Benin — Capital, Flag and Country Facts
Explore Benin: capital Porto-Novo, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.
Benin is in Africa. Its capital is Porto-Novo.
- Population
- 13,300,000
- Area
- 114,763 km²
- Currency
- West African CFA Franc (XOF)
- Languages
- French
Climate
Tropical; hot and humid in south, semi-arid in north
Terrain
Mostly flat to undulating plain with some hills and low mountains
Facts
Benin is the birthplace of Vodun (Voodoo), still practiced by millions.
Ganvié is a lake village built entirely on stilts, sometimes called the "Venice of Africa."
The Kingdom of Dahomey had an elite all-female military unit known as the Dahomey Amazons.
History
1600: Kingdom of Dahomey established
1892: France conquers the Kingdom of Dahomey
1960: Independence from France as Republic of Dahomey
1975: Country renamed People's Republic of Benin
1990: Transition to multi-party democracy
2016: Patrice Talon elected president