The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 35%
other: 45%
Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal
agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in
winter
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification,
Law of the Sea
Geographic note: no natural harbors
People———
Population: 5,709,529 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 48% (male 1,376,531; female 1,367,394)
15–64 years: 50% (male 1,349,386; female 1,480,251)
65 years and over: 2% (male 60,030; female 75,937) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.32% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 46.76 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 105.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.69 years male: 50.74 years female: 54.7 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese
Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important
being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 37%
male: 48.7%
female: 25.8%
Government—————
Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey
Data code: BN
Type of government: republic under multiparty democratic rule dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Capital: Porto-Novo
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique,
Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)
Constitution: 2 December 1990
Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU
(since 4 April 1996) was elected for a five-year term by popular
vote; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001);
results - Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%
cabinet: Executive Council, appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28
March 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19,
FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2,
Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: as of February 1996, more than 80
political parties were officially recognized; the following are
represented in the National Assembly: Alliance of the National Party
for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal
Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Action for Renewal and Development
(FARD-ALAFIA), Mathieu KEREKOU; Alliance of the Social Democratic
Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress
(UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Alliance Chameleon; Alliance for Democracy
and Progress (ADP), Adekpedjon AKINDES; Alliance for Social
Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for
National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Communist Party of
Benin, Pascal FATONDJI, First Secretary; Our Common Cause (NCC),
Albert TEVOEDJRE; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); The
Renaissance Party, Nicephore SOGLO
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232–6656, 6657, 6658
FAX: [1] (202) 265–1996
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30–06-50, 30–05-13, 30–17-92 FAX: [229] 30–14-39, 30–19-74
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a
vertical green band on the hoist side
Economy———
Economic overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output, which had averaged a sound 4% in 1990–94, rose to 6% in 1995. Rapid population growth, now 3.3% per year, offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared