: 31%
other: 48% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in
winter
Environment - current issues: recent droughts have severely affected
marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water;
poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation;
desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: no natural harbors
@Benin:People
Population: 5,902,178 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,420,335; female 1,411,160)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,401,360; female 1,530,626)
65 years and over : 2% (male 60,704; female 77,993) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.31% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 46.28 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 13.14 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 102.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.15 years
male: 51.15 years
female: 55.21 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese
Ethnic groups: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being
Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars
in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 37%
male: 48.7%
female: 25.8% (1995 est.)
@Benin:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form : Benin
former: Dahomey
Data code: BN
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped
Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February
1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Na
|