Republic of Benin

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The Republic of Benin is a sliver of a country in West Africa, the shape of which has been compared to a raised arm and fist or to a flaming torch. It has a small coastline to the south on the Bight of Benin (a bight being a bay formed by a coastal bend), an extension of the Gulf of Guinea, which is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The nation takes its name from the bight, which refers in turn to an ancient African kingdom that dominated much of southern Nigeria until the arrival of the colonizing powers. That kingdom did not actually incorporate any of modernday Benin.

Benin inhabits a part of the continent called the Dahomey Gap, which is a somewhat dry area between the rain forests of Central Africa and of those farther west. Though relatively low in rainfall, the climate in Benin is hot and humid. The country's elevation varies little from the coast to the northern reaches though there are areas in the middle and north known as hills and highlands. Rivers run either north or south, with rivers in the north flowing into the Niger River, which forms most of the border with the country of the same name. Southern rivers stay within the national borders and drain to the Atlantic. Benin's size is roughly similar to that of Pennsylvania.

The core of the nation's economic, political, and cultural life is the litoral area. The capital is Porto-Novo (Portuguese for New Port), which is pressed into the southeastern corner of the country, but Cotonou, 40 miles to the west, is the largest city and true center for all Benin's social and economic life. The farther one travels from the coast, the less that French, the official language, is heard. And the farther north one goes, the less prevalent is Christianity in favor of Islam and animist religions.

Before the country took the name Benin in 1975, it was known since the colonial period as Dahomey, after the main ethnic group near the coast, which in turn took its name from the stomach of a onetime king called Snake ("Dan"). European traders (mainly Dutch and Portuguese) established slave trading relations with Dahomey by the 17th century. In time, the kingdom became so adept and prosperous at selling captives from among its neighbors and own people that it became known as the Slave Coast, one of a series of informal geographic terms used on the West African coastline along with the Gold Coast, Ivory Coast, and Grain Coast.

There are stories of Dahomey Amazons from this period, female warriors who also participated in the capture and commerce of slaves. The main slaving port was Ouidah, west of Cotonou toward the Togolese border. Most of the human exports from the Slave Coast finished their journey in either Brazil or the Caribbean. It is said that most Haitians would be able to trace their ancestry back to Dahomey. The animist practice of voodoo, a corruption of the Dahomean religion known as "Voudon," came by boat by slaves to the New World.

Dahomey's jealous or resentful neighbors are said to have helped the French take over the kingdom in 1892. Seven years latert it became part of the French West Africa colony, still as Dahomey. By 1960 it enjoyed full independence as the Republic of Dahomey. Along with neighboring Nigeria, France remains the country with the most influence in the nation's affairs. And while the CFA franc, which is shared with other African Francophone countries, is the local curreency, it is the euro and the U.S. dollar that are the currencies of choice in Benin.

For the next 12 years, ethnic strife contributed to a period of turbulence. There were several coups and regime changes, with three main figures dominating - Sourou Apithy, Hubert Maga, and Justin Ahomadegbé - each of them representing a different area of the country. These three agreed to form a presidential council after violence had marred the 1970 elections. In 1972, a military coup led by Mathieu Kérékou overthrew the council. He established a Marxist government under the control of Military Council of the Revolution (CNR), and the country was renamed to the People's Republic of Benin in 1975. In 1979, the CNR was dissolved and elections took place. By the late 1980s, Kérékou abandoned Marxism after an economic crisis and decided to re-establish a parliamentary capitalist system. He was defeated in 1991 elections, becoming the first black African president to step down after an election. He returned to power after winning the 1996 vote. In 2001, a closely fought election resulted in Kérékou winning another term. His opponents claimed there were some election irregularities.

[edit] Politics

Politics of Benin Politics of Benin Political parties in Benin Elections in Benin

The parliament of Benin is formed by the 83-seat National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale), for which election are held every four years. Head of the government and head of state is the president, who is chosen in separate presidential elections held every five years. The president appoints a council of ministers. According to the constitution of 1990, a president may serve a maximum of 2 five-year terms. There is also a 70-year age limit for presidential candidates.

[edit] Economy Main article: Economy of Benin

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a stable 5% in the past six years, but rapid population rise has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, while pressing for speeded-up structural reforms.

Demographics Main article: Demographics of Benin

There are about 40 different ethnic groups living in Benin, the largest being the Fon who account for about 49% of Benin's population. Other ethnic groups include the Adja, Yoruba, Somba and Bariba. Most of these ethnic groups have their own languages, although French is the official language, which is spoken mostly in the cities. Of the indigenous languages, the Fon and Yoruba languages are most common.

Indigenous religions are predominant, although significant parts of the population are Christian (chiefly Roman Catholic) and Muslim. Local practices and traditions are often combined with those of Christianity and Islam.

[edit] Culture Main article: Culture of Benin

It is believed that Vodun (or "Voodoo", as it is commonly known) originated in Benin and was introduced to Brazil, the Caribbean Islands, and parts of North America by slaves taken from this particular area of the Slave Coast. The indigenous religion of Benin is practiced by about 70% of the population. Since 1992 Vodun has been recognized as one of Benin's official religions, and a National Vodun Holiday is celebrated on January 10.