The Republic of Benin (6° – 13°N, 0° – 4°E) is a West African country bordered by the Bight of Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. It is divided into 12 departments.
A former French colony that gained its independence in 1960, Benin has maintained a stable government (multi-party democracy) since 1991. French remains the official spoken language, but the plethora of ethnic groups (~ 42!) that make up Beninese culture ensure that traditional native languages (i.e. Fon and Yoruba) are still commonplace.
Land Area: 112,622 km2
Population: ~9.6 million (2012 estimate). The majority of Beninese people live in the south.
Capital City: Porto-Novo (though Cotonou is the largest)
GDP: $7.306 billion total, $736 per capita (2011 estimate)
Economy: dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade
Religions: Catholicism, Islam, Vodun, Protestantism
Fun Facts:
- Benin was known as the "Slave Coast" during the 17th – 19th centuries due to the large number of slaves trafficked through the area during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
- There are indeed African animals in Benin! Hippos, ungulates, elephants, monkeys, carnivorous cats...
- Vodun religion (the practice of voodoo) originated in Benin.
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