1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

none; sporadic border dispute with Cameroon

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; arid in north

varies—equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Coastline

121 km

853 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

more than twice the size of California

Continental shelf

200 meters or to depth of exploitation

Environment

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification

recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Land boundaries

1,963 km total

4,034 km total

Land use

12% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

31% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 15% forest and woodland; 28% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Special notes

recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors

none

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Territorial sea

200 nm

30 nm

Total area

150 km Natitingou PORTO-NOVO Bight of Benin

112,620 km?; land area: 110,620 km?

923,770 km/?; land area: 910,770 km?

Ethnic divisions

99% African (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adia, Yoruba, Bariba); 5,500 Europeans Benin (continued)

more than 250 tribal groups; Hausa and Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the southeast comprise 65% of the population; about 27,000 non-A fricans

Infant mortality rate

45/1,000 (1984)

113/1,000 (1983)

Labor force

1.5 million (1982); 60% of labor force employed in agriculture; less than 2% of the labor force work in the industrial sector, and the remainder are employed in transport, commerce, and public services

est. 45-50 million (1984); 54% agriculture; 19% industry, commerce, and services; 15% government

Language

French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north

English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used

Life expectancy

46.9

men 47, women 50 (1983)

Literacy

11%

25-30%

Nationality

noun—Beninese (sing., pl.); adiective—Beninese

noun—Nigerian(s); adjective—Nigerian

Organized labor

about 75% of wage earners (two major and several minor unions)

3.52 million wage earners belong to one of 42 recognized trade unions, which are under a single national labor federation, the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)

Population

4,339,096 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.52%

108,579,764 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.93%

Religion

70% indigenous beliefs, 15% Muslim, 15% Christian

50% Muslim, 40% Christian, 10% indigenous beliefs

Administrative divisions

6 provinces, 84 districts

Branches

Revolutionary National Assembly, National Executive Council

Capital

Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)

Communists

PRPB espouses MarxismLeninism

Elections

National Assembly elections were held in November 1979; Assembly then formally elected Kérékou President in February 1980

Government leader

Brig. Gen. Mathieu KEREKOU, President and Chief of State (since 1972)

Legal system

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

Member of

AfDB, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, Niger River Commission, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday

30 November

Official name

People’s Republic of Benin

Federal Republic of

Political parties

People’s Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) is sole party

Suffrage

universal adult

Type

Soviet-modeled civilian government

Agriculture

major cash crop is palm oil; peanuts, cotton, coffee, shea nuts, and tobacco also produced commercially; main food crops—corn, cassava, yams, rice, sorghum, millet; livestock, fish

Budget

revenues $119 million; expenditures, $119 million (1985 est.)

Electric power

28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$172.5 million (f.0.b., 1984 est.); palm products, cotton, other agricultural products

Fiscal year

calendar year

Fishing

catch 21,000 metric tons (1983)

GNP

$974.2 million (1984 est.), $250 per capita (1983); 1.6% growth (1984)

Imports

$225.4 million (f.0.b. 1984 est.); thread, cloth, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, iron, steel, fuels, foodstuffs, machinery, and transport equipment

Major industries

palm oil and palm kernel oil processing, textiles, beverages

Major trade partners

France, EC, france zone; preferential tariffs to EC and franc zone countries

Monetary conversion rate

331.24 Communauté Financiére Africaine (CFA) francs=US$1 (November 1986)

Natural resources

small offshore oil deposits; no other known minerals in commercial quantity

Airfields

9 total, 8 usable; I with permanent-surface runways; 4 with runways I,220-2,439 m

Civil air

4 major transport aircraft

Highways

8,550 km total; 828 km paved, 5,722 km improved earth

Inland waterways

small sections, only important locally

Ports

I major (Cotonou)

Railroads

580 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track

Telecommunications

fair system of open wire and radio relay; 16,200 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 2 AM, 2 FM, and 1 TV stations; I Atlantic Ocean satellite ground station

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower

eligible 15-49, 1,738,000; of the 805,000 males 15-49, 412,000 are fit for military service; of the 933,000 females 15-49, 471,000 are fit for military service; about 54,000 males and 52,000 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service