The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

year

      Inflation rate (consumer prices):

      1.3% (2007 est.)

      Central bank discount rate:

      4.25% (31 December 2007)

      Commercial bank prime lending rate:

      NA

      Stock of money:

      $1.324 billion (31 December 2007)

      Stock of quasi money:

      $627.2 million (31 December 2007)

      Stock of domestic credit:

      $520.6 million (31 December 2007)

      Agriculture - products:

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

      Industries:

      textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement

      Industrial production growth rate:

      4.5% (2007 est.)

      Electricity - production:

      120 million kWh (2006 est.)

      Electricity - consumption:

      595 million kWh (2006 est.)

      Electricity - exports:

      0 kWh (2007 est.)

      Electricity - imports:

      590 million kWh (2006 est.)

      Electricity - production by source:

      fossil fuel: 14.2% hydro: 85.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

      Oil - production:

      0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

      Oil - consumption:

      9,232 bbl/day (2007 est.)

      Oil - exports:

      6,484 bbl/day (2005)

      Oil - imports:

      16,830 bbl/day (2007 est.)

      Oil - proved reserves:

      8 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

      Natural gas - production:

      0 cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - consumption:

      0 cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - exports:

      0 cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - imports:

      0 cu m (2007 est.)

      Natural gas - proved reserves:

      1.133 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

      Current account balance:

      -$441 million (2007 est.)

      Exports:

      $586 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

      Exports - commodities:

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

      Exports - partners:

      China 24.7%, India 8.2%, Niger 6.6%, Togo 5.4%, Nigeria 5.3%,

       Belgium 4.6% (2007)

      Imports:

      $1.085 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

      Imports - commodities:

      foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products

      Imports - partners:

      China 44.5%, France 8.2%, US 6.5%, Thailand 6.3%, Malaysia 4.8% (2007)

      Economic aid - recipient:

      $374.7 million (2006)

      Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

      $1.209 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

      Debt - external:

      $1.2 billion (2007)

      Market value of publicly traded shares:

      $NA

      Currency (code):

      Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

      Currency code:

      XOF

      Exchange rates:

      Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro

      Communications

       Benin

      Telephones - main lines in use:

      110,300 (2007)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

      1.895 million (2007)

      Telephone system:

      general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment with fixed-line teledensity stuck at 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing domestic: system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

      Radio broadcast stations:

      AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)

      Radios:

      660,000 (2000)

      Television broadcast stations:

      6 (2007)

      Televisions:

      66,000 (2000)

      Internet country code:

      .bj

      Internet hosts:

      848 (2008)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

      4 (2002)

      Internet users:

      150,000 (2007)

      Transportation

       Benin

      Airports:

      5 (2007)

      Airports - with paved runways:

      total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

      Airports - with unpaved runways:

      total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

      Railways:

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

      Roadways:

      total: 16,000 km paved: 1,400 km unpaved: 14,600 km (2006)

      Waterways:

      150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)

      Ports and terminals:

      Cotonou

      Military

       Benin

      Military branches:

      Benin Armed Forces (FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces