Benin Facts, Benin Flag -- National Geographic

Fast Facts

Population:: 8,439,000
Capital:: Porto-Novo; 238,000
Area:: 112,622 square kilometers (43,484 square miles)
Language:: French, Fon, Yoruba, tribal langauges
Religion:: Indigenous beliefs, Christian, Muslim
Currency:: CFA franc
Life Expectancy:: 51
GDP per Capita:: U.S. $1,100
Literacy Percent:: 41

Countless slaves were shipped to the New World from this West African state during the 18th and 19th centuries. After independence from France in 1960, the country—then called Dahomey—was plagued by many coups; in 1975 a Marxist military government renamed the nation Benin. About 42 African ethnic groups live in Benin, with most people living in the south. In 1989 the government renounced Marxism—since then it has held numerous free elections. The agricultural economy is based largely on cotton.

ECONOMY

Industry: Textiles, food processing, chemical production, construction materials

Agriculture: Cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams; livestock

Exports: Cotton, crude oil, palm products, cacao

—Text From National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition

Related Features

Curse of the Black Gold

The Niger Delta holds some of the world's richest oil deposits, yet Nigerians living there are poorer than ever, and violence is rampant.
Destinations Rated

See the results of our latest geotourism survey featuring 99 new destinations.
Hip Hop Culture

Whether you trace it to New York's South Bronx or the villages of West Africa, hip-hop has become the voice of a generation.