Outline of Benin - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Republic of Benin
Republic of Benin
The short-lived Republic of Benin, in Nigeria's coastal Bight of Benin, was named after its capital Benin City. It was known as Mid-Western state in Nigeria until August 1967 when it was occupied by Biafra as its forces advanced towards Lagos...

is a sovereign country located in West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

. Benin borders Togo

Togo

Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...

to the west, Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

to the east and Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...

and Niger

Niger

Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...

to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin

Bight of Benin

The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...

. Its capital is Porto Novo, but the seat of government is Cotonou

Cotonou

-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...

. Benin was known as

Geographical renaming

Geographical renaming is the changing of the name of a geographical feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country. Some names are changed locally but the new names are not recognised by other countries,...

Dahomey

Dahomey was a country in west Africa in what is now the Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was a powerful west African state that was founded in the seventeenth century and survived until 1894. From 1894 until 1960 Dahomey was a part of French West Africa. The independent Republic of Dahomey...

until 1975.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Benin:

General reference

Pronunciation
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...

:
Common English country name: Benin
Benin
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...
Official English country name: The Republic of Benin
Republic of Benin
The short-lived Republic of Benin, in Nigeria's coastal Bight of Benin, was named after its capital Benin City. It was known as Mid-Western state in Nigeria until August 1967 when it was occupied by Biafra as its forces advanced towards Lagos...
Common endonym(s):
Official endonym(s):
Adjectival(s): Beninian
Demonym(s):
Etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...

: Name of Benin
ISO country codes: BJ, BEN, 204
ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:BJ
ISO 3166-2:BJ
ISO 3166-2:BJ is the entry for Benin in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Benin, ISO 3166-2 codes are defined...
Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

country code top-level domain
Country code top-level domain
A country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....

: .bj
.bj
.bj is the Internet country code top-level domain for Benin. It is administered by the Office of Stations and Telecommunications of Benin....

Geography of Benin

Benin is: a country
Population of Benin: 8,439,000(2005) - 89th most populous country
Area of Benin: 112622 square kilometres (43,483.6 sq mi) - 101st largest country
Atlas of Benin

Location

Benin is situated within the following regions:
- Northern Hemisphere
  Northern Hemisphere
  The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
  
  and Eastern Hemisphere
  Eastern Hemisphere
  The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
  - Africa
    Africa
    Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
    - West Africa
      West Africa
      West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
Time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...

: West Africa Time
West Africa Time
West Africa Time, or WAT, is a time zone used in west-central Africa . The zone is one hour ahead of UTC , which makes it the same as Central European Time...

(UTC+01)
Extreme points of Benin
- High: Mont Sokbaro
  Mont Sokbaro
  Mont Sokbaro is the highest point of Benin, with an altitude of . It is located on the border between Benin and Togo.-External links: , Geonames.org...
  
  658 m (2,159 ft)
- Low: Bight of Benin
  Bight of Benin
  The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...
  
  0 m
Land boundaries: 1,989 km

Nigeria 773 km

Togo 644 km

Burkina Faso 306 km

Niger 266 km

Coastline: 121 km

Environment of Benin

Climate of Benin
Environmental issues in Benin
Ecoregions in Benin
Renewable energy in Benin
Geology of Benin
Protected areas of Benin
- Biosphere reserves in Benin
- National parks of Benin
Wildlife of Benin
Wildlife of Benin
Benin has varied resources of wildlife comprising flora and fauna, which are primarily protected in its two contiguous protected areas of the Pendjari National Park and W National Park. The former is known for many species of avifauna and the latter park is rich in mammals and predators...
- Flora of Benin
- Fauna of Benin
  - Birds of Benin
  - Mammals of Benin

Natural geographic features of Benin

Glaciers in Benin: none
Islands of Benin
Lakes of Benin
Mountains of Benin
- Volcanoes in Benin
Rivers of Benin
- Waterfalls of Benin
Valleys of Benin
World Heritage Sites in Benin

Ecoregions of Benin

Main article: Ecoregions in Benin

Administrative divisions of Benin

Main article: Subdivisions of Benin

Subdivisions of Benin

Benin is divided into 12 departments , and subdivided into 77 communes.On the third level are the arrondissements of Benin.- Departments :File:Benin departments named.png|thumb|right|Departments of Beninrect 96 41 108 60 Alibori...

Provinces of Benin
- Departments of Benin
  Departments of Benin
  ||Benin is divided into 12 departments , and subdivided into 77 communes . In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12...
  - Communes of Benin
    Communes of Benin
    The departments of Benin are subdivided into 77 communes, which in turn are divided into arrondissements and finally into villages or city districts. Prior to 1999 provinces were broken down into 84 districts, titled either urban or rural...
  - Municipalities of Benin

Departments of Benin

Benin is divided into six departments:

Atakora Department
Atakora Department
Atakora is the northwestern department of Benin, bordering Togo to the west and Burkina Faso to the north. Also, it borders the departments of Alibori, Borgou, and Donga. It is the most mountainous region of Benin, and the birth place of the president, Mathieu Kérékou...
Atlantique Department
Atlantique Department
Atlantique is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Atlantique is divided into the communes of Abomey-Calavi, Allada, Kpomassè, Ouidah, Sô-Ava, Toffo, Tori-Bossito, and Zè.In 1999 the Littoral Department was split off from Atlantique....
Borgou Department
Borgou Department
Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori, Atakora, Collines and Donga. The capital of Borgou is Parakou and the total area is 25,310 km.² or 9,772 mi.²....
Mono Department
Mono Department
Mono is one of the twelve departments of Benin. The capital of this department is Lokossa. The department of Kouffo was part of Mono until 1999 when the Benin government split up some of the departments and made new departments. The Gen language is only spoken in this department in Benin...
Oueme Department
Ouémé Department
Ouémé is one of the twelve departments of Benin.In 1999 the northern part of the department was split off to form the new Plateau Department....
Zou Department
Zou Department
Zou is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Zou is divided into the communes of Abomey, Agbangnizoun, Bohicon, Cové, Djidja, Ouinhi, Za-Kpota, Zangnanado, and Zogbodomey....

Departments of Benin

Benin is divided into 12 Departments:

Alibori
Alibori Department
Alibori is the largest and northernmost départements of Benin, with an area of 25,683 km² and a population of 355,950 . The department is subdivided into 6 communes, each centered at one of the principal towns: Banikoara, Gogounou, Kandi, Karimama, Malanville, and Ségbana. The department borders...

*
Atakora
Atakora Department
Atakora is the northwestern department of Benin, bordering Togo to the west and Burkina Faso to the north. Also, it borders the departments of Alibori, Borgou, and Donga. It is the most mountainous region of Benin, and the birth place of the president, Mathieu Kérékou...
Atlantique
Atlantique Department
Atlantique is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Atlantique is divided into the communes of Abomey-Calavi, Allada, Kpomassè, Ouidah, Sô-Ava, Toffo, Tori-Bossito, and Zè.In 1999 the Littoral Department was split off from Atlantique....
Borgou
Borgou Department
Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori, Atakora, Collines and Donga. The capital of Borgou is Parakou and the total area is 25,310 km.² or 9,772 mi.²....
Collines
Collines Department
Collines is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Collines was created in 1999 after the Benin government split up the former six departments of Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme and Zou into twelve. Collinies was split from Zou. Since 2008, the capital is Savalou. The departments that...

*
Donga
Donga Department
Donga is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Donga was created in 1999 when the government split up the original six departments into twelve. Donga was split from Atakora. The capital of Donga is Djougou. The total area is 10,691 km.² or 4,128mi.²....

*
Kouffo
Kouffo Department
Kouffo is one of the twelve departments of Benin. The area of Kouffo is 2,404 km.² . Kouffo borders the country of Togo and it also borders the departments of Mono, Zou, and Atlantique. Since 2008, the capital is Aplahoué...

*
Littoral
Littoral Department
Littoral is one of the twelve departments of Benin, and is divided into 13 arrondissements. It contains just one commune/city, Cotonou, the largest in the country and the economic capital. Littoral is the smallest of the twelve departments. The area is . Littoral was split from the Atlantique...

*
Mono
Mono Department
Mono is one of the twelve departments of Benin. The capital of this department is Lokossa. The department of Kouffo was part of Mono until 1999 when the Benin government split up some of the departments and made new departments. The Gen language is only spoken in this department in Benin...
Ouémé
Ouémé Department
Ouémé is one of the twelve departments of Benin.In 1999 the northern part of the department was split off to form the new Plateau Department....
Plateau
Plateau Department
Plateau is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Plateau is divided into the communes of Ifangni, Adja-Ouèrè, Kétou, Pobè and Sakété....

*
Zou
Zou Department
Zou is one of the twelve departments of Benin.Zou is divided into the communes of Abomey, Agbangnizoun, Bohicon, Cové, Djidja, Ouinhi, Za-Kpota, Zangnanado, and Zogbodomey....

Municipalities of Benin

Capital of Benin: Porto Novo
Cities of Benin

Government and politics of Benin

Main article: Government of Benin and Politics of Benin

Politics of Benin

Politics of Benin takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Benin is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the...

Form of government
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...

: Presidential
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....

representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...

republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
Capital of Benin: Porto Novo

Elections in Benin
Elections in Benin
Benin elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by the people. The National Assembly has 83 members, elected for a four year term by proportional representation.Benin has a multi-party system, which means that there...
- (specific elections)
Political parties in Benin
Political scandals of Benin
Taxation in Benin

Executive branch of the government of Benin

Head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...

: President of Benin,
Head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...

: President of Benin,
Cabinet of Benin

Legislative branch of the government of Benin

National Assembly of Benin
National Assembly of Benin
The unicameral National Assembly of Benin is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly has 83 members who are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms.-See also:...

(unicameral parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...

)

Judicial branch of the government of Benin

Supreme Court of Benin

Foreign relations of Benin

Diplomatic missions in Benin
Diplomatic missions of Benin
Diplomatic missions of Benin
This is a list of diplomatic missions of Benin. Owing to its small size, the Republic of Benin maintains a very modest diplomatic network abroad...
United States-Benin relations

International organization membership

The Republic of Benin is a member of:

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...

(AU)
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP)
Conference des Ministres des Finances des Pays de la Zone Franc (FZ)
Council of the Entente (Entente)
Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....

(ECOWAS)
Food and Agriculture Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

(FAO)
Group of 77
Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...

(G77)
International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...

(IAEA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is one of five institutions that compose the World Bank Group. The IBRD is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by World War II. Now, its mission has expanded to fight...

(IBRD)
International Civil Aviation Organization
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...

(ICAO)
International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...

(ICCt)
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
International Development Association
International Development Association
The International Development Association , is the part of the World Bank that helps the world’s poorest countries. It complements the World Bank's other lending arm — the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — which serves middle-income countries with capital investment and...

(IDA)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is a humanitarian institution that is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement along with the ICRC and 186 distinct National Societies...

(IFRCS)
International Finance Corporation
International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation promotes sustainable private sector investment in developing countries.IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States....

(IFC)
International Fund for Agricultural Development
International Fund for Agricultural Development
The International Fund for Agricultural Development , a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries...

(IFAD)
International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...

(ILO)
International Maritime Organization
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...

(IMO)
International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

(IMF)
International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...

(IOC)
International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....

(IOM)
International Organization for Standardization
International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization , widely known as ISO, is an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates worldwide proprietary, industrial and commercial...

(ISO) (correspondent)
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...

(ICRM)
International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...

(ITU)
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization is an intergovernmental organisation charged with overseeing the public service obligations of Intelsat.-External links:*...

(ITSO)
International Trade Union Confederation
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...

(ITUC)
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

Islamic Development Bank
Islamic Development Bank
The Islamic Development Bank is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was founded by the first conference of Finance Ministers of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference , convened 23 Dhu'l Qa'dah 1393 AH.The bank officially began its activities on...

(IDB)
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency
The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is a member organization of the World Bank Group that offers political risk insurance. It was established to promote foreign direct investment into developing countries. MIGA was founded in 1988 with a capital base of $1 billion and is headquartered in...

(MIGA)
Nonaligned Movement (NAM)
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...

(OAS) (observer)
Permanent Court of Arbitration
Permanent Court of Arbitration
The Permanent Court of Arbitration , is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands.-History:The court was established in 1899 as one of the acts of the first Hague Peace Conference, which makes it the oldest institution for international dispute resolution.The creation of...

(PCA)
United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

(UN)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....

(UNCTAD)
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...

(UNHCR)
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization , French/Spanish acronym ONUDI, is a specialized agency in the United Nations system, headquartered in Vienna, Austria...

(UNIDO)
United Nations Mission in Liberia
United Nations Mission in Liberia
The United Nations Mission in Liberia is a peace-keeping force established in September 2003 to monitor a ceasefire agreement in Liberia following the resignation of President Charles Taylor and the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War....

(UNMIL)
United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS)
United Nations Operation in Cote d'Ivoire
United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire
The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire is a peacekeeping mission whose objective is "to facilitate the implementation by the Ivorian parties of the peace agreement signed by them in January 2003"...

(UNOCI)
United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)
Universal Postal Union
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...

(UPU)
West African Development Bank
West African Development Bank
The West African Development Bank - WADB is an international Multilateral Development Bank established in 1973 to serve the nations of Francophone and Lusophone West Africa...

(WADB) (regional)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Confederation of Labour
World Confederation of Labour
The World Confederation of Labour was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Totalitarian governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end of World War II...

(WCL)
World Customs Organization
World Customs Organization
The World Customs Organization is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community...

(WCO)
World Federation of Trade Unions
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...

(WFTU)
World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...

(WHO)
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....

(WIPO)
World Meteorological Organization
World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...

(WMO)
World Tourism Organization
World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...

(UNWTO)
World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...

(WTO)

Law and order in Benin

Main article: Law of Benin

Capital punishment in Benin
Constitution of Benin
Constitution of Benin
The Constitution of Benin was adopted by referendum on 2 December 1990.-External links:** from the listing of "International Humanitarian Law - National Implementation" from the International Committee of the Red Cross...
Crime in Benin
Crime in Benin
Street robbery is a significant problem in Cotonou. Robbery and mugging occur along the Boulevard de France and on the beaches near hotels frequented by international visitors. Most of the reported incidents involve the use of force, often by armed persons, with occasional minor injury to the victim...
Human rights in Benin
Human rights in Benin
Human rights in Benin are addressed in the Beninese Constitution. In comparison to other African nations, respect for human rights in Benin is generally above average; the US State Department considered that "The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens"although international...
- LGBT rights in Benin
  LGBT rights in Benin
  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Benin may face legal issues not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual acts for both men and women are legal in Benin, though same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections...
- Freedom of religion in Benin
  Freedom of religion in Benin
  The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. There were no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice, and prominent societal leaders took positive steps to promote religious...
Law enforcement in Benin
Law enforcement in Benin
-Sources:# World Police Encyclopedia, ed. by Dilip K. Das & Michael Palmiotto published by Taylor & Francis. 2004,# World Encyclopedia of Police Forces and Correctional Systems,second edition, Gale., 2006...

Military of Benin

Main article: Military of Benin

Military of Benin

The Benin Armed Forces constitutes the army, navy, air force, and national gendarmerie of Benin. For a number of years, the Belgian Armed Forces have had an active programme of co-operation with Benin, offering training and coaching, donating redundant military equipment and using the county for...

Command
- Commander-in-chief
  Commander-in-Chief
  A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
  
  :
  - Ministry of Defence of Benin
Forces
- Army of Benin
- Navy of Benin
- Air Force of Benin
- Special forces of Benin
Military history of Benin
Military ranks of Benin

History of Benin

Main article: History of Benin

History of Benin

The Republic of Benin was the seat of Dahomey, one of the great medieval African kingdoms, governed from the capital, Abomey, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.-Colonial Benin :...

, Timeline of the history of Benin, and Current events of Benin

Economic history of Benin
Military history of Benin

Culture of Benin

Main article: Culture of Benin

Architecture of Benin
Cuisine of Benin
Ethnic minorities in Benin
Festivals in Benin
Humor in Benin
Languages of Benin
Languages of Benin
The official language of Benin is French. However, many other African languages are spoken. Fon and Yoruba are the most important in southern Benin. In the north there are at least six major tribal languages, including Baatonum and Fula.-References:*...
Media in Benin
Media in Benin
-Telephone:The state provides telegraph and telephone service and government-owned radio and television services broadcast in French, English, and 18 indigenous languages. In 2003, there were an estimated nine mainline telephones for every 1,000 people...
National symbols of Benin
- Coat of arms of Benin
  Coat of arms of Benin
  The coat of arms of Benin, originally introduced in 1964, was readopted in 1990 after being replaced in 1975.At the top of the emblem is the national crest that consists of two horns with corn in the ear and filled with sand. These are reputed to stand for prosperity...
- Flag of Benin
  Flag of Benin
  The national flag of Benin was adopted in 1959. It was changed upon the accession of the Marxist regime in 1975, but upon the latter's fall the old design was reintroduced on August 1, 1990. The colours are the traditional Pan-African colours : green symbolizes hope, yellow symbolizes wealth and...
- National anthem of Benin
People of Benin
Prostitution in Benin
Public holidays in Benin
Public holidays in Benin
-Movable holidays:The following holidays are public holidays but the date on which each occurs varies, according to its corresponding calendar, and thus has no set date. In order in which they occur:...
Records of Benin
Religion in Benin
Religion in Benin
According to the 2002 census, 27.1 percent of the population of Benin is Roman Catholic, 24.4 percent Muslim, 17.3 percent Vodun, 5 percent Celestial Christian, 3.2 percent Methodist, 7.5 percent other Christian, 6 percent other traditional local religious groups, 1.9 percent other religious...
- Buddhism in Benin
- Christianity in Benin
  Christianity in Benin
  Christians in Benin constitute approximately 42,8 percent of the country's population According to the 2002 census, 27.1 percent of the population of Benin is Roman Catholic, 5 percent Celestial Christian, 3.2 percent Methodist, 7.5 percent other Christian groups Christians in Benin constitute...
- Hinduism in Benin
- Islam in Benin
- Judaism in Benin
- Sikhism in Benin
World Heritage Sites in Benin

Art in Benin

Art in Benin
Cinema of Benin
Literature of Benin
Literature of Benin
Beninese literature had a strong oral tradition long before French became the dominant language.Felix Couchoro wrote the first Beninese novel, L'Esclave in 1929.-Notable Beninese writers:*Olympe Bhêly-Quénum*Jean Pliya*Colette Senami Agossou Houeto...
Music of Benin
Music of Benin
Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in Angélique Kidjo. Post-independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French...
Television in Benin
Theatre in Benin

Sports in Benin

Main article: Sports in Benin

Football in Benin
Football in Benin
Football in Benin is a very popular sport. Governed by the Fédération Béninoise de Football, the Benin national football team joined both FIFA and CAF in 1969 as Dahomey...
Benin at the Olympics
Benin at the Olympics
Benin has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since 1980. Under its previous name of Dahomey, the country also competed in 1972. Despite appearing in nine different Olympics, Benin has never won an Olympic medal. No athletes from Benin have competed in any Winter Olympic...

Economy and infrastructure of Benin

Main article: Economy of Benin

Economy of Benin

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture and cotton. Cotton accounts for 40% of GDP and roughly 80% of official export receipts. There is also production of textiles, palm products, and cocoa beans. Maize , beans, rice, peanuts, cashews, pineapples,...

Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 136th (one hundred and thirty sixth)

Agriculture in Benin
- Fishing in Benin
  Fishing in Benin
  Fishing in Benin, which had been carried on largely by Ghanaian fishermen, is gaining importance at Cotonou and other coastal centers...
Banking in Benin
- National Bank of Benin
Communications in Benin
Communications in Benin
Telephones - main lines in use:110,300 country comparison to the world: 137Telephones - mobile cellular:1,895 million country comparison to the world: 114Telephone system:general assessment:...
- Internet in Benin
Companies of Benin
Currency of Benin
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...

: Franc
West African CFA franc
The West African CFA franc is the currency of eight independent states in West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Sénégal and Togo. The acronym CFA stands for Communauté financière d'Afrique...
- ISO 4217
  ISO 4217
  ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
  
  : XOF
Economic history of Benin
Energy in Benin
Energy in Benin
Energy in Benin is a growing industry with tremendous potential.-Oil:Production from the Sémé off shore oil field began in October 1982 by Saga Petroleum, a Norwegian company working under a service contract. The field yielded of oil in 1991. In 1990, Benin exported an estimated of crude oil...
- Oil industry in Benin
Health in Benin
Health in Benin
In Benin, most serious epidemic diseases have been brought under control by mobile health units and other facilities. Yaws has been almost totally eradicated in the northern part of the country. Sleeping sickness has also been greatly reduced in the north and yellow fever has all but disappeared...
- Health care in Benin
Mineral industry of Benin
- Mining in Benin
  Mining in Benin
  The mineral industry, which is limited to the production of cement, clay, gold, sand, and gravel, does not play a significant role in the Benin's economy....
- Oil industry in Benin
Benin Stock Exchange
Tourism in Benin
Tourism in Benin
Tourism in Benin is a small industry. In 1996, Benin had approximately 150,000 tourists. A small country with a high concentration of tourist attractions, Benin's national parks and culture are among its main tourist attractions. Abomey is one of Benin's main tourist attractions, with palaces that...
Trade unions in Benin
Trade unions in Benin
Trade unions in Benin operate in relative freedom, with approximately 75% of the formal sector being unionized. There are, however, concerns expressed by the International Labour Organization and the International Trade Union Confederation about the discrepancies between the government's Labour...
Transport in Benin
Transport in Benin
This article concerns modes of transport in Benin. Benin is a country in Africa, which possesses railway and road infrastructure, as well as two seaports. Benin currently does not have rail connections to other countries, but new proposals seek to change this....
- Airports in Benin
- Rail transport in Benin
  Rail transport in Benin
  Benin has a total of of single track, railway. It does not, as of 2009, share railway links with adjacent countries. Niger possesses no railways to connect to and, while the other surrounding countries, Nigeria, Togo and Burkina Faso, do have railway networks, no connections have been built...
- Roads in Benin
Water supply and sanitation in Benin
Water supply and sanitation in Benin
Water supply and sanitation in Benin has been subject to considerable progress since the 1990s, in particular in rural areas, where coverage is higher than in many other African countries, and almost all development partners follow a national demand-responsive strategy, which has been adopted in 1992...