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 |
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| Official
Name : |
RÉPUBLIQUE
DU BÉNIN (Republic of Benin) |
| Land
Area: |
112,622
square kilometres / 43,472 square miles. |
| Population: |
7,250,100
(est July 2002). Density 59 persons per square km. |
| Languages: |
French
(official), Fon, Adja, Bariba, Youruba, Fulani, Baoulé, Agni, others. |
| Religions: |
Traditional 65%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%. |
| Capital: |
Porto
Nova. Population 207,700 |
| Currency: |
CFA
franc, divided into 100 centimes. |
| Political: |
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 principles. A move
to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections saw
in former Prime Minister Soglo as president, marking the first successful transfer
of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. Strongman Kerekou was returned
to power by dubious elections held in 1996 and 2001. |
| Geography: |
A sandy
shoreline with no natural harbours, backed by low lying fertile plains, with a
clay savannah plateau rising to 230m in north central Benin. The northwestern
Atakora Massif and the northeastern Niger plains are traversed by the Alibori
river valley that joins the Niger river at the northeastern border between Niger
and Benin. |
