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General Information
Area: 112,622 sq km (43,484 sq miles).
Population: 6,395,919 (official estimate 2000).
Population Density: 56.8 per sq km.
Capital: Porto Novo. Population: 200,000 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY: Benin is situated in West Africa and is bounded to the east by Nigeria, to the north by Niger and Burkina Faso, and to the west by Togo. Benin stretches 700km (435 miles) from the Bight of Benin to the Niger River. The coastal strip is sandy with coconut palms. Beyond the lagoons of Porto Novo, Nokoue, Ouidah and Grand Popo is a plateau rising gradually to the heights of the Atakora Mountains. From the highlands run two tributaries of the Niger, while southwards the Ouémé flows down to Nokoue lagoon. Mono River flows into the sea at Grand Popo and forms a frontier with Togo.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State and Government: President Mathieu Kérékou since 1996.
Language: The official language is French. However, many ethnic groups have their own languages: Bariba and Fulani are spoken in the north, Fon and Yoruba in the south. Some English is also spoken.
Religion: Sixty per cent Animist/traditional, 20 per cent Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) and 20 per cent Muslim.
Time: GMT + 1.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
Communications:
Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 229. Outgoing international code: 00. There is an additional charge for calls made from a coin box.
Mobile telephone
GSM 900 network. Operators include Libercom (website: www.test.bj/libercom), Spacetel-Benin (website: www.spacetelbenin.com) and Telecel Benin (website: www.telecel.com). Handsets can be hired locally. Further information can be obtained from the Office de Postes et de Telecommunications du Benin (website: www.opt.bj).
Internet
OPT has just launched its own ISP (www.opt.bj). Public access is available in Cotonou.
Post
Airmail takes three to five days to reach Europe. Surface mail letters or parcels take from six to eight weeks. There are good poste restante facilities at most main post offices. Post office hours are Mon-Sat 0800-1400.
Press
Exclusively in French. The fortnightly Journal Officiel de la République du Bénin is issued by the government information bureau. La Nation is the daily official newspaper. Other dailies include Le Matinal and Le Point au Quotidien.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
Terms and Conditions apply.
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