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Benin Profile |
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Quick Facts About Benin
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Source: CIA World Factbook
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Capital
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name: Porto-Novo (official capital)
geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Cotonou (seat of government)
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Country Name
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conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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republic
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Background
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Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI has begun a high profile fight against corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin"s economic growth.
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Branches
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Benin Armed Forces (FAB): Army (l"Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin People"s Air Force (Force Aerienne Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2008)
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 45% (male 2,077,591/female 1,995,188)
15-64 years: 52.4% (male 2,358,533/female 2,384,241)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 98,007/female 142,450) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
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Population
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9,056,010
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)
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Internet Users
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160,000 (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
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Area
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total: 112,622 sq km
land: 110,622 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km
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Terrain
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mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
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Climate
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tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
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Natural Hazards
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
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| Benin |
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Source:
CIA World Factbook |
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