Benin

Airports

6 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Highways

5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth

Inland waterways

navigable along small sections, important only locally

Ports

Cotonou

Railroads

578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track

Telecommunications

fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and radio relay; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Branches

Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $29 million, 1.7% of GDP (1988 est.)

Manpower availability

eligible 15-49, 2,165,515; of the 1,031,738 males 15-49, 528,366 are fit for military service; of the 1,133,777 females 15-49, 572,603 are fit for military service; about 55,697 males and 53,786 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service

Agriculture

small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops - corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption

Budget

revenues $194 million; expenditures $390 million, including capital expenditures of $104 million (1990 est.)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $46 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,300 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million

Electricity

30,000 kW capacity; 25 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987)

Exports

$263.3 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa partners: FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%

External debt

$1.0 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $2.0 billion, per capita $410; real growth rate 3% (1991)

Imports

$428 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods partners: France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 4%

Industrial production

growth rate --0.7% (1988); accounts for 15% of GDP

Industries

textiles, cigarettes, construction materials, beverages, food production, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.0% (1990)

Overview

Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for about 35% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Low prices in recent years have kept down hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Coastline

121 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Disputes

none

Environment

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification

Land area

110,620 km2

Land boundaries

1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Land use

arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Maritime claims

Territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural resources

small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Note

recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Total area

112,620 km2

Administrative divisions

6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

Capital

Porto-Novo

Communists

Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active

Constitution

2 December 1990

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656 US: Ambassador Harriet W. ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone [229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92; FAX [229] 30-14-39 and 30-19-74

Elections

National Assembly: last held 10 and 24 March 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7, RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1 President: last held 10 and 24 March 1991; results - Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%

Executive branch

president, cabinet

Flag

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

Independence

1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Nicephore SOGLO (since 4 April 1991)

Legal system

based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Long-form name

Republic of Benin

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

National Day, 1 August (1990)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP), Timothee ADANLIN; Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; and the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE; Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVOEDJRE; National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE; Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD), Bertin BORNA; Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP), Adebo ADENIYI; and Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Azaria FAKOREDE; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Alliance of the Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU, and Bloc for Social Democracy (BSD), Michel MAGNIDE; Alliance of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Akindes ADEKPEDJOU, and Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE; National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON; numerous other small parties

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991

Birth rate

49 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

15 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); Europeans 5,500

Infant mortality rate

115 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 49% of population of working age (1985)

Languages

French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north

Life expectancy at birth

49 years male, 53 years female (1992)

Literacy

23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Beninese (singular and plural); adjective - Beninese

Net migration rate

0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

about 75% of wage earners

Population

4,997,599 (July 1992), growth rate 3.3% (1992)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

Total fertility rate

6.9 children born/woman (1992)