Facts and Figures

Nationality 
        noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
        adjective: Beninese

Flag:

Area  
        total: 112,620 sq km
        water: 2,000 sq km
        land: 110,620 sq km 

Population: 7,460,025
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)

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

Capital: Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government (210 000)

Largest Cities: Parakou (175 000)

Official Language
        French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south),
        tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
 
Religion
        indigenous beliefs 50%,
        Christian 30%,
        Muslim 20% 

Political system: presidential/parliamentary democracy

GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.338 billion (2004 est.) 

GDP per head: purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2004 est.) 

Annual growth: 5% (2004 est.) 

GDP - composition by sector:
        agriculture: 36.3%
        industry: 14.3%
        services: 49.4% (2004 est.) 

Inflation: 2.8% (2004 est.) 

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