orth; no natural harbors

- People
Population: 4,673,964 (July 1990), growth rate 3.3% (1990)

Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 52 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective--Beninese

Ethnic divisions: 99% African (42 ethnic groups, most important being
Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); 5,500 Europeans

Religion: 70% indigenous beliefs, 15% Muslim, 15% Christian

Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common vernaculars in
south; at least six major tribal languages in north

Literacy: 25.9%

Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); 60% agriculture, 38% transport, commerce,
and public services, less than 2% industry; 49% of population of working age
(1985)

Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners

- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Benin

Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms
adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system by 1991 planned

Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono,
Oueme, Zou

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)

Constitution: 23 May 1977 (nullified 1 March 1990); new
constitution to be drafted by April 1990

Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: National Day, 30 November (1975)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, cabinet

Legislative branch: unicameral National Revolutionary Assembly
(Assemblee Nationale Revolutionnaire) dissolved 1 March 1990
and replaced by a 24-member interim High Council of the Republic
during the transition period

Judicial branch: Central People's Court (Cour Central Populaire)

Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Mathieu KEREKOU
(since 27 October 1972)

Political parties and leaders: only party--People's Revolutionary
Party of Benin (PRPB), President Mathieu Kerekou, chairman of the
Central Committee

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections:
President--last held July 1989 (next to be held July 1994);
results--President Mathieu Kerekou was reelected by the
National Revolutionary Asse