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Snap shot on Benin:
Benin (bĕnēn') , officially Republic of Benin, republic (2005 est.
pop. 7,460,000), 43,483 sq mi (112,622 sq km), W Africa, bordering on
Togo in the west, on Burkina Faso and Niger in the north, on Nigeria
in the east, and on the Bight of Benin (an arm of the Gulf of Guinea)
in the south. Porto-Novo is the capital and Cotonou is the largest
city and chief port. Other principal towns include Abomey, Ouidah, and
Parakou.
Land and People
Benin falls into four main geographic regions. In the south is a
narrow coastal zone (1–3 mi/1.6–4.8 km wide) fringed on the north by a
series of interconnected lagoons and lakes with only two outlets to
the sea (at Grand-Popo and Cotonou). Behind the coastal region is a
generally flat area of fertile clay soils; this is crossed by the wide
Lama marsh, through which flows the Ouémé River. In NW Benin is a
region of forested mountains (the Atacora; highest point c.2,150 ft/
655 m), from which the Mekrou and Pendjari rivers flow NE to the Niger
River (which forms part of the country's northern border). In the
northeast is a highland region covered mostly with savanna and
containing little fertile soil.
Although there are 42 ethnic groups in Benin, its population is
divided into four main ethnolinguistic groups—Fon (People of southern
Benin and adjacent parts of Togo. They speak a dialect of Gbe, a Kwa
language of the Niger-Congo language family. Numbering about 3
million, the Fon are mainly farmers. Craft specialists include male
ironworkers, sculptors, and weavers and female potters. The primary
Fon social unit is the polygynous family, each woman and her children
occupying a house within a compound. The village under a hereditary
chief is the traditional political unit. Dahomey kingdom was peopled
principally by Fon.), Yoruba, Voltaic, and Fulani. The Fon-speakers,
who live in the south, include the Fon, or Dahomey (Benin's largest
single ethnic group), Aja, Peda, and Chabe subgroups. The Yoruba live
in the southeast near Nigeria, the group's main homeland. The Voltaic-
speakers live in central and N Benin and include the Bariba and Somba
subgroups. The Fulani live in the north. French is the country's
official language; Fon, Yoruba, and other indigenous tongues are also
spoken. Nearly three quarters of the inhabitants follow traditional
religious beliefs; voodoo originated here some 350 years ago but was
only officially recognized in 1996. About 15%% are Christian (largely
Roman Catholic) and an equal number (living mostly in the north) are
Muslim. Benin's population is concentrated in the southern portion of
the country and in rural areas.
Economy
Benin's economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with most workers
engaged in subsistence farming. The chief crops are cotton, corn,
sorghum, cassava, beans, rice, peanuts, and palm oil. Goats, sheep,
and pigs are raised. There is a sizable freshwater fishing industry,
and some sea fish are also caught. Most of Benin's few manufactures
are either processed agricultural goods or basic consumer items; the
main products include foods and beverages, textiles, footwear, cement,
and ginned cotton.
Petroleum, which was discovered offshore of Porto-Novo in 1968, became
Benin's largest export in the 1990s. The country's other mineral
resources, which include chromite, low-quality iron ore, ilmenite, and
titanium, have not as yet been exploited on a large scale. There is
also a developing tourist industry. The country has limited rail and
road systems, and they are almost exclusively in the southern and
central parts of the country; rail lines are being extended to Niger.
In the 1980s, Benin began to develop its hydroelectric potential
through the Mono River Dam project.
The chief imports are foodstuffs, beverages, petroleum products,
machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, and metals. In
addition to crude oil, the principal exports are cotton, palm
products, and cocoa. The annual cost of imports usually far exceeds
earnings from exports. The leading trade partners are France, Brazil,
Portugal, and Thailand. Benin is a member of the Franc Zone.
Government
Since 1991, Benin has been a multiparty democracy, with a unicameral
national assembly. The president is the head of state. The president
and the members of the legislature are popularly elected.
Administratively, the country is divided into six provinces.
History
Early History
Little is known about the history of N Benin. In the south, according
to oral tradition, a group of Aja migrated (12th or 13th cent.)
eastward from Tado on the Mono River and founded the village of
Allada. Later, Allada became the capital of Great Ardra, a state whose
kings ruled with the consent of the elders of the people. Great Ardra
reached the peak of its power in the 16th and early 17th cent.
A dispute (c.1625) among three brothers over who should be king
resulted in one brother, Kokpon, retaining Great Ardra. Another
brother, Do-Aklin, founded the town of Abomey, and the third, Te-
Agdanlin, founded the town of Ajatche or Little Ardra (called Porto-
Novo by the Portuguese merchants who traded there). The Aja living at
Abomey organized into a strongly centralized kingdom with a standing
army and gradually mixed with the local people, thus forming the Fon,
or Dahomey, ethnic group.
By the late 17th cent. the Dahomey were raiding their neighbors for
slaves, who were then sold (through coastal middlemen) to European
traders. By 1700, about 20,000 slaves were being transported annually,
especially from Great Ardra and Ouidah, located on what was called the
Slave Coast. In order to establish direct contact with the European
traders, King Agaja of Dahomey (reigned 1708–32), who began the
practice of using women as soldiers, conquered most of the south
(except Porto-Novo). This expansion brought Dahomey into conflict with
the powerful Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, which captured Abomey in 1738 and
forced Dahomey to pay an annual tribute until 1818. However, until
well into the 19th cent. Dahomey continued to expand northward and to
sell slaves, despite efforts by Great Britain to end the trade.
Colonial History
In 1863, Porto-Novo accepted a French protectorate, hoping thereby to
offset Dahomey's power. During the 1880s, as the scramble among the
European powers for African colonies accelerated, France tried to
secure its hold on the Dahomey coast in order to keep it out of German
or British hands. King Behanzin (reigned 1889–93) attempted to resist
the French advance, but in 1892–93 France defeated Dahomey,
established a protectorate over it, and exiled Behanzin to Martinique.
During the period 1895–98 the French added the northern part of
present-day Benin, and in 1904 the whole colony was made part of
French West Africa.
Under the French a port was constructed at Cotonou, railroads were
built, and the output of palm products increased. In addition,
elementary school facilities were expanded, largely under the auspices
of Roman Catholic missions. In 1946, Dahomey became an overseas
territory with its own parliament and representation in the French
national assembly; in 1958, it became an autonomous state within the
French Community.
The Postcolonial Period
On Aug. 1, 1960, Dahomey became fully independent. The country's first
president was Hubert Maga, whose main support came from Parakou and
the north and who was allied with Sourou Migan Apithy, a politician
from Porto-Novo. Independent Dahomey was plagued by governmental
instability that was caused by economic troubles, ethnic rivalries,
and social unrest. In 1963, following demonstrations by workers and
students, the armed forces staged a successful coup, putting Justin
Ahomadegbé into power (in alliance with Apithy). Political unrest
continued in Dahomey for the next six years until Lt. Col. Paul-Émile
de Souza was made president in 1969.
Elections were attempted in 1970 but were canceled following severe
disagreement between northern and southern politicians. Instead, a
three-man presidential council (consisting of Maga, Ahomadegbé, and
Apithy) was formed; each member was to lead the country for two years.
The first leader was Maga, who in May, 1972, was replaced without
incident by Ahomadegbé. However, in Oct., 1972, the military again
intervened, toppling Ahomadegbé and installing an 11-man government
headed by Maj. Mathieu Kérékou.
Kérékou declared Benin a Marxist-Leninist state and sought financial
support from Communist governments in Eastern Europe and Asia. To
distance the modern state from its colonial past, Dahomey became the
People's Republic of Benin in 1975. Continual strikes and coup
attempts resulted in the formation of a repressive militia. In 1989,
with social unrest and economic problems besetting the country,
Marxism was renounced as a state ideology.
In 1990 a national conference and a referendum provided for a new
constitution and multiparty elections; Nicéphor Soglo defeated Kérékou
at the polls and became president in 1991. Credited with reviving the
economy but criticized as aloof and distant from the people, Soglo was
defeated in the 1996 presidential election, which returned Kérékou to
power. In the 1999 assembly elections, however, the opposition, led by
Soglo's wife, Rosine, won the majority of seats.
Kérékou was reelected in Mar., 2001, after Soglo withdrew from a
runoff, accusing the president of fraud. The president's coalition won
a majority in the national assembly in Mar., 2003. In 2005 Kérékou
announced that he would retire in 2006 at the end of his term, and
would not seek to amended the constitution to stay in power. In Mar.,
2006, Yayi Boni, an economist who had previously headed the West
African Development Bank, was elected president after a runoff,
winning nearly 75%% of the vote. In June, 2006, the national assembly
voted to amend the constitution to extend assembly members' terms to
five years, but the supreme court rejected the amendment as for
violating the 1990 consensus that established the constitution.
Bibliography
See W. J. Argyle, The Fon of Dahomey (1966); I. A. Akinjogbin, Dahomey
and Its Neighbours, 1708–1818 (1967); P. Manning, Slavery, Colonialism
and Economic Growth in Dahomey, 1640–1960 (1982); S. Decalo,
Historical Dictionary of Benin (2d ed. 1987); C. Allen and M. Radu,
Benin and the Congo (1988).
AND MORE...
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Country_Specific/benin_EDoc.html
Facts About the Republic of Benin: Official Document
Geography
Location
Benin is located in West Africa and covers a land area Of 112,622 Sq.
km. and constitutes a long stretch of hand perpendicular to the Coast
of the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered on the North by Burkina Faso and
the Republic of Niger, on the East by the Federal Republic of Nigeria
and on the West by the Republic of Togo. With a 124 kilometers long
coastline, it stretches North to South some 672 kilometers while its
breath extends 324 kilometers at the evident point. It is above two
third the Size of Portugal.
Topography
Benin can be divided into five natural regions: A coastal area, low,
sandy and about 2 to 5 kilometers wide, bounded by lagoons; A plateau
zone called "La terre de barre" made of iron clay cut with marshy
dips; A silica clayey plateau with wooded savannah extending North of
Abomey to the foothills of the Atakora hills; - A hilly region in the
Northwest, the Atakora, with elevation ranging from 500 to 800 metres
and constituting the water reservoir for Benin and Niger Republics.
Niger plains which are vast fertile silica-clayey areas.
Vegetation
The forest thins out considerably in the center and gives way lo
grassland. Elsewhere, cultivated crops predominate, including the
immense palmgroves of lower Benin and the coconut plantations on the
124 kilometers long coastline and along the lagoons.
Climatology
Benin is characterized by unusually dry conditions. This is due
primarily to two very important factors. First, the situation of the
coast which is rather well protected from the western winds; second,
the Atakora Barrier in the West and North West which decreases the
amount of rainfall.
The great part of the country is under the influence of transitional
tropical conditions. Rainfall is not as abundant as found in areas
with the same latitude thereby giving rise to tropical conditions
known as the BENIN variant. These conditions are marked by a dry
season from November to the beginning of April and a rainy season from
the latter part of April to October.
The Southern portion of the Republic of Benin, i.e. the Coastal zone,
is under the influence of a Northern transitional equatorial climate
characterized by a long dry season from November to the end of March,
a first rainy season from April to July, a small dry period in August
and a second rainy season in September and October.
The Northern portion of the country is subject to a true tropical
climate. A long dry season in winter can be observed with a long rainy
season in the summer.
The mean temperature is between 77oF and 82oF (25o to 28oC).
The best time to visit the Southern area is from December to March and
July/August while visiting period for the Northern part of the Country
is between December and April.
Communications
The geographic setting of Benin serves to integrate the region and
provides direct access to the bordering states by water, rail,
airlines and railways.
5-seaters ply between Cotonou and Lome, Cotonou and Lagos to name the
nearest other capital cities while buses and lorries are available for
such long distance trips as Cotonou-Parakou, Parakou-Kandi, Parakou-
Malanville, Parakou- Djougou .
Roads: 8,000 kilometers will 1,000 km or bitumenized roads
Railways: 570 kilometers in joint venture with the Republic of NIGER.
Airport: Main airport is in Cotonou with many foreign air companies.
Port: International harbor with modern facilities in Cotonou.
Telecommunications: Infrastructures are performing more than 6,000
lines with direct contact with the external world.
There is a full range of postal services in most towns and localities.
Telex and Fax facilities are available in Cotonou.
The Constitution at a glance
A multi-party system country
President/ Head of State/ Head of Government
A one-man-one-vote suffrage to elect the President/Head of Government
who may be a member to a Party. His tenure of office is five (5) years
and is renewed only once. He should be of Beninese nationality for at
least ten (10) years. The vacancy (resignation, death...) of the
presidency is filled by the Speaker of the National Assembly. The new
Head of State is elected within forty (40) days. The President/ Head
of State/ Head of Government addresses the Nation on the state of the
Nation in the National Assembly Hall once in a year
National Assembly
A one-man-one-vote suffrage to elect the Members of Parliament (MP).
His 4-year mandate is renewable. There is one MP for 70,000
inhabitants. The vacancy (resignation, death...) at the speakership is
filled by his successor elected within fifteen (15) days when the
House is in session or at an immediate meeting held in compliance with
its rules of procedure. The vacancy of an MP is filled by his
substitute also elected in the same manner. There are two ordinary
sessions starting within the first fortnight of April and the second
fortnight of October respectively. Each session cannot exceed three
(3) months. The decision is taken by a simple majority.
The Flag
The National Flag was, for the first time, hoisted formally on the
independence day, August 1, 1960 to replace the French Flag.
The colors are green, red and yellow.
As explained in the second verse of the National Anthem, the green
denotes hope for renewal, the red evokes the ancestors' courage while
the yellow calls to mind the country's richest treasures.
But when the country went red in 1975 after a military coup on October
26,1972 the then one-party regime, with its Marxist-Leninist ideology,
decided to change the National Flag. It became a plain green flag with
a red star on its upper left part.
Fed up with a centrally governed State whose ideology had but retarded
the country's development in all fields, a National Conference in
which all walks of life participated from February 19 to 28, 1990
decided among other things to re-establish the above-mentioned flag of
August 1,1960.
Demography and Languages
Demography
The population of BENIN is estimated at 4,500,000 inhabitants largely
concentrated in Southern coastal region near the major port city of
Cotonou (450,000 inhabitants) the chief town of the Atlantic
Department, the capital city of Porto Novo (200,000 inhabitants) in
the OUEME Department as well as the "Royal City" of Abomey (80,000
inhabitants) in the Central Department of ZOU. The annual growth rate
is 3.1%%. Other important towns are Ouidah, Allada, Abomey, Grand Popo,
Lokossa, Save, Savalou, Parakou, Djougou, Natitingou, Malanville,
Kandi.
Languages
Over half the people speak Fon. Yoruba, Mina, Bariba and Dendi are the
other important languages. French is the official language. Beside the
French language, English is necessarily one of the two foreign
languages taught in secondary schools.
Greetings in Fon - Good morning: AH-FON Ghan-Jee-Ah
- Good evening: Kou Do Bah Dah
- How are you: Ah-Doh Ghan-Jee-Ah
- Thank you: Ah-Wah-Nou
- Good bye: OH-Dah-Boh
Languages spoken:
The ATLANTIC "department"
- Fon, Alada, Ayizo, Seto, Tofin, Toli.
The ATAKORA "department"
- Basila, Cabrai, Dendi, Dompago, Dyerma, Fulfulde, Gourmantche,
Kotokoli, Mossi, Natember; others are ouinzi-ouingi, Peul, Pila,
Somba, Waama, Ditamari.
The BORGU "department"
- Bargu, Bariba, Bouko, Dendi; others are Dyerma, Fulfulde, Peul,
Niendi.
The MONO "department"
- Adja, Guin, Mina, Nago; others are Popo, Saxwe, Waci, Xweda, Xwela.
The OUEME "department" - Ayizo, Gun, Holi, Idaca, Ife; others are
Nago, Weme, Yoruba. The Zou "department" - Fon, Idaca, Ife, Mahi;
others are Nago, Seto.
Places of Interest
Ouidah:
Spelt "WHYDAH" in history books written in English, it is the "Museum
City". It is evocative of European penetration with its ancient
Portuguese, English, Danish and French trading posts or strongholds.
There can be seen the remains of the ancient port from which slaves
were boarded and shipped to the Americas.
Abomey:
Referred to as the "Royal City", it is the capital of Dan-Home, the
ancient Kingdom. It has one of the most impressive museums of Africa.
Its artists and craftsmen, be they weavers, jewelers, woodcarvers,
iron and brass workers are famous far beyond the boundaries of the
Republic of BENIN.
Allada:
It is the city, the cradle of "voodoos" in vogue in the Americas,
namely in Brazil, West Indies, the Caribbean countries.
Porto Novo:
The "City with three Names" (Porto Novo,Hogbonou,Adjatche) . It is
Benin's administrative capital, right in the middle of the Yoruba
land.
Nikki:
The historic capital of the Baatonu people.
Natitiogou:
Its castle-type "TATA-Sombas" and the traditional huts of the Tanekas
and other tribes in the North where there are the richly varied fauna
of the National Parks of Pendjari and "W".
Ganvie:
AFRICA's unique floating villages built on stilts. A population of
several thousand. Motorboats or dugouts are available for the trips
across the lake to the Ganvie. During the trip, there are Akadjas made
of stakes and bushes in the shape of open circles or triangles driven
into the bed of the plantless Lake. Seeking shelter among the foliage,
the fish can thus be easily caught or kept for breeding.
Visa Requirements
1/ Two (2) application forms in legible writing.
2/ Two (2) passport size photos.
3/ International certificate of vaccination (yellow fever and
cholera).
4/ Visa is issued for fifteen (15) days: Entry and transit within 3
months. Extensions may be obtained at the Immigration Office.
5/ A $ 20.00 (twenty dollars) fee for each applicant (cash, money
order of certified cheque only. No personal cheque please.)
6/ A letter of guarantee from employer of travel agency or Xerox of
round trip ticket or a Bank letter of guarantee.
- Join your passport to the forms.
- Please allow 48 hours for issuance of visa.
- Passport must be valid for at least six (6) months and if it is to
be sent back by mail, please enclose self addressed certified envelope
or an express mail envelope.
History
It may be recalled that Benin, former Dahomey, is perhaps the "most
beaten track by Europeans of any Africa". The history of Benin is a
succession of kingdoms. In 1704, France received permission to erect a
port at Ouidah, and in 1752 the Portuguese founded Porto Novo. On June
22, 1894, the territory was named by decree the "Colony of Dahomey and
its dependences" and was granted autonomy which it retained until
October 18, 1904 when it became part of French West Africa. On
December 4, 1958 the Republic was proclaimed. Dahomey became
independent on August 1, 1960 and is a UN member country.
If the first independent Government was ousted by a military coup on
October 28, 1963, Dahomey, during the ensuing years up to 1972, went
through a lot of political upheavals that always climaxed in military
coups. That of October 26, 1972 was the starting point of a 17-year
regime which three years later went red with a Marxist Leninist
ideology. In other words, on November 30, 1975 Dahomey was under a
centrally controlled government and eventually became the People's
Republic of Benin. At the National Conference held in Cotonou
(February 19-28, 1990) and at which all walks of life were
represented, fundamental decisions were taken, namely:
- abolition of Marxist ideology as the State philosophy.
- the reversion to the genuine flag.
- the reversion to the multi party system.
- the dissolution of all one-party structures.
- the release of all political detainees and prisoners.
- the respect of all Human Rights.
Coat of Arms
It is an escutcheon with: - in the first quarter, a gold Somba castle.
- in the second quarter in silver, the Star of Benin painted to the
life, that is to say an eight azure point cross with, at its angle,
silver radiuses and sand in abyss.
- in the third quarter, a sinople silver palmtree laden with heralds.
- in the fourth quarter, a ship evocative of European penetration into
the Country.
Supporters: Two gold brindled panthers.
Crest: Two horns full of sand with maize in the ear.
Motto: Fraternity, Justice, Labor sandwritten on a lancepennon.
Industry and Trading
Industry accounts for only a small percentage of the gross domestic
product. Fishing industry meets only local consumption, so does
textile industry. Palm processing facility needs improving; a sugar
complex and a cement factory are jointly owned with Negeria.
Breweries, soap unit... meet only local demand. Possotome village is,
however, known for its internationally recognized mineral water.
Apart from limestone found in open quarry at ONIGBOLO, deposits of
gold, phosphates, iron ore, marble, clay... are yet to be explored.
The development of off- shore fields at SEME and elsewhere are
underway. A Benin/Togo hydroelectric power has just been completed on
the Mono river (the NANGBETO dam). There are attractive industrial
projects and feasibility studies are available for some of them. The
Beninese code of investment has been reviewed to insert, among other
things, more incentives for investors. Benin is the natural gateway to
Togo and Nigeria and to such landlocked countries as Burkina Faso,
Niger and Mali.
Direct investments by American companies are promoted and strongly
encouraged by the Benin Government. There can be joint ventures
between Benin private sector and American companies to carry out such
industrial undertakings as canning, paper processing units, glass
manufacturing, salt processing units, agribusiness, pharmaceuticals,
clothing, palm oil, building materials,chemicals and any other items
reflective of an industrial developing nation.
Banks, Working Time, Public Holidays
Banks
- Central Bank of West Africa P.O. Box 325 Cotonou
- Bank of Africa
- Financial Bank
- International Bank of Benin (B.I.B.)
The currency is the CFA franc divided into 100 centimes; the parity
with the French franc is fixed:
1 FF = 50 CFA francs.
Working Time
Business hours
Monday - Friday: 8a.m. to 12:30 a.m
3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Government
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. to 12:30 3 p.m.
3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Public Holidays
January 1: New Year's Day
Easter Monday
Ascension Day
May 1: May Day
Whitmonday
August 1: National Day
August 15: Assumption Day
November 1: All Saints' Day
December 25: Christmas Day
Ramadan
Ad-el-FlTR
Maouloud
The details regarding Muslim Holidays are but approximative since they
are observed following the sightings of the moon.
Hotel Industry
Benin Sheraton Cotonou Hotel de L'etoile Cotonou
P.O. Box 1901 Cotonou P.O. Box 1866
Telex: 511-5112 Tel. (229) 31-56-41
Tel. (229) 30-01-00 and Telex: 5340
(229) 30-12-56
PLM Aledjo Cotonou Hotel de France Cotonou
P.O. Box 2292 P.O. Box 921
Telex: 5180 Tel.(229) 32-19-44
Tel. (229) 33-05-61 and
(229)33-05-62
Hotel de La Plage Cotonou Hotel Beaurivage Porto Novo
P.O. Box 36 P.O. Box 387
Tel. (229) 33-25-60 and Tel. (229) 21-23-99
(229) 31-25-61
Hotel du Port Cotonou Hotel Dona Porto Novo
P.O. Box 7067 P.O. Box 95
Tel. (229) 31-44-43 Tel. (229) 21-30-52 and
Telex: 5377 (229) 21-30-38
Hotel du Golfe Cotonou Hotel Dako 1er Bohicon/
Abomey
P.O. Box 37 P.O. Box 218
Tel. (229) 33-09-55 Tel. (229) 51-01-38 and
Telex. 5321 (229) 51-02-38
El Dorado Cotonou Hotel Gbena Ouidah
P.O. Box 37 P.O. Box 208
Tel. (229) 33-09-23 Tel (229) 34-12-15
Hotel G. L. Cotonou Etoile Rouge Hotel Lokossa
P.O. Box 1226 P.O. Box 17
Tel. (229) 33-16-17 Tel. (229) 41-12-30
Telex: 5311
Hotel de L'Union Cotonou Le Relais des Routiers Parakou
P.O. Box 921 P.O. Box 81
Tel. (229) 31-27-66 and Tel. (229) 61-04-01
(229) 31-55-60
Croix du Sud Hotel Cotonou Hotel Tata Somba (PLM)
P.O. Box 280 P.O. Box 82
Tel. (229) 30-09-54 and Tel. (229) 82-11-24
(229) 30-09-55
Village Club Aheme
B.P. 2090 Cotonou
