2002 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2002 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Background
Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991.
Geography
Area
total: 112,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km land: 110,620 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline
121 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Environment - current issues
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates
9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Irrigated land
120 sq km (1998 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use
arable land: 15% permanent crops: 1% other: 84% (1998 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 200 NM
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463) 15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.)
Birth rate
43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate
14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Ethnic groups
African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
4.1% (2002)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
37,000 (2002)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
160,000 (2002)
Infant mortality rate
88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Languages
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Life expectancy at birth
50.61 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility rate: 6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37.5% male: 52.2% female: 23.6% (2000)
Nationality
noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Population
6,787,625 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 2002 est.)
Population growth rate
2.91% (2002 est.)
Religions
indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
12 provinces; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Capital
Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Constitution
December 1990
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey local long form: Republique du Benin
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela E. BRIDGEWATER embassy: Rue Caporal B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone:
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996 telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656 chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
Executive branch
chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006) note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential elections were: 27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud; this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a "friendly match" election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9%
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
Government type
republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Independence
1 August 1960 (from France)
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Legal system
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, E'toile 4, Alliance IPD 4, Car-DUNYA 3, MERCI 2, other 7 elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)
National holiday
National Day, 1 August (1960)
Political parties and leaders
African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Sylvain Adekpedjou AKINDES]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress or UNSP [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Cameleon Alliance or AC [leader NA]; Car-DUNYA [Saka SALEY]; Communist Party of Benin or PCB [Pascal FANTONDJI, first secretary]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Liberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction-Vivoten or RDL-Vivoten [Severin ADJOVI]; Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; New Generation for the Republic or NGR [Paul DOSSOU]; Our Common Cause or NCC [Francois Odjo TANKPINON]; Party Democratique du Benin or PDB [Col. Soule DANKORO]; Rally for Democracy and Pan-Africanism or RDP [Dominique HOYMINOU, Dr. Giles Auguste MINONTIN]; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union for National Democracy and Solidarity or UDS [Adamou N'Diaye MAMA] note: the Coalition of Democratic Forces, [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI], an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001)
Budget
revenues: $377.4 million expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code
XOF
Debt - external
$1.18 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient
$342.6 million (2000)
Electricity - consumption
523.2 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports
300 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production
240 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 16.67% hydro: 83.33% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro
Exports
$35.3 million (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities
cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Exports - partners
Brazil, France, Indonesia, Thailand, Morocco, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire (2001)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $6.8 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 36% industry: 14% services: 50% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.4% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$437.6 million (c.i.f., 2000)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners
France, US, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Netherlands, Japan (2001)
Industrial production growth rate
8.3% (2001 est.)
Industries
textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3% (2001 est.)
Labor force
NA
Population below poverty line
37% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Internet country code
.bj
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
4 (2002)
Internet users
50,000 (2002)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Radios
660,000 (2000)
Telephone system
general assessment: NA domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable
Telephones - main lines in use
51,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular
55,500 (2000)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2001)
Televisions
66,000 (2000)
Transportation
Airports
5 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2001)
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 (2001)
Highways
1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: Waterways: streams navigable along small sections, important only locally
Merchant marine
none (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors
Cotonou, Porto-Novo
Railways
total: 578 km narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2000 est.)
Military and Security
Military branches
Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$27 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.2% (FY96)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 1,509,760 note: both sexes are liable for military service (2002 est.) females age 15-49: 1,536,036
Military manpower - fit for military service
males age 15-49: 771,373 females age 15-49: 778,730 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age
18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 71,278 females: 70,088 (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Benin and Niger have refered to the ICJ the dispute over l'Ete and 14 smaller disputed islands in the Niger River, which has never been delimited; with Nigeria, several villages are in dispute along the Okpara River and only 35 km of the 436 km boundary are demarcated; the Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint remains undemarcated; Benin accuses Togo of moving boundary markers and stationing troops in its territory; two villages are in dispute with Burkina Faso
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US This page was last updated on 1 January 2002 Belarus