Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the fifteenth century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence in August 1960. The Republic of Benin has emerged as a beacon of democracy and is one of Africa's most politically stable nations. However, it is also one of the world's poorest countries, despite being one of Africa's largest cotton producers. The country's economy relies heavily on trade with its eastern neighbour, Nigeria. The major languages spoken in Benin are French (the official language), Fon, and Yoruba, as well as at least six major tribal languages.

Leader: President Thomas Boni Yayi
Capital city: Porto-Novo

Economic profile

Monetary unit: CFA franc (Communaute Financiere Africaine)
GDP per capita: $1 500 (2008) (CIA)
GDP composition by sector:
Agriculture: 33.2 % (2007) (CIA)
Industry: 14.5% (2007) (CIA)
Services: 52.3% (2007) (CIA)
GDP growth rate: 2,5% (2010) (CIA)
Budget:
Government revenue, excluding grants: $1.348-billion (2010) (CIA)
Government expenditure: $1.721-billion (2010) (CIA)
Consumer price inflation: 1.6% (2010) (CIA)
Industries: Textiles, food processing, construction materials, and cement.
Exports of goods and services: $1.125-billion (2010) (CIA)
Imports of goods and services: $1.812-billion (2010) (CIA)
Export commodities: Cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, and seafood.
Import commodities: Foodstuffs, capital goods, and petroleum products.
Reserves: $1.254-billion (2010) (CIA)
Total investment: 18.5% (2010) (IMF)
Market capitalisation of listed companies: Figures not available

Social profile

Population: 93-million (2009) (World Bank)
Population growth: 3.1% (2009) (World Bank)
Life expectancy at birth: 61.8 (2009) (World Bank)
Adult literacy: 42% (2009) (World Bank)
School enrolment primary: 122% (2006) (World Bank)
School enrolment secondary: 32,5% (2005) (World Bank)
School enrolment tertiary: 6% (2006) (World Bank)
Number of people living with HIV/Aids: 60 000 (2009) (Unicef)

Postelection report