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Republic of Benin

BENIN

Independent Baptist Friends

BENIN Republic of Benin

Capital Porto Novo
Largest City Cotonou,Littoral
Land Area 43,484 mi2

Population

  • Total 9,210,000
  • Density 216.0 people/mi2
  • Growth 3.2% per year
  • Children 45.23%
  • Adult 52.15%
  • Elderly 2.62%

Bordering Countries
Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Togo

* Statistics by Wolfram|Alpha. "Christianity" is used in the statistical sense and includes Catholics, Protestants, and true Christians.

Listing in Benin


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SPECIAL ALERT   This country is considered a closed country and as such we are not able to display information about the missionaries and churches listed here.

Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located. The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is located in the country's largest city of Cotonou. Benin covers an area of approximately 43,484 square miles, with a population of approximately 9.21 million. Benin is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with substantial employment and income arising from subsistence farming.

The official language of Benin is French, however, indigenous languages such as Fon and Yoruba are commonly spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Roman Catholicism, followed closely by Muslims, Vodun, and Protestants. Benin is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States, the African Petroleum Producers Association and the Niger Basin Authority.

From the 17th century to the 19th century, the land of current-day Benin was ruled by the Kingdom of Dahomey. The region became known as the Slave Coast during the early 17th century due to the prevalence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In 1892, with the slave trade banned and regional power diminishing, France took over the area and renamed it French Dahomey. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France, bringing in a democratic government for the next twelve years.

Between 1972 and 1990, a self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist dictatorship called the People's Republic of Benin existed, ushering in a period of repression which ultimately led to an economic collapse. Formation of the Republic of Benin occurred in 1991, bringing in multiparty elections.


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