Benin

Benin is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Togo and in the South by the Gulf of Guinea.

Benin, formerly Dahomey, is perhaps the "most beaten track by Europeans of any African country". The history of Benin is a succession of kingdoms. In 1704, France received permission to erect a port at Ouidah, and in 1752 the Portuguese founded Porto Novo. On 22 June 1894, the territory was named by decree the "Colony of Dahomey and its dependences" and was granted autonomy which it retained until October 18, 1904 when it became part of French West Africa. On 4 December 1958, the Republic was proclaimed. Dahomey became independent on 1 August 1960 and is a UN member country.

Benin's area is 112.600 km2 and has about 8 million inhabitants. 

Vegetation

Along the coast, Benin has a sandy barrier beach with no natural harbors. The northern side of the beach consists of shallow lagoons, and farther north is a fertile lowland, most of which is intensively cultivated. In northern Benin, the land rises into a 1,600-ft high plateau of ancient rocks and mostly infertile soils and covers the rugged Atakora Mountains in the northwest. The main rivers of northern Benin are the Niger, which forms part of the boundary with the republic of Niger, and its tributaries, the Sota, Mékrou, and Alibori.

Towns

The biggest towns are: Cotonou (690.584), Abomey-Calavi 385.755, Porto Novo 234.168.

Ethnien, Sprachen und Religion