Environment - current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: no natural harbors
@Benin:People
Population: 5,902,178 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 48% (male 1,420,335; female 1,411,160) 15–64 years: 50% (male 1,401,360; female 1,530,626) 65 years and over : 2% (male 60,704; female 77,993) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.31% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 46.28 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 13.14 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 102.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.15 years male: 51.15 years female: 55.21 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese
Ethnic groups: 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: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37% male: 48.7% female: 25.8% (1995 est.)
@Benin:Government
Country name: 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
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
National 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: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (since 9 April 1996) acts as assistant to the president; a prime minister is not provided for in the constitution but was appointed by President KEREKOU with the permission of the constitutional court cabinet: Council of Ministers headed by the prime minister; all are appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001) election results: Mathieu KEREKOU elected president; percent of vote - Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 1995 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RB 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2, Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, other 17
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle,
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders: Alliance of the National Party for
Democracy and Development or PNDD and the Democratic Renewal Party or
PRD [Pascal Chabi KAO]; Action for Renewal and Development or
FARD-ALAFIA [Mathieu KEREKOU]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party
or PSD and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress or UNSP
[Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Alliance Chameleon; Alliance for Democracy and
Progress or ADP [Adekpedjon AKINDES]; Alliance for Social Democracy or
ASD [Robert DOSSOU]; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National
Reconstruction or RDL [Severin ADJOVI]; Communist Party of Benin,
[Pascal FATONDJI, First Secretary]; Our Common Cause or NCC [Albert
TEVOEDJRE]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; The Renaissance
Party of Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]
note: as of February 1996, more than 80 political parties were
officially recognized
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, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the 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
Diplomatic representation from the US: 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 description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side
Economy
Economy - 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 1990–95, rose to 5.5% in 1996. Rapid population growth offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994, but has subsided gradually over the past two years, with 14.5% inflation in 1995 and a target of 4.5% inflation in 1996. Commercial and transport activities, which make up a large part of GDP, are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria as evidenced by decreased reexport trade in 1994 due to a severe contraction in Nigerian demand. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 1991.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.2 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,440 (1996 est.)
GDP