Benin

Airports

6 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

Highways

5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth

Inland waterways

navigable along small sections, important only locally

Merchant marine

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) of 2,999 GRT/4,407 DWT

Ports

Cotonou

Railroads

578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track

Telecommunications

fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and radio relay; 16,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Defense expenditures

1.7% of GDP, or $28.9 million (1988 est.)

Military manpower

eligible 15-49, 2,015,206; of the 950,921 males 15-49, 486,620 are fit for military service; of the 1,064,285 females 15-49, 537,049 are fit for military service; about 55,550 males and 53,663 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service

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

Budget

revenues $168 million; expenditures $317 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (1989)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Electricity

28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)

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%

External debt

$1.0 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1.7 billion, per capita $335; real growth rate 1.8% (1988)

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%

Industrial production

growth rate - 0.7% (1988)

Industries

palm oil and palm kernel oil processing, textiles, beverages, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.3% (1988)

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.

Unemployment

NA

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Coastline

121 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Environment

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

Land boundaries

1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Land use

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

Natural resources

small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Note

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

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Territorial sea

200 nm

Total area

112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2

Administrative divisions

6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

Capital

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

Communists

dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989

Constitution

23 May 1977 (nullified 1 March 1990); new constitution to be drafted by April 1990

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 [229] 30-06-50

Executive branch

president, prime minister, cabinet

Flag

green with a red five-pointed star in the upper hoist-side corner

Independence

1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)

Judicial branch

Central People's Court (Cour Central Populaire) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 27 October 1972)

Legal system

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

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

Long-form name

Republic of Benin

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

National holiday

National Day, 30 November (1975)

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 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

Type

dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system by 1991 planned

Birth rate

50 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

121 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

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)

Language

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

Life expectancy at birth

48 years male, 52 years female (1990)

Literacy

25.9%

Nationality

noun--Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective--Beninese

Net migration rate

NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

about 75% of wage earners

Population

4,673,964 (July 1990), growth rate 3.3% (1990)

Religion

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

Total fertility rate

7.1 children born/woman (1990)