1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline
121 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Environment
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification
Land boundaries
1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use
arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Natural resources
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Note
recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total area
112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
49 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); Europeans 5,500
Infant mortality rate
119 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Language
French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north
Life expectancy at birth
49 years male, 52 years female (1991)
Literacy
23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective--Beninese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
about 75% of wage earners
Population
4,831,823 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
Religion
indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
Total fertility rate
7.0 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
Capital
Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)
Communists
Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active
Constitution
2 December 1990
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Charge d'Affaires Corneille MEHISSOU; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656; US--Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone [229] 30-06-50
Elections
President--last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results--Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%; National Assembly--last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results--NA percent of the vote; seats--(64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7, RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1
Executive branch
president, cabinet
Flag
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
Independence
1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Nicephore SOGLO (since 4 April 1991)
Legal system
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of Benin
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
National Day, 1 August (1990)
Political parties and leaders
the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) headed by President Mathieu KEREKOU, chairman of the Central Committee, was dissolved 30 April 1990; Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP), Timothee ADANLIN; Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; and the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE; Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVEODJRE; National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE; Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD); Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP); and Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Bertin BORNA; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Alliance of the Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD) and Bloc for Social Democracy (BSD), Robert DOSSOU; Alliance of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) and Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE; National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON; numerous other small parties
Suffrage
universal at age 18
Type
dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Economy
Agriculture
small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops--corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption
Budget
revenues $194 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1990 est.)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million
Electricity
28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Exports
$250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa; partners--FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%
External debt
$1.0 billion (December 1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$2.0 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Imports
$442 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods; partners--France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 4%
Industrial production
growth rate - 0.7% (1988); accounts for 30% of GDP
Industries
textiles,cigarettes, construction materials, beverages, food production, petroleum
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.0% (1990)
Overview
Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 40% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil.
Unemployment
NA%
Communications
Airports
6 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
3 major transport aircraft
Highways
5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth
Inland waterways
navigable along small sections, important only locally
Ports
Cotonou
Railroads
578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track
Telecommunications
fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and radio relay; 16,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station
Military and Security
Branches
People's Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie, People's Militia, Presidential Guard
Defense expenditures
$38 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988) _%_
Manpower availability
eligible 15-49, 2,089,646; of the 991,278 males 15-49, 507,482 are fit for military service; of the 1,098,368 females 15-49, 554,454 are fit for military service; about 57,106 males and 55,297 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service