Country: Benin - Geography Total area: 112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km Coastline: 121 km Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 200 nm Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber Land use: 12% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes NEGL% irrigated Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter; deforestation; desertification Note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; no natural harbors - People Population: 4,673,964 (July 1990), growth rate 3.3% (1990) Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 52 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective--Beninese Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); 5,500 Europeans Religion: 70% indigenous beliefs, 15% Muslim, 15% Christian Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north Literacy: 25.9% Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); 60% agriculture, 38% transport, commerce, and public services, less than 2% industry; 49% of population of working age (1985) Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners - Government Long-form name: Republic of Benin Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system by 1991 planned Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto) Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey) Constitution: 23 May 1977 (nullified 1 March 1990); new constitution to be drafted by April 1990 Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: National Day, 30 November (1975) Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral National Revolutionary Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Revolutionnaire) dissolved 1 March 1990 and replaced by a 24-member interim High Council of the Republic during the transition period Judicial branch: Central People's Court (Cour Central Populaire) Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 27 October 1972) Political parties and leaders: only party--People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB), President Mathieu Kerekou, chairman of the Central Committee Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: President--last held July 1989 (next to be held July 1994); results--President Mathieu Kerekou was reelected by the National Revolutionary Assembly; National Revolutionary Assembly--dissolved 1 March 1990 and replaced by a 24-member interim High Council of the Republic with legislative elections for new institutions planned for February 1991 Communists: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989 Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, Niger River Commission, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Theophile NATA; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656; US--Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone p229o 30-06-50 Flag: green with a red five-pointed star in the upper hoist-side corner - Economy Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 45% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil. GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $335; real growth rate 1.8% (1988) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1988) Unemployment: NA Budget: revenues $168 million; expenditures $317 million, including capital expenditures of $97 million (1989) Exports: $226 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa; partners--FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 7% Imports: $413 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods; partners--France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 5% External debt: $1.0 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate - 0.7% (1988) Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced, 5 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: palm oil and palm kernel oil processing, textiles, beverages, petroleum Agriculture: small farms produce 90% of agricultural output; production is dominated by food crops--corn, sorghum, cassava, beans, and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry and livestock output has not kept up with consumption Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $41 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.0 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $101 million Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Railroads: 578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track Highways: 5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km improved earth Inland waterways: navigable along small sections, important only locally Ports: Cotonou Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) of 2,999 GRT/4,407 DWT Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft Airports: 6 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and radio relay; 16,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station - Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force Military manpower: eligible 15-49, 2,015,206; of the 950,921 males 15-49, 486,620 are fit for military service; of the 1,064,285 females 15-49, 537,049 are fit for military service; about 55,550 males and 53,663 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are liable for military service Defense expenditures: 1.7% of GDP, or $28.9 million (1988 est.)