Country Information on Benin

Terrain The coast of Benin is a sandy barrier beach with no natural harbours. Immediately north of the beach is a patchwork of shallow lagoons and estuaries, and farther north is a fertile highland called "Terre de Barre". North of the highland area the regularly flooded Lama marshlands are located, consisting of clayey soil difficult to drain. Further north, the Lama marshlands open to arable land. However, the major part of the country's surface area is dominated by hardened, infertile and iron-containing soils. In northern Benin the land rises to include the edge of a 488-m high plateau of ancient rocks and mostly infertile soils and, in the northwest, the rugged Atakora Mountains (800 m). In the south, cultivated land including immense palm groves and coconut plantations lines the coast. The main rivers of northern Benin are the Niger, which forms part of the boundary with the republic of Niger, and its tributaries, the Sota, Mékrou, and Alibori rivers. Climate The south has an equatorial climate, but further north the dry periods are increasingly longer. The south has an annual precipitation rate of 1,270 mm. Rainy seasons are from March to July and from September to November. The monthly average temperature varies between 20°C and 34°C. In the north there are also high temperatures, the annual precipitation rate is approximately 890 mm. The rainy season here lasts from May to September. Fauna/Flora A dense tropical rain forest once covered much of the land close behind Benin's coastal strip. The rain forest has largely been cleared, except near rivers, and palms now are the main trees of the region. Woodlands form a large part of central Benin, and grasslands predominate in the drier north. Among the various animals found in Benin are elephants, buffalo, antelope, panthers, monkeys, crocodiles, and wild ducks. History/Politics At the beginning of the 17th century three rivalling dynasties founded the kingdoms of Alada, Abomey and Hogbonu (Porto Novo). Territorial gains made the state founded in Abomey develop into the Kingdom of Danhomé, which dominated the region until the 19th century and whose power was chiefly maintained by slave-trade. In 1899 Danhomé, under the name of Dahomey, became part of French West Africa. Its borders were defined by Great Britain and Germany, who had colonised the regions east and west of Dahomey. In 1946 it joined the French Overseas Territories. After being an autonomous repulic within the French Community for two years it declared its independence in 1960. The first twelve years of independence were characterised by political instability. Hubert Maga, the first president of the independent state of Dahomey, was deprived of power by the military in 1963, and in the following six years there were four attempted coups. In 1970 a presidium consisting of three members seized power and annulled the constitution. Finally, in 1972, the sixth coup since independence brought Major Kérékou to power. In November 1975 the country was named Benin. Kérékou was elected president by the National Assembly in 1980 and confirmed in office in 1984. In the presidential elections of 1991 prime minister Nicéphore Soglo prevailed. This vote, however, triggered off a period of political instability. Up to the times of parliamentary elections in 1995, Soglo could only draw on the support of 15 members of the 64-delegate national assembly, and in the presidential elections of March 1996 Kérékou asserted himself again. Economy Benin is one of the poorest African countries. As during colonial times its economy depends on subsistence agriculture and trade with neighbouring countries. Agriculture contributes 35% to the gross national product, and comprises almost two thirds of the working population. In the seventies a large number of private enterprises were nationalized. However, in the early 1990s an economic reform programme initiated by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in turn caused the privatisation of several enterprises. Cuts in public spending have been planned as well, in order to reduce the high deficit of the national budget. Benin is a member of ECOWAS, an organisation to promote economic co-operation and development of the West African states. Culture The cultural history of Benin is rich, and for over a century the people's art brought international attention to the legendary Kingdom of Danhomé. Art served both a functional and spiritual purpose, though before the 19th century, the most accomplished artists worked solely for the ruling kings of Abomey. The history of these times was told in the brightly coloured appliqué tapestries and bronze work. UNESCO has designated the palace of Abomey as common heritage for humanity in 1985. In Benin music plays an important part in religious celebrations. The Fon and the Yoruba associate their religion, known as Voodoo or Orisha, with a unique musical style. They stage a complex kind of musical theatre with various dances. Spirits that occasionally take possession of people are a crucial theme in the religious rites of the Yoruba. Music is of paramount importance here: it controls the state of trance. The Adja have complicated funeral rites in which music plays an essential role. Here the "water drum", a pumpkin half swimming in an earthenware vessel is an integral part.