about benin

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.

The results of the political change in power has left Benin as one of the most stable countries in Africa. As such, it is currently undergoing a vast influx of refugees across its borders from neighboring Togo.

• Population: 7.1 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Porto-Novo
• Area: 112,622 sq km (43,484 sq miles)
• Major languages: French (official) Fon, Ge, Bariba, Yoruba, Dendi
• Major religions: Indigenous beliefs, Christianity, Islam
• Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 53 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc = 100 centimes
• Main exports: Cotton, palm oil
• GNI per capita: US $440 (World Bank, 2003)
• Internet domain: .bj
• International dialling code: +229

All of this information has been blatantly stolen from the cia and the bbc