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| A Village House in Benin |
The Republic of Benin - named after the body of water on which the country lies, the Bight of Benin - is a country in West Africa, bordered by Niger and Burkina Faso to the north, by Nigeria to the east and by Togo to the west.
Benin is a small country (it has almost the same size as Cuba), but it is was the largest kingdom in West Africa.
History :
History tells that the present-day Benin was a hotbed of ancient and brilliant civilizations built around city-states centered kingdoms, such as : Danhome, Xogbonou, Allada...etc. Until, in the nineteenth century, Dahomey lost its status as the regional power, when the first French Protectorate was established in 1863. Benin has acceded to international sovereignty on 1 August 1960.
People, Culture, and Religions :
Benin is a young nation whose unity consists of different socio-cultural groups that remain to be consolidated. Those social-cultural groups such as, Aja, Fon, Ayizo, Toli, Yoruba...are born to people who have settled long before the colonization and from several regions. The migration history of these people is still poorly understood, due to the lack of proper documentation.
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| Atakora Mountains in Benin |
The official language of Benin is French, which is taught at an earlier age in the schools of the wealthier cities. But the diversity of ethnical groups led to diversity of local languages. The most important are : Ajagbé, Guengbé, Fongbé, Yoruba, Baatonu...
The surprising thing is that this variety of origins of Beninese doesn't show in the statistics of their Religions. Almost 43% of the people of Benin are Christians, 25% of them are Muslims, 17.3% practice Vodun, and the others, either follow the principles of their traditional local religious groups or are no religious.
The largest cities are : Cotonou, Abomey-Calavi, Djougou, Porto-Novo (the capital), Parakou.
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Benin is located in an inter-tropical area, means, the country is in this area near the equator, where the northeast and southeast trade winds come together, which affects drastically rainfall. The monsoon brings rain while the trade winds are blowing during the long dry season. The climate is hot and humid, with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September. Geographical factors such as the latitutude of the country, the existence of the Atacora mountains and the orientation of the coastline, introduce nuances in this climate
Geography :
Benin is fairly flat, and can be divided into five main areas :
- The coastal strip, low and sandy, bordered by lagoons.
- A central plain, hilly and monotonous.
- The Atacora mountains hosting the country's highest peak.
- The vast Gourma plain.
- The humid savanna that covers most of the country.
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| A Beninese Beach |
Visit Cotonou, the city that is marketed as the "Venice of Africa". One of the greatest touristic attractions near it is Ganvié, a traditional fishing village made of bamboo houses standing on stilts over the lagoon. Also, go to Ouidah, which is considered the cultural capital of southern Benin. For travelers interested in the historical or the religious side of Benin, Ouidah is the ideal destination.
Benin in a proverb :" Whatever the length of the night, the day will appear."
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| Benin Flag |
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