Benin

This Page was last updated on the 31th. October, 2006.

Country	Benin
Official Name	Republic of Benin
Former Name	Dahomey (formerly French; colonized in 1872; incorporated into French West Africa as Dahomey in 1904; French disolved th A.E.F. in September 1958; became the self-governing République du Dahomey [French community]on 4 December 1958; changed name to Benin in 1975)
Capital	Porto-Novo (designated), Cotonou (de facto and seat of government)
Main Towns	Abomey, Cotonou (pop. 756,000), Kandi, Natitingou, Parakou, Porto-Novo (pop. 237,000)
Subdivisions	12 provinces: Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou .
Independence	1 August 1960 1 (from France, Popular Republic of Benin declared on 30 November 1975)
Constitution	December 1990
National Holiday	National Day, 1 August (1960)
UN Membership	20 September 1960 – now African Union (AU)
OAU Membership	25 May 1963
Commonwealth	n/a
Other Organisations	In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Council of the Entente (Entente), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Franc Zone (FZ), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UN Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH), United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), Universal Postal Union (UPU), West African Development Bank (WADB), West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), World Confederation of Labour (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO).
Population	World Bank Figures: 6,060,010 (1999), 6,222,000 (2000), 6,386,076 (2001), 6,552,181 (2002), 6,720,250 (2003) Other Sources: 5,522,677 (July 1995), 6,590,782 (July 2001 est.), 7,041,490 (July 2003 est.), 7,460,025 (July 2005 est.)
Area	43,475 sq. mls. (112,600 sq. kms.)
Density	41 per sq.km. (1995)
Highest Point	unnamed 2,235 ft. (681 m.)
Lowest Point	Gulf of Guinea - sea level
Neighbours	Burkina Faso (NW), Niger (N), Nigeria (E)
Life Expectancy	50 years (1995), total population: 49.94 years, male: 49.02 years, female: 50.88 years (2001 est.) total population: 51.08 years male: 50.35 years female: 51.84 years (2003 est.) otal population: 50.51 years male: 50.14 years female: 50.89 years (2005 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate	total: 86.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 81.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 91.79 deaths/1,000 live births total: 85 deaths/1,000 live births male: 90 deaths/1,000 live births female: 79.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS	adult prevalence rate 3.6% (2001 est.), 1.9% (2003 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS 120,000 (2001 est.), 68,000 (2003 est.) deaths 8,100 (2001 est.), 5,800 (2003 est.) IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Benin - Updated: Sept 2004 Population: 6.5 million HIV Prevalence Rate (%) 2003 End: 1.9 No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 68,000 No. Of People in need of ART: 6,000 No. Of People Currently On ART (Sep 04): 1,650 No. Of People on ART Public Sector: Not Defined No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: Not Defined No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (2005 End): 6,000 Front Line Drug Regimen: Lamivudine+Stavudine+Efavirenz and Lamivudine+Stavudine+Zidovudine HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: 14 Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding (Round 2: Approved 17-Sep-03): US$11,348,000.00 Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: US$5,576,390.87 Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): US$23 million Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil Source: USAID, WHO, Ministry of Health
Adult Literacy Rate	38% (1995), total population: 40.9% male: 56.2% female: 26.5% (2000) total population: 33.6% male: 46.4% female: 22.6% (2002 est.)
Ethnic Groups	42 ethnic groups, including: Fon 47% Adja 12% northern Bariba 10% Yoruba 9% Aizo 5% Somba 5%
Languages	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (vernaculars in south), Bariba, Dendi.
Religions	Muslim 20%, Christian 30%, Traditional Religion (Animist) 50%
Type of Government	Republic under multiparty democratic rule.
President	Yayi Boni, elected March 2006 with 74% of the popular vote. Mathieu Kerekou had been the elected president for the previous ten years (since 4 April 1996) and president before that since 1972 (except for 5years) [last updated 31/10/2006]
Prime Minister	---
Political Parties	African Congress for Renewal (DUNYA); African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP); Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD); Coalition of Democratic Forces; Democratic Renewal Party (PRD); Front for Renewal and Development (FARD-ALAFIA); Impulse for Progress and Democracy (IPD); Key Force (FC); Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, IDP, and 4 other small parties); Renaissance Party du Benin (PRB); The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile); Union of Tomorrow's Benin (UBF) and about 20 other parties
Ruling Party	Coalition led by Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD) - unsure 21/10/2003
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA, XOF) Franc (100 centimes) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
GDP	US$442 (1992) US$1,522m (1995) US$3.7 billion (2003) per capita purchasing power parity - US$1,070 (2002 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$1,200 (2004 est.) purchasing power parity - US$8.338 billion (2004 est.) real growth rate: 5% (2004 est.)
GNP	US$420 (1992) US$370 (1995)
Per Capita Income	GDP per head: US$380 (2003), US$1,100
Population Below Poverty Line	37% (2001 est.)
Land Use	arable land: 18.08% permanent crops: 2.4% other: 79.52% (2001) Irrigated land: 120 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources	small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Oil and Natural Gas	Oil production: 700 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption: 11,500 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001) proved reserves: 4.105 million bbl (January 2002 est.) Natural gas - proved reserves: 608.8 million cu m (January 2002 est.)
Military	Military branches: Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie Manpower availability:females age 15-49: 1,536,036 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 1,597,562 Expenditures - $80.8 million 2.7% of GDP (FY02)
Economic Aid Received	US$342.6 million (2000) Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$35 (1999), US$38 (2000), US$43 (2001), US$33 (2002), US$44 (2003)
Debt	Moderately indebted (HIPC) World Bank Figures: US$976,000,000 (2000), US$840,000,000 (2001), US$873,299,968 (2002), US$797,400,000 (2003) Other Sources: US$1,646m (1995), US$1.6 billion (1998 est.), US$1.6 billion (2000)
Major Imports	Textiles machinery foodstuffs petroleum products
Imports from	China 35%, France 14%, UK 5%, Togo 4% (2001) China 29.7%, France 13.8%, Thailand 7.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2004) US $934.5 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Major Exports	Cocoa cotton palm products coffee
Exports to	India 21%, Italy 13%, Thailand 12%, Brazil 8% (2001) China 30.2%, India 15.6%, Thailand 6%, Ghana 5.9%, Niger 4.5% (2004) US$720.9 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 18 October, 2005

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