Benin is the birthplace of Vodun, still an official religion with a national holiday each January. The Kingdom of Dahomey fielded an all-female regiment for more than two centuries.
Benin
Benin Flag
Benin Armorial
Easy learning about Benin
The capital city of Benin is Porto-Novo, capital city of Benin.
Word: Vodun
Meaning: ancestral faith
Administrative Divisions
12 departments:
- Alibori
- Atakora
- Atlantique
- Borgou
- Collines
- Donga
- Kouffo
- Littoral
- Mono
- Ouémé
- Plateau
- Zou
Departments of Benin map
Benin is a Country on the Sub-Saharan Africa located in the Western Africa sub-region in the continent of Africa.
0100 km (62 mi)200 km (124 mi)300 km (186 mi)400 km (249 mi)
Height
0 m (0 ft), 25 m (82 ft), 60 m (197 ft), 100 m (328 ft), 200 m (656 ft), 300 m (984 ft), 400 m (1310 ft), 500 m (1640 ft), above 600 m (1970 ft)Sea depth
0 m (0 ft), 150 m (492 ft), 600 m (1970 ft), 1800 m (5910 ft), 3200 m (10500 ft), deeper than 5200 m (17060 ft)Basic Information
Capital City: Porto-Novo, capital city of Benin
Population: 14,814,460 (UN)
Area: 112,620 km² / 69,979 sq mi
People from Benin are called: Beninese, Beninois
Geography
Latitude: 10.325° N
Longitude: 2.352° E
Geographical Subregion: Western Africa
Intermediary Region: Sub-Saharan Africa
Continental Region: Africa
Borders
- Niger — Land border
- Togo — Land border
- Burkina Faso — Land border
- Nigeria — Land border
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Global Indices
EF EPI Position: 108 (EF EPI)
EF EPI Score: 413 (EF EPI)
EF EPI Proficiency: Very Low Proficiency (EF EPI)
Global Peace Index Rank: 122 (GPI)
Global Peace Index Score: 2.293 (GPI)
Human Development
HDI Rank: 173 (UNDP)
HDI Value: 0.515
Mean Years of Schooling: 3.2
Expected Years of Schooling: 10.4
Life Expectancy at Birth: 60.8 Years
Religion
Most Predominant: Muslim
Second Most Predominant: Catholic
LGBTI Rights
Legal Status: Legal (ILGA)
Legal Mechanism: N/A
Death Penalty: No
Maximum Prison Sentence: No
Physical Punishment: No
Technical Information
TLD: .bj
Calling Code: +229
MapGeo Name: Benin
MapGeo Code: BJ