BENIN Basic Data Area: 43,500 sq miles/112,622 sqkm Population: 5,6 million Density: 41.1 per square km Urban Pop.: 38%; Cotonou alone 12% of total |Capital: Porto-Novo Other Towns: Cotonou (largest), Parakou, Abomey, Ouidah, Nattitingou Major Ethnic Groups (out of 46): Fon, Yoruba, Dendi, Bariba, Adja, Mina Official Language: French Major Languages: Fon 47%, Yoruba 12% and Adja 11%, South and Center; Bariba 8.5% and Peulh 5.6%, North. Currency: CFA Franc The Flag The Green denotes hope for renewal. The Red evokes the ancestors' courage The Yellow calls to mind the country's richest treasures What Is Benin Like? Land and Climate Benin is located between Togo (West), Nigeria (East), Niger and Burkina Faso (North), with a 78-mile coast on the Atlantic Ocean, and 420 miles from south to north. In the north, rains fall between June and September: 38' in the upper region, and 53' in the lower one. Temperatures may reach 110°F in the dry season (October to April). During that time, the Harmattan, a dry hot wind, blows from north to south Mount Atacora, in the north, brings some uniqueness to the land's flatness. In the south, from March to July, and from September to November, we have the long and the short rainy seasons; July to September is the short dry season. November to March is the main dry season. Temperatures oscillate between 72°F and 94°F. History Benin was known as Dahomey until 1975. Its history is linked to that of the powerful Fon Kingdom of Danhomê which fiercely resisted French conquest. (King Gbehanzin was the hero of colonial resistance). Danhomê was reputed for being well-structured and organized. Its strong economy was based on slave trade, and later, on palm-oil. The kingdom had an army of women called Amazones. In the north, the Kingdom of Borgu was the most powerful. Djougou and Kouande were also important kingdoms. The French defeated Gbehanzin, and conquered the entire land. They ruled until August 1, 1960, date on which the country became "independent." From 1960 to 1972, regional strife between the north, the south, and the center led to six military coups. Then, Kereku's one-party rule came about in 1972. It was replaced by a "western" type multi-party state in 1991. Economy French colonial rule left the economy dependent and stagnant. Incompetence and corruption made things worse. The economy is based on agriculture, and depends on a very active legal and illegal trade with Nigeria. Benin is self-sufficient in food production - maize, cassava, yam and other tubers, palmnuts, sorghum and millet. Cotton is the major export crop. Besides, coffee, cocoa, peanuts, and tobacco are also exported. Benin is an oil-exporting country. Education In the fifties and early sixties, Benin was known as the "Latin Quarter of Africa" because it enjoyed high standards of education. Forty years later, the challenge is still to create a system that could provide the vast majority of children under fifteen (more than 40% of the pop.) with the basics and vocational training. The Peoples and Some of Their Ways The Beninese are known to be intelligent, critical and hardworking. They value material success, but not to the detriment of friendship and fairness. Greetings No greetings, no talking. Greet someone in a group, and you must greet all the others. Greetings often include asking about siblings, parents and relatives, health, work. Shaking hands is very common. Common Attitudes Holding hands with a friend of the same gender does not imply homosexuality which is unaccepted. Lovers do not often kiss or caress each other in public. Wearing hats or caps, or chewing gum are not appropriate in meetings, or when talking to an elder. Food Beninese food is extremely varied. Most Beninese like eating hot and spicy dishes and prefer their right hand for foods like okra and eba (cassava starch staple) or pounded yam. The basic meal is a stew or a soup eaten with a stiff porridge which can be made from maize (corn) flour in the south (wo, amiwo) or , yam flour in Yoruba areas (amala or lubo) or millet and sorghum flour in the north. Other side dishes are pounded yam, fried or boiled cassava, sweet potatoes, fried bananas (dodo) and gari. Gari is a kind of 'grits' made from cassava, which is eaten with almost any kind of stew and in different forms. Rice is increasingly used. Dressing The Beninese wear anything from what is regarded as European clothes (shirts, trousers, and suits) to their own clothes. Men's casual clothes consist of a pair of very loose trousers and a long sleeve shirt which can go down to the knees. Men also put on small dashiki tops. Very formal clothes consist of three embroidered pieces: trousers, a long shirt and a top usually called boubou or agbada. Women often wear a cloth they wrap around the waist. The top, called Boumba (Bou-m-ba), is loose. Family The extended family is the basic unit. Cursed are those who break up with their families. Patriarchy is the norm. However, women have a long history of achievement and independence in raising their families, in agriculture, and in trade. As a result, they are highly respected. Polygamy is practiced across ethnic groups, religions, and social classes and is legally accepted as a form of marriage. Yet, most families are monogamous. Religion Most Beninese believe in a Supreme God, in life after death, and they practice their own religions. The Yoruba and the Fon have their own pantheons of Gods. Many people consult the oracle or Ifa priestabout significant acts they wish to undertake, a twist of "psychic line." Leisure The Beninese like simple pleasures (eating, drinking, chatting, and visiting friends and family. They love soccer. Playing cards, checkers, and adji (mathematical and probability game board) outdoors are popular. Wrestling is common in the north, and in Yoruba land. Television is becoming part of the daily lives of those who can afford a set, and nothing goes without music and dance. Simon Adetona Akindes Benin online ttp://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/Country_Specific/Benin.html http://www.countries.com/countries/benin/ http://www.emulateme.com/benin.htm http://www.africanet.com/africanet/country/benin/home.htm http://elodia.intnet.bj/bol/index.htm A traditional village Wall clothes from Abomey