The 1991 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

1,220–2,439 m

      _#_Telecommunications: 8,650 telephones; above-average system based on radio relay; stations—6 AM, 5 FM, 1 TV, 1 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

      _*Defense Forces #_Branches: British Forces Belize, Belize Defense Force (including Army, Navy, Air Force, and Volunteer Guard), Belize National Police

      _#_Manpower availability: males 15–49, 53,184; 31,790 fit for military service; 2,545 reach military age (18) annually

      _#Defense expenditures: $4.8 million, 1.8% of GDP (1990 est.) % @Benin *Geography #_Total area: 112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2

      _#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

      _#_Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

      _#_Coastline: 121 km

      _#_Maritime claims:

      Territorial sea: 200 nm

      _#_Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

      _#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

      _#_Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

      _#_Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%

      _#_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: 4,831,823 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)

      _#_Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

      _#_Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 52 years female (1991)

      _#_Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)

      _#_Nationality: noun—Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective—Beninese

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

      _#_Religion: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

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

      _#_Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

      _#_Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 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 completed 4 April 1991

      _#_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: 2 December 1990

      _#_Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      _#_National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)

      _#_Executive branch: president, cabinet

      _#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

      _#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

      _#_Leaders:

      Chief of State and Head of Government—President Nicephore

       SOGLO (since 4 April 1991)

      _#_Political parties and leaders: the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) headed by President Mathieu KEREKOU, chairman of the Central Committee, was dissolved 30 April 1990; Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP), Timothee ADANLIN; Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; and the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE;

      Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO;

      Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU;

      Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVEODJRE;

       National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE;

      Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD); Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP); and Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Bertin BORNA;

      Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE;

       Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL),

       Severin ADJOVI;

      Alliance of the Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD) and Bloc for

       Social Democracy (BSD), Robert DOSSOU;

      Alliance of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) and

       Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE;

       National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON;

       numerous other small parties

      _#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

      _#_Elections:

      President—last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%;

      National Assembly—last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held March 1996); results—NA percent of the vote; seats—(64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7, RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1

      _#_Communists: Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active

      _#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ,

       G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,

       INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,

       WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

      _#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Charge d'Affaires Corneille MEHISSOU; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone [phone];

      US—Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone [229] 30–06-50

      _#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

      _*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 40% 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: $2.0 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 2.6% (1990)

      _#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1990)