NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Benin

² Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected.

³ Rank based on 2005 estimate.

Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in Western Africa, (formerly known as Dahomey until 1975). It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin. Its capital is Porto Novo, but the seat of government is Cotonou. --168. ... Location of Benin City in Nigeria Benin City, a city (2006 est. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Benin. ... Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Benin. ... Flag Ratio: 2:3 Flag of Peoples Republic of Benin (1975-1990) The national flag of Benin was originally adopted in 1959. ... The Coat of Arms of Benin was readopted in 1990 after being replaced in 1975. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... LAube Nouvelle (The Dawn of a New Day) is the national anthem of Benin. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... â€œPorto Novoâ€ redirects here. ... Demographics of Benin, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands. ... Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... This page contains a list of presidents of Benin. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yayi Boni Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni (born 1952), a Beninois banker and politician, is the current President of Benin. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here surface areas between 100,000 kmÂ² and 1,000,000 kmÂ². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... now. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving West Africa Time, or WAT, is a time zone used in western and west-central Africa (though not in countries west of Benin, which instead use GMT). ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .bj is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Benin. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... Geographical renaming is the act of changing the name of a geographical feature or area. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bight of Benin is a bay on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km) from Cape St. ... â€œPorto Novoâ€ redirects here. ... Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ...

Name

The name "Benin" has no proper connection to Kingdom of Benin (or Benin City). The name Dahomey was changed in 1975 to The People's Republic of Benin, named after the body of water on which the country lies, the Bight of Benin. This name was picked due to its neutrality, since the current political boundaries of Benin encompass over fifty distinct linguistic groups and nearly as many individual ethnic groups. The name Dahomey was the name of the ancient Fon Kingdom, and was determined to be an inappropriate name. --168. ... Location of Benin City in Nigeria Benin City, a city (2006 est. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... The Bight of Benin is a bay on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km) from Cape St. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... // FON Wireless Ltd. ...

History

Main article: History of Benin

The African kingdom of Dahomey was formed by a mixture of various local ethnic groups on the Abomey plain. Historians theorized that the insecurity caused by the slave trade may have contributed to mass migrations of different groups, including a segment of the royal family of the city of Allada, to Abomey. These groups coalesced around a strict military culture aimed at securing and eventually expanding the borders of the small kingdom. The Republic of Benin was the seat of one of the great medieval African kingdoms, called Dahomey, governed from the capital, Abomey, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ... Abomey is a town in Benin, formerly the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Allada is a town located in the Atlantique Department of Benin. ...

Dahomey was known for its distinct culture and traditions. Boys were often apprenticed to older soldiers at a young age, and learned about the kingdom's military customs until they were old enough to join the navy. Dahomey was also famous for instituting an elite female soldier corps, called Ahosi or "our mothers" in the Fongbe language, and known in English as the Dahomean Amazons. This emphasis on military preparation and achievement earned Dahomey the nickname of "black Sparta" from European observers and commentators like Sir Richard Burton. Human sacrifice was a common practice, according to contemporary sources; on holidays and special occasions, thousands of slaves and prisoners of war were beheaded in public. Some Dahomean religious beliefs maintained that decapitation enhanced the prestige and potency of the Dahomean throne and its warriors. The Amazons (in Greek, ) were a mythical ancient nation of all-female warriors. ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... Richard Burton, portrait by Frederic Leighton, National Portrait Gallery, London Sir Richard Francis Burton (March 19, 1821 - October 19, 1890), British consul, explorer, translator, and Orientalist, was born at Barham House, Hertfordshire, England. ... Human sacrifice is the act of killing a human being for the purposes of making an offering to a deity or other, normally supernatural, power. ...

Though the founders of Dahomey appear to have initially been against it, the slave trade was active in the region of Dahomey for almost three hundred years, leading to the area being named "the Slave Coast". The demands of court procedures, which demanded that a portion of war captives from the kingdom's many battles be decapitated, led to a decrease in the amount of enslaved people exported from the area. The number went from 20,000 at the beginning of the seventeenth century to 12,000 in the beginning of the 1800s. The decline is partly due to many colonial countries declaring slave trade illegal. This decline continued until 1885, when the last Portuguese trade vessel with slaves departed from the coast of present day Benin.

Along with the powerful Dahomean kingdom, a range of other nations inhabited the area that would become the Republic of Benin. Of note were the Ketu, Icha, Dassa, Anago, and other sub-groups of the Yoruba-speaking people. These groups were in close contact with related sub-groups in present-day Nigeria, and were often enemies of the Dahomeans. However, some were also citizens of Dahomey and, in regions such as present-day Porto Novo, both groups inter-married. Ketu is a historical location in present day Benin. ... Yoruba (native name ede YorÃ¹bÃ¡, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... â€œPorto Novoâ€ redirects here. ...

North of these people were the Borgu, Mahi, and several other ethnic groups that form the country's present population. Borgu was a country in Africa, partitioned between the British and French colonialists by the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. ... The Mahi are a people of Benin. ...

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Dahomey started to lose its status as the regional power, enabling the French to take over the area in 1892. In 1899, the land became part of the French West Africa colony, still as Dahomey. In 1958, it was granted autonomy as the Republic of Dahomey, and full independence started on August 1, 1960. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location of French West Africa French West Africa (French: ) was a federation of eight French territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), CÃ´te dIvoire, Niger, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and Dahomey (now Benin). ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For the next 12 years, ethnic strife contributed to a period of turbulence. There were several coups and regime changes, with three main figures dominating - Sourou Apithy, Hubert Maga, and Justin Ahomadegbé - each of them representing a different area of the country. These three agreed to form a presidential council after violence had marred the 1970 elections. In 1972, a military coup led by Mathieu Kérékou overthrew the council. He established a Marxist government under the control of Military Council of the Revolution (CNR), and the country was renamed to the People's Republic of Benin in 1975. In 1979, the CNR was dissolved and elections took place. By the late 1980s, Kérékou abandoned Marxism after an economic crisis and decided to re-establish a parliamentary capitalist system. He was defeated in 1991 elections by Nicéphore Soglo, becoming the first black African president to step down after an election. He returned to power after winning the 1996 vote. In 2001, a closely fought election resulted in Kérékou winning another term. His opponents claimed there were some election irregularities. Sourou Migan Apithy (born 1913) was a Benin political figure. ... Hubert Maga (August 10, 1916â€“May 8, 2000) became the first president of Dahomey, now Benin, when the country gained independence from France on August 1, 1960. ... Justin Tometin Ahomadegbe (1917- 8 March 2002) was a Benin political figure. ... Time in Office October 26, 1972â€“4 April 1991 4 April 1996â€“6 April 2006 Predecessor Justin AhomadegbÃ© (first time) NicÃ©phore Soglo (second time) Successor NicÃ©phore Soglo (first time) Yayi Boni (second time) Date of Birth 2 September 1933 Place of Birth Kouarfa, Dahomey (now Benin) (Ahmed) Mathieu... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... NicÃ©phore DieudonnÃ© Soglo (born 29 November 1934) is a Beninese politician who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. ...

President Kérékou and former President Soglo did not run in the 2006 elections, both being barred by the constitution of Benin from running again due to their age and President Kérékou's two recent terms as president. President Kérékou is widely praised for making no effort to change the constitution so that he could remain in office or run again, unlike some African leaders. An election, considered free and fair, was held on March 5, 2006, and resulted in a runoff between Yayi Boni and Adrien Houngbédji. The runoff election was held on March 19 and was won by Yayi Boni, who assumed office on April 6. The success of the fair multiparty elections in Benin won high praise, and Benin is widely considered a model democracy in Africa. This article is about the day. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Run-off or runoff may refer to one of the following. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yayi Boni Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni (born 1952), a Beninois banker and politician, is the current President of Benin. ... Adrien HoungbÃ©dji (born March 5, 1942) is a politician of Benin. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush briefly visited this country on Feb. 16, 2008, marking the first visit of a major head of state to this tiny country. He was presented the Grand Cross of the National Order of Benin by President Yayi Boni, who thanked him for the economic aid arranged by Bush.

the new capital of benin is radjicity...

Politics

Main article: Politics of Benin

Benin's politics takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Benin, who is currently Yayi Boni, is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the legislature. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The current political system is derived from the 1990 Constitution of Benin and the subsequent transition to democracy in 1991. The Republic of Benin is a presidential democratic republic. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This page contains a list of presidents of Benin. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yayi Boni Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni (born 1952), a Beninois banker and politician, is the current President of Benin. ... For the comedy film of the same name, see Head of State (film). ... The head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. ... Under the doctrine of the separation of powers, the executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law. ... A legislature is a governmental deliberative body with the power to adopt laws. ... In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

On February 16th 2008, United States President George W. Bush made a brief stop in Benin during which he held a meeting with president Thomas Boni Yayi as well as a press conference at Cadjehoun Airport in Cotounou.The president later proceeded to Tanzania to continue with his five nation African tour. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ...

In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Benin 53rd out of 169 countries. Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontiÃ¨res, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ...

Departments and communes

Main articles: Departments of Benin and Communes of Benin

Benin is divided into 12 departments (French: dÃ©partements), and subdivided into 77 communes (see Communes of Benin). ... Communes of Benin Benin is subdivided into 77 communes. ...

Departments of Benin

Benin is divided into 12 departments (French: départements), and subdivided into 77 communes. In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12. The new six departments have not been assigned a capital yet. Image File history File links Benin_departments. ... A department is geographic area of a centralized country which functions as an administrative unit. ... A commune is an administrative subdivision of various European and African countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Senegal, and the Scandinavian countries. ...

Alibori is the largest and northernmost dÃ©partements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 kmÂ² and a population of 355,950 (2003). ... Atakora is the northwestern department of Benin, bordering Togo to the West and Burkina Faso to the North. ... Atlantique is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Collines is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Donga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Communes of Kouffo Kouffo is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... litoral. ... Communes of Mono Mono is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Oueme is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Plateau is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Zou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ...

Geography

Map of Benin

Main article: Geography of Benin

Stretched between the Niger River in the northeast and the Bight of Benin in the south, Benin's elevation is about the same for the entire country. Most of the population lives in the southern coastal plains, where Benin's largest cities are also located, including Porto Novo and Cotonou. The north of the country consists mostly of savanna and semi-arid highlands. Download high resolution version (332x716, 104 KB)Map of Benin. ... Download high resolution version (332x716, 104 KB)Map of Benin. ... Benin, a narrow, north-south strip of land in West Africa, lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. ... Map of Niger River with Niger River basin in green The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending over 2500 miles (about 4180 km). ... The Bight of Benin is a bay on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles (640 km) from Cape St. ... â€œPorto Novoâ€ redirects here. ... Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ... Savannah redirects here. ...

Running southernly, down the middle of the country is the Oueme River. The Oueme River (Mewe) is a river in Benin. ...

The climate in Benin is hot and humid with relatively little rain compared to other West African countries, although there are two rainy seasons (April-July and September-November). In the winter the dust winds of the harmattan can make the nights rather cold. The Harmattan is a dry and dusty wind blowing northeast and west off the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between November and March (winter). ...

The largest city and commercial capital is Cotonou. The name Cotonou is from the Fon phrase ku tɔ nu 'at the lake of the dead', from the adjacent lagoon. This is a reference to the belief that falling stars represent the souls of those who have just died falling to the underworld. It is said that when Cotonou was founded, the lights of the lacustrine village of Ganvié across the lagoon were reflected in the waters, suggesting fallen stars at the bottom. Ganvié is a fishing village sitting in the water on stilts at the western shore of the lagoon. Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ... Fon (native name FÉ”ngbe) is part of the Gbe language cluster and belongs to the Kwa sub-family of the Niger-Congo languages. ... Ganvie is a lake village in Benin, lying in Lake NokouÃ©, near Cotonou. ...

The town of Ouidah is the spiritual capital of Vodun, and is known locally as Glexwe. It was a major slaving port under Portuguese occupation. The town of Abomey is the old capital of the Fon kingdom of Dahomey, and the Fon king continues to reside there. Ouidah is a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin. ... The term Voodoo (Vodun in Benin; also Vodou or other phonetically equivalent spellings in Haiti; Vudu in the Dominican Republic) is applied to the branches of a West African ancestor-based religious tradition with primary roots among the Fon-Ewe peoples of West Africa, in the country now known as... Abomey is a town in Benin, formerly the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey. ... Dahomey was a kingdom in Africa, situated in what is now the nation of Benin. ...

In Atakora province, Betamaribe settlements straddling the Togolese border are called tata somba 'Somba houses'; they are famous for their fortifications, with livestock housed inside and the people sleeping in huts among the granaries on the roofs. cory

Economy

Main article: Economy of Benin

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a stable 5% in the past six years, but rapid population rise has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin has plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, while pressing for speeded-up structural reforms. This article was imported from the CIA World Factbook and needs to be rewritten and/or reformatted in accordance with Wikipedia styles. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ... Tourist redirects here. ... The know-how that goes into a given medium. ... Telecommunication involves the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... The Paris Club is an informal group of financial officials from 19 of the worlds richest countries, which provides financial services such as debt restructuring, debt relief, and debt cancellation to indebted countries and their creditors. ...

Although trade unions in Benin represent up to 75% of the formal workforce, the large informal economy has been noted by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITCU) to contain ongoing problems, including a lack of women's wage equality, the use of child labour, and the continuing issue of forced labour.^[1] Trade unions in Benin operate in relative freedom, with approximately 75% of the formal sector being unionized. ... The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the worlds largest trade union federation. ... Child labour is the employment of children under an age determined by law or custom. ... Unfree labour is a generic or collective term for those work relations, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will by the threat of destitution, detention, violence (including death), or other extreme hardship to themselves, or to members of their families. ...

Demographics

Main article: Demography of Benin

There are several dozen ethnolinguistic groups in Benin, representing three of Africa's language families: Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, and Afroasiatic. The latter is represented by Hausa living mostly as merchants in the north, while Nilo-Saharan is represented by the Dɛndi, descending from the Songhai Empire. The Dɛndi language predominates along the Niger River in the far north, and is used as a lingua franca in Muslim areas throughout the north, in Alibori, Borgou, and Donga provinces. Of the Niger-Congo family, five branches are represented: Image File history File links Benin_20050824_6. ... Image File history File links Benin_20050824_6. ... The Niger-Congo languages constitute one of the worlds major language families, and Africas largest in terms of geographical area, number of speakers, and number of distinct languages. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... Map showing the distribution of Afro-Asiatic languages The Afro-Asiatic languages are a language family of about 240 languages and 285 million people widespread throughout North Africa, East Africa, the Sahel, and Southwest Asia. ... The Hausa are a Sahelian people chiefly located in the West African regions of northern Nigeria and southeastern Niger. ... The Songhai Empire, (ca. ... The Songhay languages (IPA [soÅ‹ay], in the dialects of Gao and Timbuktu [soÅ‹oy]) are a group of closely related languages/dialects centered on the middle stretches of the Niger River in present day Mali and Niger, widely used as a lingua franca there ever since the era of... Map of Niger River with Niger River basin in green The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending over 2500 miles (about 4180 km). ... Lingua franca, literally Frankish language in Italian, was originally a mixed language consisting largely of Italian plus a vocabulary drawn from Turkish, Persian, French, Greek and Arabic and used for communication throughout the Middle East. ...

Mande by the Boko or Busa, now in the far eastern corner (southern Alibori-northern Borgou), but previously more widely spread before being largely absorbed by the Bariba
West Atlantic by the nomadic Fulbe scattered across the northeast
Benue-Congo by the Yoruba of Collines and Plateau provinces, such as the old kingdom of Sakete, and the capital city of Porto-Novo, having expanded west from Oyo and Ife in the twelfth to nineteenth centuries
Gur (Voltaic) languages predominate in the four northern provinces, with the Batɔmbu (Bariba) of the old Borgou (Bariba) Kingdom occupying most of the countryside in its successor provinces of Borgou and Alibori, as well as the provincial captital of Parakou; the Yom throughout much of Donga province and its capital Djougou; and several groups in the Atakora, including the Bɛtamaribɛ of the Otammari country around the provincial capital of Natitingou, the Biali, the Waama of Tanguiéta, and the Gulmàceba.
Kwa, especially the Gbe languages spoken by the Tado peoples in the southern and central provinces: the Aja who established themselves in Kouffo province from neighboring Togo and gave rise to the other Tado peoples of Benin, except for the Mina of Mono province, who arrived separately from Togo or Ghana: The Fɔn culture centered in Zou province around the old Fɔn capital of Abomey, but also dominant in Cotonou and southern Atlantique areas such as Ouidah; the Maxi in central Collines, especially around Savalou; the Ayizɔ of central Atlantique (Allada); the Xwla and Xueda in the lagoons of the coast; the Tɔfin of Ouémé; and the Gun of Porto-Novo. Other Kwa languages are spoken by the Anii in southern Donga in the region of Bassila, and the Fooɖo in western Donga near the town of Ouaké.

The largest ethnic group are the Fon, with 1.7 million speakers of the Fon language (2001), followed by the various Yoruba groups (1.2 million), the Aja (600,000), the Bariba (460,000), the Ayizo (330,000), the Fulbe (310,000), and the Gun (240,000). Near the ports in the south can be found people who are descended from returned Brazilian slaves. There are also small numbers of Europeans, principally French, and Asians, mainly Lebanese and Indians. MandÃ© is the name of an ethnic group or nation, as well as a group of languages which are spoken in several countries in West Africa, including Mandinka, Soninke, Bambara, Dioula, Kagoro, Bozo, MendÃ©, Yacouba, and Vai. ... The (West) Atlantic languages[1] of West Africa are a subgroup of Niger-Congo language family. ... Categories: Africa-related stubs | Burkina Faso | Cameroon | Ethnic groups of Africa | Fulani Empire | Mali | Nigeria ... The Benue-Congo group of languages constitutes the largest branch of the Niger-Congo language family, both in terms of sheer number of languages, of which 938 are known (not counting mere dialects), and in terms of speakers, numbering perhaps 550 million. ... The Yoruba (YorÃ¹bÃ¡ in Yoruba orthography) are a large ethno-linguistic group or ethnic nation in Africa; the majority of them speak the Yoruba language (Ã¨dÃ¨e YorÃ¹bÃ¡; Ã¨dÃ¨ = language). ... SakÃ©tÃ© is a city located in the Plateau Department of Benin. ... Porto-Novo, population 179,138 (1992), is the official capital of Benin. ... Oyo (OÌ£yoÌ£ in Yoruba orthography, pronounced ) is the name for a Yoruba city in modern-day Nigeria and also the loose empire which that city controlled in the 17th and 18th centuries. ... IfÃ¨ (or IlÃ©-Ifáº¹Ì€, as it is properly known) is an ancient Yoruba city in south-western Nigeria. ... The Gur languages belong to the Niger-Congo languages. ... Borgu was a country in Africa, partitioned between the British and French colonialists by the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. ... Parakou is the largest city in northern Benin, with a population of around 200,000 people. ... Chef lieu du dÃ©partement de la Donga, Djougou est une ville carrefour situÃ©e Ã 461 km de Cotonou. ... Natitingou is a town in north western Benin. ... TanguiÃ©ta is a town located in the Atakora Department of Benin. ... Gurma (also called Gorma or Gourmantche) is an ethnic group living mainly in Burkina Faso, around Fada Ngourma, and also in northern areas of Togo and Benin. ... The Kwa languages are spoken in the south-eastern part of Côte dIvoire, in Ghana, Togo and Benin, and the south-Western corner of Nigeria. ... The Gbe languages (pronounced )[1] form a cluster of about twenty related languages stretching across the area between eastern Ghana and western Nigeria. ... Tado (formerly Ezame) is a village in south east Togo, near the border with Benin. ... The Aja are a group of people living in Benin (former Dahomey). ... Mina can refer to: // MiNa, the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Research Group at The University of British Columbia Mina, Gabon Mina, Greece Mina, Iloilo, in the Philippines. ... Fon is a major West African ethnic and linguistic group in the country of Benin or Dahomey, and southwest Nigeria, made up of more than 2,000,000 people. ... Abomey is a town in Benin, formerly the capital of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey. ... Cotonou is the economic capital of Benin, as well as its largest city. ... Ouidah is a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin. ... Maxi can refer to: Maxi Pad - A sanitary towel used by women. ... Savalou is a city located in the Collines Department of Benin. ... Allada is a town located in the Atlantique Department of Benin. ... This article is about the video game. ... Bassila is a town located in the Donga Department of Benin. ...

Indigenous religions

Indigenous religions are followed by a majority of the people. They include local animistic religions in the Atakora (Atakora and Donga provinces) and Vodun among the Yoruba and Tado peoples in the center and south of the country. The town of Ouidah on the central coast is the spiritual center of Beninese Vodun. The term Animism is derived from the Latin anima, meaning soul.[1][2] In its most general sense, animism is simply the belief in souls. ... Atakora is the North-West region of Benin, bordering Togo to the West and Burkina Faso to the North. ... The term Voodoo (Vodun in Benin; also Vodou or other phonetically equivalent spellings in Haiti; Vudu in the Dominican Republic) is applied to the branches of a West African ancestor-based religious tradition with primary roots among the Fon-Ewe peoples of West Africa, in the country now known as... Ouidah is a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin. ...

The Yoruba and Tado pantheons correspond closely:

The supreme deity Mawu (in the Fon language) or Olodumare (in Yoruba)
The god of the earth and smallpox, Sakpata or Cankpana
The god of thunder, Xevioso or Cango
The god of war and iron, Gu or Ogun

The principal introduced religions are Islam, introduced by the Songhai Empire and Hausa merchants, and now followed throughout Alibori, Borgou, and Donga provinces, as well as among the Yoruba, by 10-15% of the population; and Christianity, followed nominally by another 10-15% throughout the south and center of Benin and in Otammari country in the Atakora. Most Christians, however, continue to hold Vodun beliefs and have incorporated into Christianity the pantheon of Vodun. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... In Dahomey mythology, Mawu (alternately: Mahu) is a creator goddess, associated with the sun and moon. ... In Yoruba mythology, Oloddumare is a creative force that drove the establishment of existence and the entire universe. ... In Dahomey mythology, Shakpana (or Sopono, Sakpata) is the god of smallpox. ... In Dahomey mythology, Xevioso (alternately: Xewioso, Heviosso) is a god of thunder in the So region. ... In YorÃ¹bÃ¡ mythology, Shango (Xango, Shango), or ChangÃ³ in Latin America, is perhaps the most popular Orisha; he is a Sky Father, god of thunder and lightning. ... Ogum In Haitian Vodun and Yoruba mythology, Ogoun (or Ogun, Ogum, Ogou) is a loa and orisha, who presides over fire, iron, hunting, politics and war. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Songhai Empire, (ca. ... Alibori is the largest and northernmost départements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 km² and a population of 355,950 (2003). ... Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. ... Donga may refer to: In geography: Donga, Angola Donga, Nigeria town in Taraba State of Nigeria, inhabited principally by the Chamba Tribe; the traditional head is the Gara Donga Donga Department, in Benin a form of stick fighting, practiced among the Nilotic Surma people Donga, a word in Telugu, meaning... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is... Atakora is the North-West region of Benin, bordering Togo to the West and Burkina Faso to the North. ...

The CIAFact book states the following: indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%

Crime and punishment

Main article: Advance fee fraud

Advance fee fraud (also known as "419" and the "Nigerian scam") is a form of organized crime common in many West African countries, including Benin.^[2] The scammer persuades the target to advance relatively small sums of money (the advance fee) in the hope of realizing a much larger gain (usually touted as millions).^[3] Nigerians often mastermind schemes operated from Benin with Beninese cooperating with the scammers in the schemes.^[2] An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance relatively small sums of money in the hope of realizing a much larger gain. ... An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance relatively small sums of money in the hope of realizing a much larger gain. ...

Culture

See also: List of Beninese writers, Music of Benin, and Literature of Benin

It is believed that Vodun (or "Voodoo", as it is commonly known) originated in Benin and was introduced to the Caribbean Islands and parts of North America by slaves taken from this particular area of the Slave Coast. The indigenous religion of Benin is practiced by about 60% of the population. Since 1992 Vodun has been recognized as one of Benin's official religions, and a National Vodun Holiday is celebrated on January 10. Christine Adjahi Gnimagnon, also connected with Senegal Berte-Evelyne Agbo, also connected with Senegal Colette Senami Agossou Houeto (1939-) Francis Aupiais, born in France (1877-1945) Olympe Bhêly-Quenum Florent Couao-Zotti (1964-) Félix Couchoro, also connected with Togo (1900-1968) Richard Dogbeh, also connected with Togo, Senegal... Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in AngÃ©lique Kidjo. ... The term Voodoo (Vodun in Benin; also Vodou or other phonetically equivalent spellings in Haiti; Vudu in the Dominican Republic) is applied to the branches of a West African ancestor-based religious tradition with primary roots among the Fon-Ewe peoples of West Africa, in the country now known as... This is a list of inhabited islands in the Caribbean. ... Slave redirects here. ... The Slave Coast is the name of the coastal areas of present Togo, Benin (formerly Dahomey) and western Nigeria, a fertile region of coastal Western Africa along the Bight of Benin. ...

Many Beninois in the south of the country have Akan-based names indicating the day of the week they were born on. Twins are important in south Beninois culture, and special names for twins are also used. The Akan people frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. ...

Local languages are used as the languages of instruction in elementary schools, with French only introduced after several years. Beninois languages are generally transcribed with a separate letter for each speech sound (phoneme), rather than using diacritics as in French or digraphs as in English. This includes Beninese Yoruba, which in Nigeria is written with both diacritics and digraphs. For instance, the mid vowels written é è, ô, o in French are written e, ɛ, o, ɔ in Beninese languages, whereas the consonants written ng and sh or ch in English are written ŋ and c. However, digraphs are used for nasal vowels and the labial-velar consonants kp and gb, as in the name of the Fon language Fon gbe /fõ ɡ͡be/, and diacritics are used as tone marks. In French-language publications, a mixture of French and Beninois orthographies may be seen. In human language, a phoneme is the theoretical representation of a sound. ... Example of a letter with a diacritic A diacritic or diacritical mark, also called an accent, is a small sign added to a letter to alter pronunciation or to distinguish between similar words. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... Yoruba (native name Ã¨dÃ¨ YorÃ¹bÃ¡, the Yoruba language) is a dialect continuum of West Africa with over 22 million speakers. ... A mid vowel is a vowel sound used in some spoken languages. ... In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a sound in spoken language that is characterized by a closure or stricture of the vocal tract sufficient to cause audible turbulence. ... A nasal vowel is a vowel that is produced with a lowering of the velum so that air escapes both through nose as well as the mouth. ... Labial-velar consonants are doubly articulated at the velum and the lips. ... Some web browsers may not be able to view this correctly; you may see transcriptions in parentheses after the character, like this: () instead of on top of the character as intended. ...

Actor Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964), pronounced "Jie-mon Hahn-soo" is an Academy Award-nominated Beninese actor, dancer and fashion model who was born in Cotonou, Benin. He is now a naturalized U.S. citizen. Djimon Gaston Hounsou (born April 24, 1964) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated Beninois actor, dancer and fashion model. ...

Singer Angelique Kidjo who is a five time Grammy nominee and international goodwill ambassador for UNICEF was born in Cotonou, Benin. Ang lique Kidjo (Born July 14, 1960) is a Grammy nominated Beninese-French singer songwriter, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. ...

Health issues

During the 1980s, less than 30 percent of the population had access to primary health care services. Benin had one of the highest death rates for children under the age of five in the world. Its infant mortality rate stood at 203 deaths for every 1000 live births. Only one of three mothers had access to child healthcare services. The Bamako Initiative changed that dramatically by introducing community-based healthcare reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services.^[4] A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.^[5] Infant mortality is the death of infants in the first year of life. ... The Bamako Initiative was a formal statement adopted by African health ministers in 1987 in Bamako, Mali, to implement strategies designed to increase the availability of essential drugs and other healthcare services for Sub-Saharan Africans. ...

References

^ Serious violations of core labour standards in Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. ICFTU Online. Retrieved on 2007-

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