Benin (original) (raw)

Republic of Benin République du Bénin

CAPITAL : Porto-Novo

FLAG: Two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side.

ANTHEM: L'Aube Nouvelle (The New Dawn).

MONETARY UNIT: The Communauté Financière Africaine franc (CFA Fr), which was originally pegged to the French franc, has been pegged to the euro since January 1999 with a rate of 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro. The CFA franc has coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs, and notes of 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 CFA francs. CFA Fr1 = 0.00167(or0.00167 (or 0.00167(or1 = CFA Fr597.577) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Anniversary of Mercenary Attack on Cotonou, 16 January; Labor Day, 1 May; Independence Day, 1 August; Armed Forces Day, 26 October; National Day, 30 November; Harvest Day, 31 December. Most religious holidays have been abolished, but Good Friday, Easter Monday, Christmas, 'Id al-Fitr, and Id al-'Adha' remain public holidays.

TIME: 1 PM = noon GMT.

LANGUAGES

The official language is French. However, many African languages are spoken. Fon and Yoruba are the most important in southern Benin. In the north there are at least six major tribal languages, including Bariba (a subgroup of the Voltaic group in which the Mossi language is most important) and Fulani.

ARMED FORCES

In 2002, the armed forces had some 4,550 personnel. The army of 4,300 included 3 infantry battalions. There were 150 personnel in the air force, which had no combat aircraft. The navy numbered an estimated 100 personnel with one patrol boat. A paramilitary gendarmerie totaled 2,500. Military expenditures in 1996 were $27 million, or 1.2% of GDP.

INSURANCE

Insurance companies were nationalized in 1974, and the National Society of Insurance and Reinsurance (SONAR) is the state agency.

DEPENDENCIES

Benin has no territories or colonies.

Location, size, and extent

Topography

Climate

Flora and fauna

Environment

Population

Migration

Ethnic groups

Religions

Transportation

History

Government

Political parties

Local government

Judicial system

International cooperation

Economy

Income

Labor

Agriculture

Animal husbandry

Fishing

Forestry

Mining

Energy and power

Industry

Science and technology

Domestic trade

Foreign trade

Balance of payments

Banking and securities

Public finance

Taxation

Customs and duties

Foreign investment

Economic development

Health

Housing

Education

Libraries and museums

Media

Organizations

Tourism, travel, and recreation

Famous beninese

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Africa on File. New York: Facts on File, 1995.

Alpern, Stanley B. Amazons of Black Sparta: the Women's Warriors of Dahomey. New York: New York University Press, 1998.

Ben-Amos, Paula. Art, Innovation, and Politics in Eighteenth-century Benin. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1999.

Caulfield, Annie. Show Me the Magic: Travels Round Benin by Taxi. London: Penguin, 2003.

Chatwin, Bruce. The Viceroy of Ouidah. New York: Summit Books, 1980.

Decalo, Samuel. Historical Dictionary of Benin. 3rd ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1995.

Duchateau, Armand. Benin: Royal Art of Africa. Houston: Houston Museum of Fine Arts, 1994.

Edgerton, Robert B. Women Warriors: The Amazons of Dahomey and the Nature of War. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2000.

Houngnikpo, Mathurin C. Determinants of Democratization in Africa: A Comparative Study of Benin and Togo. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 2001.

Law, Robin. The Slave Coast of West Africa, 1550–1750: the Impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on an African Society. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Malaquais, Dominique. The Kingdom of Benin. New York: F. Watts, 1998.