II.

Land and Resources

Benin can be roughly divided into four geographic zones, from south to north. The coastal strip in the south is a flat sandbank with no natural harbors. Immediately north of the beach is a network of shallow lagoons and swamps. Farther north, the second region is a fertile lowland called the barre country. Valleys run north to south along the region’s rivers, and most of the land is intensively cultivated. The third region is a rocky plateau in northern Benin. Most of the plateau is sparsely covered with grass and shrubs, and the soil is generally infertile. The rugged Atakora Mountains rise in the northwest.

Benin is bordered on the north by Burkina Faso and Niger, on the east by Nigeria, and on the west by Togo. It borders the Gulf of Guinea on the south.

A.

Rivers and Lakes

The Ouémé and Kouffo rivers drain most of southern Benin, and the Mono River, which forms part of Benin’s western border with Togo, drains the southwest. 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 rivers.

B.

Climate

Benin's climate is hot and generally humid. It ranges from equatorial in the south to an increasingly arid tropical wet-and-dry climate in the north. The south receives about 1,300 mm (about 51 in) of rainfall a year, mostly from March to July and in October and November. The average monthly temperature in southern Benin ranges from 20° to 34°C (68° to 93°F). During much of the year, sea breezes temper the climate. In the north temperature variations become more marked, and humidity decreases. On average, about 890 mm (about 35 in) of rain falls yearly in northern Benin, mainly from May to September. A dry, dust-laden wind called a harmattan blows from the Sahara into northern Benin from December to March.

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.