NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Benin
Republique du Benin
former: Dahomey
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were reestablished in 1991. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo |
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Geographic coordinates:
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9 30 N, 2 15 E |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 112,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km land: 110,620 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
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Coastline:
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121 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
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Natural resources:
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small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
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Land use:
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arable land: 15.28%
permanent crops: 1.36% other: 83.36% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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120 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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6,787,625
note: 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 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 47.2% (male 1,616,138; female 1,585,463)
15-64 years: 50.5% (male 1,665,439; female 1,764,966) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 65,877; female 89,742) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.91% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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43.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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14.52 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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88.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 49.69 years
female: 50.61 years (2002 est.) male: 48.81 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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6.14 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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4.1% (2002) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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160,000 (2002) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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37,000 (2002) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
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Ethnic groups:
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African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37.5% male: 52.2% female: 23.6% (2000) |