70 |
| Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side |
| Economy - overview | The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has 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. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | $8.553 billion (2005 est.) |
| GDP (official exchange rate) | $4.34 billion (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | $1,100 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 13.8%
services: 54.6% (2004 est.) |
| Labor force | NA |
| Unemployment rate | NA% |
| Population below poverty line | 33% (2001 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.5% (2005 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 19.9% of GDP (2005 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $766.8 million
expenditures: $1.017 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock |
| Industries | textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8.3% (2001 est.) |
| Electricity - production | 69 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - consumption | 538.2 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 474 million kWh (2003) |
| Oil - production | 400 bbl/day (2003) |
| Oil - consumption | 12,000 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
| Oil - exports | NA bbl/day |
| Oil - imports | NA bbl/day |
| Oil - proved reserves | 4.105 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural gas - production | 0 cu m (2003 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption | 0 cu m (2003 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 1.218 billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
| Current account balance | -$400 million (2005 est.) |
| Exports | $826.9 million f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa |
| Exports - partners | China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005) |
| Imports | $1.043 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $676 million (2005 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.6 billion (2000) |
| Economic aid - recipient | $342.6 million (2000) |
| Currency (code) | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 76,300 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 75,100 (2005) |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections
international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (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 | 814 (2005) |
| Internet users | 100,000 (2005) |
| Airports | 5 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
| 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 (2006) |
| Railways | total: 578 km
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) |
| Roadways | total: 16,000 km
paved: 1,400 km
unpaved: 14,600 km (2005) |
| Waterways | 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005) |
| Ports and terminals | Cotonou |
| Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force |
| Military service age and obligation | 21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2004) |
| Manpower available for military service | males age 21-49: 1,295,230
females age 21-49: 1,301,936 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service | males age 21-49: 749,774
females age 21-49: 751,329 (2005 est.) |
| Manpower reaching military service age annually | males age 18-49: 76,661
females: 75,068 (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $100.9 million (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.3% (2005 est.) |
| Disputes - international | Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones |
| Illicit drugs | transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure |