Benin

COUNTRY FLAG

COAT OF ARMS
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LOCATION MAP

AREA MAP
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INFORMATION

Capital: Porto-Novo

Government: Presidential Representative Democratic Republic

Current President: Patrice Talon

Economy:

  • Underdeveloped. Dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade.

Population: 11,340,504 (2018)

Land Size: 112,622 sq km (43,484 sq miles)

Major Ethnic Groups:

  • Fon and related: 39.2%
  • Adja and related: 15.2%
  • Yoruba and related: 17.3%
  • Bariba and related: 9.2%
  • Peulh and related: 7%
  • Ottamari and related: 6.1%
  • Yoa-Lokpa and related: 4%
  • Dendi and related: 2.5%
  • Other: 1.6% (includes Europeans)
  • Unspecified: 2.9%
 Religions:

  • Catholic: 27.1%
  • Muslim: 24.4%
  • Vodoun: 17.3%
  • Protestant: 10.4% (Celestial: 5%, Methodist: 3.2%, other Protestant: 2.2%)
  • Other Christian: 5.3%
  • Other: 15.5%

Language(s):

  • French (official)
  • Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south)

Links:

RECENT NEWS

  • Fri - Jun 14, 2019: A Ban On Child Labor in Africa Is Not Enough - AllAfrica News: Benin
    [Deutsche Welle] Many children in Africa have to work as domestic helps, on plantations or in prostitution to survive. They are robbed of their childhood and guaranteed a life in poverty if they are kept out of school.
  • Mon - May 27, 2019: The Long and Winding Road to the DTT Switchover in Africa - AllAfrica News: Benin
    [Balancing Act] London -Almost four years have passed since the original ITU deadline for the switchover to digital broadcasting in Africa, designed to free up spectrum, improve broadcast quality and extend viewer choice. Benin and Nigeria offer contrasting stories of progress. Russell Southwood looks at what's happening in Benin and what went wrong in Nigeria.