Current Environmental Issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

Geography

Source: CIA

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic Coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E

Area:

total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km

Land Boundaries:

total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime Claims:

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural Hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation Extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Government

Government Type: Republic

Capital: Porto-Novo

Independence Day: 1 August 1960 (from France)

Legal System: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

International Agreement:

Environment-international Agreement:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

People and Society

Population: 8,294,941

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 43.6% (male 1,824,803/female 1,790,723)
15-64 years: 54% (male 2,210,525/female 2,268,138)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 80,081/female 120,671) (2008 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 2.619% (2008 est.)

Birthrate: 37.36 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death Rate: 11.67 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net Migration Rate: 0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth:

total population: 53.85 years
male: 52.67 years
female: 55.06 years (2008 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 4.96 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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: 34.7%
male: 47.9%
female: 23.3% (2002 census)

Water

Total Renewable Water Resources: 25.8 cu km (2001)

Freshwater Withdrawal:

total: 0.13 cu km/yr (32%/23%/45%)
per capita: 15 cu m/yr (2001)

Agriculture

Agricultural Products: cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock

Irrigated Land: 120 sq km (2003)

Resources

Natural Resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land Use:

arable land: 23.53%
permanent crops: 2.37%
other: 74.1% (2005)

Energy

Health

Prevalence Rate of HIV/AIDS in Adults: 1.9% (2003 est.)

Conflict

International Disputes:

in September 2007, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to resolve the dispute over two villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso border that remain from 2005 ICJ decision; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin, but border relations remain strained by rival cross-border gang clashes; talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River

Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: refugees (country of origin): 9,444 (Togo) (2007)

Economy

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth 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. Specific projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture though the government annulled the privatization of Benin's state cotton company in November 2007 after the discovery of irregularities in the bidding process. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $12.1 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate): $5.433 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 33.2%
industry: 14.5%
services: 52.3% (2007 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line: 37.4% (2007 est.)

Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share:

lowest 10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 29% (2003)

Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

Exports: cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood

Export Partners: China 23.1%, Indonesia 8.3%, India 7.2%, Niger 5.8%, Togo 4.7%, Nigeria 4.7%, Belgium 4% (2006)

Imports: foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

Import Partners: China 45.1%, France 8.2%, US 6.6%, Thailand 6.4%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006)

Economic Aid Recipient: $374.7 million (2006)

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF)

Communications

Telephones-main line in use: 77,300 (2006)

Telephones-mobile/cellular: 1.056 million (2006)

Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)

Television Broadcast Stations: 6 (2007)

Internet Hosts: 798 (2007)

Internet Users: 700,000 (2006)

Transportation

Airports: 5 (2007)

Railways:

total: 758 km
narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Ports and Terminals: Cotonou