Country Profiles: Benin

Official name: Republic of Benin

Official language: French

Land area: 43,484 sq mi/112,622 sq km

Population: 9,056,000

Dominant religion: Christianity

Capital: Porto-Novo

Current leader: President Yayi Boni

Benin is a small on the west coast of Africa. It is long and narrow, extending 415 miles (668 kilometers) inland from the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered by Nigeria to the east, the Gulf of Guinea to the south, Togo to the west and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north.

 Most of Benin’s people are rural dwellers and work as farmers. Christians make up 40 percent of the population and most live in the southern part of the country. Muslims, who live mostly in the northern part of the country, make up 25 percent of the population. Most of the remaining 35 percent practice animism and voodoo.

 Being a mostly agricultural country, much of Benin’s economy is agricultural-based. Beans, cassava, corn, rice and yams are among the chief crops. Cotton, cacao, coffee, peanuts, tobacco and shea nuts are among the chief exports.

 In the 1600’s the area known as Benin was controlled by the kingdom of Dahomey and much of is trade with Europe consisted of the slave trade. In 1851 the kingdom entered a trade agreement with France. By 1904 the French took complete control of the kingdom and made it part of French West Africa. In 1958 the French began allowing self-government and Dahomey was granted full independence in 1960. In 1975 the government changed the country’s name to Benin.

 Since independence Benin has experience much social and political unrest and instability. Civilian rule has been overthrown by the military on a number of occasions.