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World Map> Africa> Benin> Map of Benin

Description The country we refer to as Benin today was once the powerful Kingdom of Dahomey. It was eventually nicknamed the Slave Coast because of the significant trafficking through Dahomey of Africans (against their will) to the Americas, specifically to the slave markets of Brazil and the Caribbean. It was transformed into a French Colony in the late 1800s, finally gaining its full independence from France in 1960. The country's current name (Benin) was adopted in 1975. Subsequently, it witnessed a series of military coups, a mistaken association with Marxism, and the somewhat typical health and infrastructure problems indigenous to its neighbors, and most West African countries. As a new democracy, the bright side is Benin's economy is growing and tourism is on the increase, especially along the coastal areas, and in the wildlife national parks of the north. Much of the interior population is still dependent on subsistence farming; growing beans, corn and yams. Important cash crops include cotton, cocoa and coffee. Read more about Benin, and especially its famous stilt villages here! A great picture here! Facts and Figures Official Name Republic of Benin Population 7,862,944 Capital City Porto-Novo (317,000) Largest Cities Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Parakou Currency CFA Franc Currency Converter here Latitude/Longitude 6º48 N, 2º63 E Languages French (official), tribal languages Flag here National Day 1 August; National Day Religions Muslim, Christian, traditional beliefs Land Land Area 110,620 sq km (42,710 sq miles) Landforms From a narrow and somewhat sandy coastal area, the marshy land and lagoons of the south rise into the La Terre de Barre Plateau, consisting of a wooded savannah that continues on into the foot hills of the Atakora Mountains of the northwest, a branch of the Togo Mountains. From there, the land slopes down into a broad plain, and on to the Niger River valley of the far northeast. The Niger and Oueme are the country's major rivers. Highest Point Mt. Sokbaro (658 m) (2,158 ft) Lowest Point Atlantic Ocean, sea level Land Divisions 12 departments; including Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau and Zou Population and Size of all land divisions and major cities here! Posters and Prints of Africa

Maps Large (color) map here Benin Outline Map here Benin CIA version here Benin Maps at UT here African Continent (printable) here African Continent here Africa Landforms Map here African Outline Map here Recommended Links Benin (Complete) information on the (GDP) overall economy, imports and exports, resources, government, population, military, transportation, and more here Benin Art and Culture here Benin Embassy (U.S.) here Benin Photos here Benin Travel Info and Warnings here Pendjari National Park here PASSPORTS - TRAVEL VISAS NOTE: Before making your travel plans to any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate important details regarding all passport and visa requirements. The experienced people at Travel Visa Pro can answer all of your questions! Climate Benin is tropical; hot and humid in south; semiarid (quite dry) in north. Overall, the dry season runs from November to April, and a rainy season from the end of April through September. The mean temperature is near 80 degrees.

African Countries Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Congo (DRC) Cote d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tome & Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe

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