"text":"Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a West African kingdom that rose to prominence in about 1600 and over the next two and a half centuries became a regional power, largely based on its slave trade. Coastal areas of Dahomey began to be controlled by the French in the second half of the 19th century; the entire kingdom was conquered by 1894. French Dahomey achieved independence in 1960; it changed its name to the Republic of Benin in 1975. ++ A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged. KEREKOU stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006 and was succeeded by Thomas YAYI Boni, a political outsider and independent. YAYI, who won a second five-year term in March 2011, has attempted to stem corruption and has strongly promoted accelerating Benin's economic growth."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo"
"text":"Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6%, unspecified 2.9% (2002 est.)"
"text":"Catholic 27.1%, Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, Protestant 10.4% (Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%), other traditional religions 6%, other Christian 5.3%, other 1.9%, none 6.5%, unspecified 1.1% (2002 est.)"
"text":"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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2015 est.)"
"text":"President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); Prime Minister Lionel ZINSOU (since 18 June 2015)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Council of Ministers appointed by the president"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 13 March 2011 (next to be held in April 2016)"
},
"election results":{
"text":"Thomas YAYI Boni reelected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni (FCBE) 53.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (PRD) 35.6%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE 6.1%, other 5.2%"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections":{
"text":"last held on 26 April 2015 (next to be held in 2019)"
"text":"percent of vote by party - FCBE 30.2%, UN 14.4%, PRD 10.6%, AND 7.6%, RB-RP 7.1%, other 30.1%; seats by party - FCBE 33, UN 13, PRD 10, AND 5, RB-RP 7, other 15"
"text":"Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the court president and 3 chamber presidents organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the national president upon the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the national president; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; High Court of Justice \"other\" members elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; district courts; village courts; Assize courts"
"text":"African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN] ++ Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP ++ Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO] ++ Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] ++ Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin or FCBE [Yayi BONI] ++ Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD [Theophile NATA] ++ Key Force or FC [Lazare S<>HOU<4F>TO] ++ Movement for the People's Alternative or MAP [Olivier CAPO-CHICHI] ++ National Alliance for Development and Democracy (Alliance nationale pour le developpement et la democratie) or AND ++ Patriotic Awakening or RP [Janvier YAHOUEDEOU] ++ Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Dominique HOUNGNINOU] ++ Social Democrat Party or PSD [Emmanuel GOLOU] ++ Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS [Sacca LAFIA] ++ Union for the Relief or UPR [Issa SALIFOU] ++ Union Makes the Nation or UN [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI] (superceded Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD)",
"text":"Ambassador Omar AROUNA (since 21 May 2014)"
},
"chancery":{
"text":"2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (202) 232-6656"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (202) 265-1996"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"chief of mission":{
"text":"Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 24 May 2012)"
},
"embassy":{
"text":"Caporal Bernard Anani, 01 BP 2012, Cotonou"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[229] 21-30-06-50"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[229] 21-30-66-82"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side; green symbolizes hope and revival, yellow wealth, and red courage",
"note":{
"text":"uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"leopard; national colors: green, yellow, red"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"L'Aube Nouvelle\" (The Dawn of a New Day)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Gilbert Jean DAGNON"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1960"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output had averaged almost 4% before the global recession and it has exceeded that level in 2013-14. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth, Benin 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. Specific projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture. An insufficient electrical supply continues to hamper Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production. Private foreign direct investment is small, and foreign aid accounts for the majority of investment in infrastructure projects. Cotton, a key export, suffered from flooding in 2010-11, but high prices supported export earnings. Benin has appealed for international assistance to mitigate piracy against commercial shipping in its territory. In 2012, Benin became eligible for a second Compact under the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which is expected to be signed in 2015."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"4.581 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"200,000"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"2 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"10.8 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"106 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"inadequate system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"fixed-line teledensity only about 2 per 100 persons; spurred by the presence of multiple mobile-cellular providers, cellular telephone subscribership has been increasing rapidly"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; long distance fiber-optic links with Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2008)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"state-run Office de Radiodiffusion et de Television du Benin (ORTB) operates a TV station with multiple channels providing a wide broadcast reach; several privately owned TV stations broadcast from Cotonou; satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio, under ORTB control, includes a national station supplemented by a number of regional stations; substantial number of privately owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available on FM in Cotonou (2007)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"6 (2007)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".bj"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"441,000"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"4.3% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"6 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"1"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"1 (2013)"
}
},
"Airports - with unpaved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"5"
},
"2,438 to 3,047 m":{
"text":"2"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"2 (2013)"
}
},
"Railways":{
"total":{
"text":"438 km"
},
"narrow gauge":{
"text":"438 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"16,000 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"1,400 km"
},
"unpaved":{
"text":"14,600 km (2006)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"150 km (seasonal navigation on River Niger along northern border) (2011)"
},
"Ports and terminals":{
"major seaport(s)":{
"text":"Cotonou"
},
"LNG terminal(s) (import)":{
"text":"Cotonou"
}
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"Benin Armed Forces (Forces Armees Beninoises, FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin Air Force (Force Aerienne du Benin, FAB) (2013)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18-35 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; a higher education diploma is required; both sexes are eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months (2013)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"2,095,373"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"2,038,351 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"1,385,065"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"1,400,045 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"108,496"
},
"female":{
"text":"104,526 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"1.03% of GDP (2012) ++ NA% (2011) ++ 1.03% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"talks continue between Benin and Togo on funding the Adjrala hydroelectric dam on the Mona River; Benin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso near the town of Koualou; location of Benin-Niger-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved"
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"transshipment point used by traffickers for cocaine destined for Western Europe; vulnerable to money laundering due to poorly enforced financial regulations (2008)"
