The 1996 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

meadows and pastures: 4%

       forest and woodland: 35%

       other: 45%

      Irrigated land: 60 sq km (1989 est.)

      Environment:

       current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal

       agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching

       threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

       natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in

       winter

       international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,

       Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban,

       Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification,

       Law of the Sea

      Geographic note: no natural harbors

      People———

      Population: 5,709,529 (July 1996 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 48% (male 1,376,531; female 1,367,394)

       15–64 years: 50% (male 1,349,386; female 1,480,251)

       65 years and over: 2% (male 60,030; female 75,937) (July 1996 est.)

      Population growth rate: 3.32% (1996 est.)

      Birth rate: 46.76 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Death rate: 13.53 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female

       all ages: 0.95 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 105.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.69 years male: 50.74 years female: 54.7 years (1996 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 6.64 children born/woman (1996 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Beninese (singular and plural)

       adjective: Beninese

      Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important

       being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

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

      Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

      Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

       total population: 37%

       male: 48.7%

       female: 25.8%

      Government—————

      Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey

      Data code: BN

      Type of government: republic under multiparty democratic rule dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991

      Capital: Porto-Novo

      Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique,

       Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

      Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

      National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)

      Constitution: 2 December 1990

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

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       chief of state and head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU

       (since 4 April 1996) was elected for a five-year term by popular

       vote; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001);

       results - Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%

       cabinet: Executive Council, appointed by the president

      Legislative branch: unicameral

       National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28

       March 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party

       NA; seats - (83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19,

       FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2,

       Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16

      Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

      Political parties and leaders: as of February 1996, more than 80

       political parties were officially recognized; the following are

       represented in the National Assembly: Alliance of the National Party

       for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal

       Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Action for Renewal and Development

       (FARD-ALAFIA), Mathieu KEREKOU; Alliance of the Social Democratic

       Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress

       (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Alliance Chameleon; Alliance for Democracy

       and Progress (ADP), Adekpedjon AKINDES; Alliance for Social

       Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for

       National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Communist Party of

       Benin, Pascal FATONDJI, First Secretary; Our Common Cause (NCC),

       Albert TEVOEDJRE; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); The

       Renaissance Party, Nicephore SOGLO

      International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA,

       ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,

       IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,

       OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU,

       WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

      Diplomatic representation in US:

       chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN

       chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

       telephone: [1] (202) 232–6656, 6657, 6658

       FAX: [1] (202) 265–1996

      US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30–06-50, 30–05-13, 30–17-92 FAX: [229] 30–14-39, 30–19-74

      Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a

       vertical green band on the hoist side

      Economy———

      Economic overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output, which had averaged a sound 4% in 1990–94, rose to 6% in 1995. Rapid population growth, now 3.3% per year, offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared