pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification
Note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors
- People
Population: 4,673,964 (July 1990), growth rate 3.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 52 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective—Beninese
Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42 ethnic groups, most important being
Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); 5,500 Europeans
Religion: 70% indigenous beliefs, 15% Muslim, 15% Christian
Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north
Literacy: 25.9%
Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); 60% agriculture, 38% transport, commerce, and public services, less than 2% industry; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Benin
Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system by 1991 planned
Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono,
Oueme, Zou
Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)
Constitution: 23 May 1977 (nullified 1 March 1990); new constitution to be drafted by April 1990
Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: National Day, 30 November (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral National Revolutionary Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Revolutionnaire) dissolved 1 March 1990 and replaced by a 24-member interim High Council of the Republic during the transition period
Judicial branch: Central People's Court (Cour Central Populaire)
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 27 October 1972)
Political parties and leaders: only party—People's Revolutionary
Party of Benin (PRPB), President Mathieu Kerekou, chairman of the
Central Committee
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President—last held July 1989 (next to be held July 1994);
results—President Mathieu Kerekou was reelected by the
National Revolutionary Assembly;
National Revolutionary Assembly—dissolved 1 March 1990 and replaced by a 24-member interim High Council of the Republic with legislative elections for new institutions planned for February 1991
Communists: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, Niger
River Commission, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Theophile NATA; Chancery at
2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232–6656;
US—Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard,
Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone p229o 30–06-50
Flag: green with a red five-pointed star in the upper hoist-side corner
- Economy Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 45% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $335; real growth rate 1.8% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1988)
Unemployment: NA
Budget: revenues $168 million; expenditures $317 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (1989)
Exports: $226 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa; partners—FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 7%
Imports: $413 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods; partners—France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 5%
External debt: $1.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 0.7% (1988)
Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: palm oil and palm kernel oil processing, textiles, beverages, petroleum
Agriculture: small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops—corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70–88), $41 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–87), $1.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979–89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970–88), $101 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
