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 On the map you will find Benin on
the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea, in West Africa. It is flanked
by land borders, on the north by Niger, on the west by Togo, and on the
northwest by Burkina Faso.
The presence of sandbanks on the coast makes it devoid of any
natural harbours, river mouths or islands and this has made it quite an
inaccessible place. There are many lagoons, which form
a network behind the coastline. Some of them are, Grand
Popo, which is navigable at all seasons, situated on the Togo
Border and connected to Lake Aheme, Porto-Novo on the
Eastern side.  Benin’s longest river, the Oueme,
which is navigable for nearly 125 of its 285 miles, flows into this
lagoon. Yet another river is the Mono with a 50-mile long navigable
stretch and flowing from Parahoue to Grand Pope. Togo froms its
boundary and this river is heavily flooded during the rainy season.
Towards the South, another river Couffo flows into
Lake Aheme.
There is diversity in the terrain. The tributaries of the
Niger, and the Pandjari, the Mekrou, Alibory and Sota, are flooded
during rains and interspersed by rocks. The main oil palm area, a
region of laterite clay can be found on the northern side of the
coastal sandbank. This is intersected by a marshy depression between
Allada and Abomey that extends eastward to the Nigerian frontier.
Mountainous terrain of the Atakora (1,500 - 2,400 ft) extends in a
southwesterly direction into Togo. These mountains interrupt the
Northern side of hills of Dassa where the height is about 200 to 500
feet.
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Capital: Cotonou
Area: km²
Population:
Currency: 1 US$ = 600 CFA
GDP: 132/1 668$
HDI :
146/368
Languages: French, Fon, Yoruba, Mina, Somka, Dendi, Bariba, Goun,
Adja, Pila-pila
Ethnic groups: fon & Adja (south), Bariba & Somba (north),
Yoruba (southeast)
Religions: Animist 65%, Christian 20%, Muslim 15%
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