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Benin |
Capital: Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Background: Dahomey gained its independence from France in 1960; the name was changed to Benin in 1975. From 1974 to 1989 the country was a socialist state; free elections were re-established in 1991. The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade.
PEOPLE
Population: 8,078,314 (July 2007 est.); 9,056,010 (2010 est)
Life expectancy at birth:
2007
Total population: 53.44 years
Male: 52.28 years
Female: 54.63 years (2007 est.)
2010
Total population: 59.42 years
Male: 58.21 years
Female: 60.68 years (2010 est.)
Age structure:
2007
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 1,788,248/female 1,754,940)
15-64 years: 53.7% (male 2,138,649/female 2,203,291)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 77,844/female 115,342) (2007 est.)
2010
0-14 years: 45.2% (male 2,028,493/female 1,948,353)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 2,275,662/female 2,308,945)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 94,569/female 135,810) (2010 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.674% (2007 est.);2.944% (2010 est.)
Population below poverty line: 33% (2001 est.); 37.4% (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate: 1.8% (2006 est.); 1.2% (2007 est.)
People living with HIV/AIDS: 87,000 (2006 est.); 64,000 (2007 est.)
Literacy: definition - age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 34.7%
Male: 47.9%
Female: 23.3% (2002 census)
Refugees and Internally Displaced People: refugees (country of origin): 26,632 (Togo) (2006); 9,444 (Togo) (2007)
ECONOMY
Unemployment: NA
Labour force by Occupation: N/A
Agricultural Products: cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts, cashews; livestock
Industries: textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Exports - Commodities: cotton, cashews, shea butter, textiles, palm products, seafood
Exports - Partners:
China 21%, Indonesia 7.8%, India 7.1%, Netherlands 6.3%, Niger 5.7%, Togo 4.6%, Nigeria 4.4% (2006)
India 19.72%, China 13.18%, Niger 6.94%, Nigeria 6.56%, Indonesia 5.73%, Togo 5.63%, Namibia 4.17% (2009)
Imports - Commodities: foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - Partners:
China 47.1%, France 7.6%, Thailand 6% (2006)
China 35.62%, US 7.51%, France 7.38%, Thailand 6.71%, Malaysia 6.13%, Netherlands 4.83%, Belgium 4.02% (2009)
ENVIRONMENT
Environment - Current issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification.
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Source: CIA World Factbook
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