The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
(2004)
Government
Benin
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin conventional short form: Benin local long form: Republique du Benin local short form: Benin former: Dahomey
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Porto-Novo (official capital) geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Cotonou (seat of government)
Administrative divisions:
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Independence:
1 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
National Day, 1 August (1960)
Constitution:
adopted by referendum 2 December 1990
Legal system:
based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Thomas YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2011) election results: Thomas YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - Thomas YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 31 March 2007 (next to be held by March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FCBE 35, ADD 20, PRD 10, other and independents 18
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Dynamic Democracy or ADD; Alliance of Progress Forces
or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou
FAGBOHOUN]; Benin Renaissance or RB [Rosine SOGLO]; Democratic
Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Force Cowrie for an
Emerging Benin or FCBE; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD
[Theophile NATA]; Key Force or FC [Lazare SÈHOUÉTO]; Movement for
the People's Alternative or MAP [Olivier CAPO-CHICHI]; Rally for
Democracy and Progress or RDP [Dominique HOUNGNINOU]; Social
Democrat Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Union for the Relief or UPR
[Issa SALIFOU]; Union for Democracy and National Solidarity or UDS
[Sacca LAFIA]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: economic groups; environmentalists; political groups; teachers' unions and other educational groups
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional),
WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232–6656 FAX: [1] (202) 265–1996
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 21–30-06–50 FAX: [229] 21–30-03–84
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side
Economy
Benin
Economy - overview:
The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Specific projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's $307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture though the government annulled the privatization of Benin's state cotton company in November 2007 after the discovery of irregularities in the bidding process. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$12 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$5.433 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,400 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 33.2% industry: 14.5% services: 52.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
5.38 million (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
37.4% (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 29% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.5 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $959.2 million expenditures: $1.211 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar