Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998 est.)

Radios [time series]

400,000 (1998 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); submarine cable

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

38,354 (6,286 cellular telephone subscribers) (1998 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

2 (one privately owned) (1997)

Televisions [time series]

30,000 (1998 est.)

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

corn, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, rice, cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, livestock

Budget [time series]

revenues: $299 million expenditures: $445 million, including capital expenditures of $14 million (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external (Debt--external) [time series]

$1.6 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$281.2 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy--overview) [time series]

The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a sound 4% in 1990-95 and 5% in 1996-98. Rapid population growth has offset much of this growth in output. Inflation has subsided over the past three years. Commercial and transport activities, which make up a large part of GDP, are vulnerable to developments in Nigeria, particularly fuel shortages. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 1991.

Electricity - consumption (Electricity--consumption) [time series]

251 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - exports (Electricity--exports) [time series]

0 kWh (1996)

Electricity - imports (Electricity--imports) [time series]

245 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - production (Electricity--production) [time series]

6 million kWh (1996)

Electricity - production by source (Electricity--production by source) [time series]

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1--566.36 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)

Exports [time series]

$250 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

Brazil 18%, Portugal 11%, Morocco 10%, Libya 6%, France (1997)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity--$7.6 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP--composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 34% industry: 14% services: 52% (1997)

Real GDP per capita (GDP--per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity?$1,300 (1998 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP--real growth rate) [time series]

4.4% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports [time series]

$314 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

France 21%, UK 9%, Thailand 9%, Hong Kong 8%, China (1997)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction materials, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.6% (1998 est.)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Population below poverty line [time series]

33% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total: 112,620 sq km land: 110,620 sq km water: 2,000 sq km

Area - comparative (Area--comparative) [time series]

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Coastline [time series]

121 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Environment - current issues (Environment--current issues) [time series]

recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification

International environmental agreements (Environment--international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

9 30 N, 2 15 E

Geography - note (Geography--note) [time series]

no natural harbors

Irrigated land [time series]

100 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 1,989 km border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 13% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 31% other: 48% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 200 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter

Natural resources [time series]

small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Administrative divisions [time series]

6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou note: six additional provinces have been reported but not confirmed; they are Alibori, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, and Plateau; moreover, the term "province" may have been changed to "department"

Capital [time series]

Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government

Constitution [time series]

December 1990

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey

Data code [time series]

BN

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FELDER embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001) election results: Mathieu KEREKOU elected president; percent of vote--Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

Government type [time series]

republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991

Independence [time series]

1 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, High Court of Justice

Legal system [time series]

based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 1995 (next to be held 28 March 1999) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PRB 20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, PCB 2, AC 1, RDP 1, other 17

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 1 August (1990)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Alliance for Civic Renewal or ARC Sylvain AKINDES]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD and KINA]; Liberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction-Vivoten note: as of December 1998, more than 110 political parties were officially recognized; among them are Benin Renaissance Party or PRB, Our Common Cause or NCC, Cameleon Alliance or AC, Rally for Democracy and Pan-Africanism or RDP

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), National Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures--dollar figure) [time series]

$27 million (1996)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures--percent of GDP) [time series]

1.2% (1996)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower--availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,363,878 females age 15-49: 1,425,987 (1999 est.) note: both sexes are liable for military service

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower--fit for military service) [time series]

males age 15-49: 697,715 females age 15-49: 722,323 (1999 est.)

Military manpower - military age (Military manpower--military age) [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually (Military manpower--reaching military age annually) [time series]

males: 67,622 females: 67,238 (1999 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 48% (male 1,510,703; female 1,501,437) 15-64 years: 50% (male 1,511,114; female 1,637,155) 65 years and over: 2% (male 62,459; female 82,699) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

45.37 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

12.4 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Infant mortality rate [time series]

97.76 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 54.08 years male: 51.98 years female: 56.24 years (1999 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 37% male: 48.7% female: 25.8% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Beninese (singular and plural) adjective: Beninese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

6,305,567 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.3% (1999 est.)

Religions [time series]

indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.4 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Disputes - international (Disputes--international) [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US

Airports [time series]

5 (1998 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports--with paved runways) [time series]

total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports--with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1998 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 6,787 km paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways) unpaved: 5,430 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Cotonou, Porto-Novo

Railways [time series]

total: 578 km (single track) narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Waterways [time series]

navigable along small sections, important only locally