Benin

Benin (), offeecially the Republic o Benin, is a kintra in Wast Africae. It borders Togo tae the wast, Nigerie tae the east an Burkina Faso an Niger tae the north. Its sma soothren coastline on the Bicht o Benin is whaur a majority o the population is locatit. The caipital o Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat o govrenment is locatit in the kintra's lairgest ceety o Cotonou. Benin covers an aurie o approximately 110,000 square kilometers (42,000 sq mi), wi a population o approximately 9.05 million. Benin is a tropical, sub-Saharan naition, heichlie dependent on agricultur, wi substantial employment an income arisin frae subsistence farmin."Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations" . United Nations, June 29th, 2010

The offeecial leid o Benin is French, housomeivver, indigenous leids such as Fon an Yoruba are commonly spoken. The lairgest releegious group in Benin is Roman Catholicism, follaed closely bi Muslims, Vodun, an Protestants. Benin is a member o the Unitit Naitions, the African Union, the Organisation o the Islamic Conference, Sooth Atlantic Peace an Cooperation Zone, La Francophonie, the Community o Sahel-Saharan States, the African Petroleum Producers Association an the Niger Basin Authority."Benin – International Cooperation". Nation Encyclopedia, June 29th, 2010

Frae the 17t century tae the 19t century, the laund o current-day Benin wis ruled bi the Kinrick o Dahomey. The region became kent as the Slave Coast durin the early 17t century due tae the prevalence o the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In 1892, wi the slave trade banned an regional pouer diminishin, Fraunce teuk ower the aurie an renamed it French Dahomey. In 1960, Dahomey gained full unthirldom frae Fraunce, bringin in a democratic govrenment for the next 12 years.

Atween 1972 an 1990, a sel-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist dictatorship cried the Fowkrepublic o Benin existit, usherin in a period o repression which ultimately led tae an economic collapse. Formation o the Republic o Benin occurred in 1991, bringin in multipairty elections.

 Name 
Durin the colonial period an at unthirldom, the kintra wis kent as Dahomey. It wis renamed on November 30, 1975, tae Benin efter the body o watter on which the kintra lies – the Bicht o Benin – which, in turn, haed been named efter the Benin Empire. The kintra o Benin haes nae direct connection tae Benin Ceety in modren Nigerie, nor to the Benin bronzes.

The new name, Benin, wis chosen for its neutrality. Dahomey wis the name o the umwhile Kinrick o Dahomey, which covered anerlie the soothren third o the present kintra an therefore did no represent the northwastren sector Atakora nor the kinrick o Borgu, which covered the northeastren third.

 References 


Category:Kintras in Africae
Category:African Union member states
Category:Kintras borderin the Atlantic Ocean
Category:Economic Community o Wast African States
Category:French-speakin kintras
Category:Least Developed Kintras
Category:Leeberal democracies
Category:Member states o La Francophonie
Category:Member states o the Organisation o Islamic Cooperation
Category:States an territories established in 1960