BeninCollins

**﻿Capital - Porto Novo**

 * Currency - CFA Franc**

** Land **
 * area of 112,622 sq km (43,484 sq mi)

** Rivers and Lakes ** Ouémé and Couffo
 *  Drain most of southern Benin
 * Mono River
 *  Drains southwest
 * Niger, Sota, Mékrou, and Alibori
 *  Main rivers of Benin

** Climate **
 * North
 *  (arid) tropical wet-and-dry
 *  890mm (35 in.) of rain a year
 * South
 *  Equatorial
 *  1270 mm (50 in.)of rain a year in the south
 * Both
 *  Average monthly temperature
 *  About 20° to 34° C (68° to 93.2° F)

** Plants and Animals **
 * dense tropical rainforest
 *  used to cover most of Benin
 *  mainly cleared
 *  except near rivers
 *  palms are now the main trees of the region
 * North
 *  Grasslands predominant
 * Central
 *  Woodlands
 * animals found
 *  elephants, buffalo, antelope, panthers, monkeys, crocodiles, and wild ducks

** Natural Resources ** ** Population **
 * offshore petroleum field
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l8 level2 lfo6; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> located near Cotonou
 * iron ore, phosphates, chromium, rutile, clay, marble, diamonds, and limestone
 * 5,166,735
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> A 1993 estimate
 * Growing rate of 3.7% per year
 * Density per square mile
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> About 46 persons
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> Much higher in the south
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level4 lfo5; tab-stops: list 2.0in;"> Where most inhabitants live
 * Main cities in Benin
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou (the capital), Abomey, and Natitingou
 * Main ethnic groups
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> South
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> The Fon, or Dahomeans, and the Adja
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level4 lfo5; tab-stops: list 2.0in;"> 66% of population
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> North
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> Bariba and Somba
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level4 lfo5; tab-stops: list 2.0in;"> 14% of population
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Southeast
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level3 lfo5; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> Yoruba
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level4 lfo5; tab-stops: list 2.0in;"> 10% of population

** Language **
 * Official language is French
 * Most speak an African language

** Religion ** <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Islam (15%) <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.5in; mso-list: l6 level3 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> § Most live in the north  <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l6 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Christianity especially Roman Catholicism (20%)  <span style="display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 1.5in; mso-list: l6 level3 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> § Majority live in the south ** (Cultural Institutions and Communications) **
 * (State-owned) Radio and Television
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Operated in Cotonou
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> 326,900 radio receivers, 16,350 television sets, and 15,500 telephones in use
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> In the 1980’s
 * Newspaper
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Ehuzu
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> Formerly known as Daho-Express
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level3 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.5in;"> Daily circulation of around 10,000
 * The National Library
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Located in Porto-Novo
 * The National Museum
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l5 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> In Cotonou

** Economy **
 * One of the poorest countries in Africa
 * Economy dependent on agriculture

** Agriculture **
 * Two thirds of work in Benin
 * Mainly subsistence farming
 * Principal food crops
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Corn, cassava, sorghum, yams, millet, cotton, coffee, peanuts, and cocoa.
 * Cattle, sheep, and goat herding predominate in the north

** Forestry and Fishing **
 * 4.7 million cu m of wood cut is for fuel
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> (About 166 million cu ft.)
 * 41,900 metric tons of fish caught for subsistence use
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Small amounts of shrimp are landed on a commercial basis

** Mining and Manufacturing **
 * Chief mineral product is petroleum
 * Limestone produced for cement manufacturing
 * Industrial diamonds recovered for export
 * Other mineral resources undeveloped
 * Chief manufacturing activity is food processing
 * Major products
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Palm and cottonseed oil
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Beer
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Baked goods
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l3 level2 lfo3; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Cotton textiles

** Energy **
 * Thermal power plants
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo4; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Provide energy along the coast
 * Ghana’s Volta River hydroelectric project
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo4; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Most of Benin’s energy supply
 * Produces about 5 million kwh of electricity per year’
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l2 level2 lfo4; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> Kwh (or Kilowatt) is a unit of energy equal to 1000 watt hours

** Transportation **
 * 7450 km (4,630 mi) of roads
 * 580 km (360 mi) rail system
 * <span style="0in: 0in; display: block; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"> From Cotonou to Parakou