Country Information on Benin 

Terrain

Benin's coast is a sandy barrier beach with heavy surf. Immediately inland of the beach is a patchwork of shallow lagoons and estuaries and further north there is a fertile plateau called "Terre de Barre".

Further to the north, are the Lama marshlands, which are regularly flooded, and are difficult to drain as a result of the peat they contain. Whilst there is an agricultural area in the north, most of the land in the rest of the country is short of nutrients and is often ferruginous and hard. In the extreme north of Benin there is a plateau of barren land that is 480 m high, and in the north west are the steep Atakora mountains (800m). Northern Benin's main rivers are the Niger, which forms the border with the Republic of Niger, and its tributaries, the Sota, Mekrou, and Alibori rivers.

Climate

The south of Benin has an equatorial climate, with an annual precipitation of 1,270 mm, most of which falls from March to July and September to November. The monthly average temperature ranges between 20°C and 34°C. Despite the fact that towards the north the dry season is increasingly longer (the rainy season lasts from May to September), it has an annual precipitation rate of approximately 890 mm. Temperatures there are also high.

Fauna/Flora

A dense tropical rainforest once covered much of the land beside the lagoon. However, the rainforest has largely been cleared, except near rivers, and palms now are the region's most common trees. A large part of central Benin is covered in woodland and grasslands dominate the drier north. Among the various animals found in Benin are buffaloes, antelopes, panthers, monkeys, crocodiles and wild ducks.

History/Politics

At the beginning of the 17th century, three rivalling dynasties founded the kingdoms of Alada, Abomey and Hogbonu (Porto Novo). The kingdom of Abomey made territorial gains and became the Kingdom of Danhomé, which dominated the region until the 19th century. Much of its power was based on the slave trade.

In 1899, Danhomé became part of French West Africa, under the name of Dahomey. Its borders were defined by Great Britain and Germany, who had colonized the regions east and west of Dahomey. Dahomey supported the cause of the Free French Forces during the Second World War, and in 1946 joined the French Overseas Territories. Between 1958 and 1960, Dahomey was an autonomous republic within the French Community, but finally declared its independence in August 1960. The first twelve years of independence, over the course of which the old elite of colonial times struggled to retain power, were characterised by constant political instability. Hubert Maga, the first president of independent Dahomey, was overthrown by the military in 1963 and in the six years that followed there were four more coup d'états.

In 1970, a presidential committee with three members seized power and annulled the constitution. In 1972, Major Mathieu Kérékou, who was then the Deputy Chief of Staff, came to power in the sixth coup d'état since independence. In November 1975, the country was named Benin. Kérékou was elected President by the National Assembly in 1980 and confirmed in office in 1984.

In the presidential elections of March 1991 Prime Minister Nicéphore Soglo defeated Kérékou. There was little political stability in the months that followed the election. In the legislative elections of 1995, Soglo had gained the support of 15 of the 64 members of the National Assembly; however, Mathieu Kérékou won the presidential elections of March 1996. He was re-elected in 2001. Existing border conflicts with Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger and Nigeria have led to numerous negotiations and in 2004 a commission was created that brought an end to the disputes with Nigeria.

Economy

Benin is one of Africa's poorest countries. As in colonial times, its economy still depends on subsistence agriculture and trade with neighbouring countries. Agriculture represents 35% of the gross national product and employs almost two thirds of the working population.

In the 1970s, a large number of private businesses were nationalized. However, in the early 1990s, as part of a programme of economic reforms initiated by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, several businesses were privatised. Cuts in public spending were planned as well, in order to reduce the high budget deficit. Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an organization that promotes economic cooperation and development. In 2003, the rate of inflation was 1.7%.

Culture

The cultural history of Benin is very rich. For over a century the art of the legendary Danhomé kingdom caused interest and admiration. Art was both functional and spiritual. However, most artists could only work under the auspices of their government, mainly doing tapestry and bronze work. The Abomey Palace was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. In Benin music plays an important part in religious celebrations.

The Fon and the Yoruba associate their religion, known as Voodoo or Orisha, with a particular style of music. They stage a complex kind of musical theatre with various dances. The spirits that occasionally possess people are the central theme in the religious rituals of the Yoruba. It is here that music is of paramount importance: it controls the state of trance. Music plays an important role in the complicated funeral rites of the Adja. The "water drum", a pumpkin cut in half floating in an earthenware vessel, also plays an important role.