Benin

C

Plants and Animals

A dense tropical rain forest once covered much of the land close behind Benin’s coastal strip. The rain forest has largely been cleared, except near rivers, and palms now are the main trees of the region. Woodlands form a large part of central Benin, and grasslands predominate in the drier north. Among the various animals found in Benin are elephants, buffalo, antelope, panthers, monkeys, crocodiles, and wild ducks.

The Parc National de la Pendjari is a game reserve near Natitingou in northern Benin. Farther north, along the Niger River is another game reserve, the Parc National du W du Niger, which Benin shares with neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso. Visitors to these reserves can view elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos, and monkeys.

D

Natural Resources

Small deposits of petroleum are found offshore near Cotonou. Other mineral resources of Benin include iron ore, phosphates, chromium, rutile, clay, marble, and limestone. The country has not yet fully exploited its mineral resources.

E

Environmental Issues

Deforestation rates in Benin are higher than the average for Africa, and only 20.9 percent (2005) of Benin’s land area remains forested. About 23 percent (2007) of the country is protected in national parks, but poaching continues to threaten wildlife populations. Droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in the north.

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III

People

Benin’s population (2009 estimate) is 8,791,832, and is growing at a rate of 3 percent per year. The main cities are Cotonou, the commercial center; Porto-Novo, the capital; and Parakou, a trade center. Two-thirds of Benin’s people live in the southern part of the country. More than half the country’s inhabitants live in rural areas.

A number of stilt villages have been built on lagoons in the south. The land is flooded in rainy season, and the houses rest on wooden poles, which keeps them above the water line. The people in these villages live by fishing .

People from 42 different ethnic groups are represented in Benin. The Fon, or Dahomeans, and the closely related Adja, together account for about three-fifths of the population. They are the main ethnic groups in southern Benin. The Bariba and Somba together make up about one-sixth of the population and are found primarily in the north. The Yoruba constitute one-tenth of the population and predominate in the southeast, near the border with Nigeria.

A

Language and Religion

French is the official language of Benin, but most people speak an African language. Each of the country’s ethnic groups has its own language. Fon is the most widely spoken language.

About 52 percent of the population professes traditional religious beliefs, chiefly Vodun, a belief in spirits. Arab merchants introduced Islam to the region, and today it is the religion of some 20 percent of the people, most of whom live in the north. Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism, is the religion of about 25 percent, the great majority of whom live in the south. European missionaries brought Christianity to Benin.

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