The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Benin

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Benin

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Map

Location: 9 30 N, 2 15 E -- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo

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Flag

Description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

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Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo
Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total area: 112,620 sq km
land area: 110,620 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Coastline: 121 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm
International disputes: none
Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Tanekas 641 m
Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 35%
other: 45%
Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea
Geographic note: no natural harbors

People

Population: 5,709,529 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,376,531; female 1,367,394)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,349,386; female 1,480,251)
65 years and over: 2% (male 60,030; female 75,937) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.32% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 46.76 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 105.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.69 years
male: 50.74 years
female: 54.7 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese
Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 37%
male: 48.7%
female: 25.8%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
Data code: BN
Type of government: republic under multiparty democratic rule dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Capital: Porto-Novo
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)
Constitution: 2 December 1990
Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001); results - Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%
cabinet: Executive Council, appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28 March 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2, Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: as of February 1996, more than 80 political parties were officially recognized; the following are represented in the National Assembly: Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Action for Renewal and Development (FARD-ALAFIA), Mathieu KEREKOU; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Alliance Chameleon; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Adekpedjon AKINDES; Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Communist Party of Benin, Pascal FATONDJI, First Secretary; Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVOEDJRE; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); The Renaissance Party, Nicephore SOGLO
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656, 6657, 6658
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone: [229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92
FAX: [229] 30-14-39, 30-19-74
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

Economy

Economic overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output, which had averaged a sound 4% in 1990-94, rose to 6% in 1995. Rapid population growth, now 3.3% per year, offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994, but subsided gradually in 1995. Commercial and transport activities, which make up 37% of GDP, are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria as evidenced by decreased reexport trade in 1994 due to a severe contraction in Nigerian demand. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 1991.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 6% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,380 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 36.8%
industry: 12.6%
services: 50.6% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 55% (1994 est.)
Labor force: 1.9 million (1987)
by occupation: agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $272 million (1993 est.)
expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $84 million (1993 est.)
Industries: textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction materials, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity:
capacity: 30,000 kW
production: 10 million kWh
consumption per capita: 25 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: corn, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, rice, cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, livestock
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US
Exports: $310 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
partners: France, Morocco 37%, Portugal 14%, Spain, Italy, UK, US, Libya
Imports: $439 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods
partners: France 24%, Thailand 12%, Netherlands 7%, US 5%, China, Hong Kong
External debt: $1.5 billion (1993 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991)
note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways:
total: 578 km (single track) (1995 est.)
narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways:
total: 6,070 km
paved: 1,214 km
unpaved: 4,856 km (1992 est.)
Waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally
Ports: Cotonou, Porto-Novo
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total: 5
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 2 (1995 est.)

Communications

Telephones: 16,200 (1986 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: fair system of open wire and microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 20,000 (1993 est.)

Defense

Branches: Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 1,212,440
females age 15-49: 1,290,773
males fit for military service: 620,923
females fit for military service: 653,094
males reach military age (18) annually: 62,526
females reach military age (18) annually: 60,968 (1996 est.)
note: both sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $33 million, 3.2% of GDP (1994)

Benin

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).