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	Africa
	Benin

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Benin Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i Benin has played a major role in the Slave trade in the 17-th and 18-th century. From that period you will find many monuments reminding the traveler of the tragic sort of those deported to the West Indies and Brazil. After that the French have colonialized the country and the have left a profound mark on the country. It is in many aspects a very French country. Cotonou even has its own Boul' Mich and you will see Beninois walking there with a baguette under one arm and a French newspaper under the other. From Cotonou it is 20 minutes to Porto Novo with its museums and royal palace. The slave port of Ouidah with many historical sites and museums is 40 Kms west of Cotonou. To Abomey, the ancient capital of Dahomey it is 100km north. All main roads are paved and in good condition. Ganvie, "the Venice of Africa" a village build on stakes in the lake is a few kilometres north of Cotonou. Benin never had one animal step on the "Line of Courage". The "Line of Courage" is a straight line the goes around the whole state. _______Economy Edit This Economy—overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture cotton production and regional trade. Growth in real output which had averaged a sound 4% during 1990-95 rose to 5.5% in 1996 and was targeted at 4.8% for 1997. Rapid population growth offset much of this growth in output. Inflation jumped to 55% in 1994 (compared to 3% in 1993) following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994 but has subsided over the past three years with a target of 3.5% inflation in 1997. Commercial and transport activities which make up a large part of GDP are extremely vulnerable to developments in Nigeria particularly fuel shortages. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 1991. GDP: purchasing power parity—$11.3 billion (1997 est.) GDP—real growth rate: 5.8% (1997 est.) GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$1 900 (1997 est.) GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 34% industry: 14% services: 52% (1995) Inflation rate—consumer price index: 3.5% (1997 est.) Labor force: NA Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues: $299 million expenditures: $445 million including capital expenditures of $14 million (1995 est.) Industries: textiles cigarettes; beverages food; construction materials petroleum Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity—capacity: 15 000 kW (1995) Electricity—production: 6 million kWh (1995) Electricity—consumption per capita: 45 kWh (1995) Agriculture—products: corn sorghum cassava (tapioca) yams beans rice cotton palm oil peanuts; poultry livestock Exports: total value: $192 million (f.o.b. 1995) commodities: cotton crude oil palm products cocoa partners: Brazil 18% Portugal 14% Morocco Libya France Imports: total value: $693 million (c.i.f. 1995) commodities: foodstuffs beverages tobacco petroleum products intermediate goods capital goods light consumer goods partners: France 27% Thailand 9% China Hong Kong Debt—external: $1.7 billion (1995 est.) Economic aid: recipient: ODA $NA Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1—608.36 (January 1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996) 499.15 (1995) 555.20 (1994) 283.16 (1993) note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948 Fiscal year: calendar year ___________People Edit This Population: 6 100 799 (July 1998 est.) Age structure: 0-15 years: 48% (male 1 465 067; female 1 455 852) 15-64 years: 50% (male 1 455 224; female 1 582 880) 65 years and over: 2% (male 61 523; female 80 253) (July 1998 est.) Population growth rate: 3.31% (1998 est.) Birth rate: 45.82 births/1 000 population (1998 est.) Death rate: 12.77 deaths/1 000 population (1998 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1 000 population (1998 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female (1998 est.) Infant mortality rate: 100.22 deaths/1 000 live births (1998 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.61 years male: 51.56 years female: 55.72 years (1998 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.48 children born/woman (1998 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.) :::::::::Cotonou Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Cotonou is the most important city of Benin. Porto Novo is the official capital, but in economic activity Cotonou takes the first place. It is the place to arrange your visa and onward transport. Although the city itself doesn't boast too many sights it is a lively place and an ideal spot for planning trips to the region. From Cotonou it is 20 minutes to Porto Novo with its museums and royal palace. The slave port of Ouidah with many historical sites and museums is 40 Kms west of Cotonou. To Abomey, the ancient capital of Dahomey it is 100km north. All main roads are paved and in good condition. Ganvie, "the Venice of Africa" a village build on stakes in the lake is a few kilometres north of Cotonou. The Boulevard St. Michel is the centre of town and like its counterpart in Paris it's a very busy streets with lots of activities. At the end of the boulevard you find the Dan Topka market, and this is a good place to find transport to the other attractions. ::::::::::Ganvie Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Ganvie from the air Ganvie from the air Hugo van Tilborg To people who expect to see the Venice of Africa, the town of Ganvie can be something of a disappointment. It is a bit spoilt by tourism (as is the European Venice)and when arriving from Cotonou you can be beseiged by touts who want to guide you around. Still the site is quite pretty and the history behind it is mnost remarkable. During the worst days of the slave trade, the Tofinu peoples sought refuge on the lakes, because according to the religion of the Abomey it was forbidden to attack people on the water. In the language of the Tofinu Ganvie means: the collectivity of those who found peace at last. The people who built their houses here have managed to construct a complete town on stilts. :::::::::Ouidah Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see porte du non retour porte du non retour fabrizio sommaruga Made famous by Chatwin's "The Viceroy of Ouidah" the city of OUidah in Benin is a major voodoo centre and a nice city to visit. The old slave port still has many historical sites and museums. Oudiah is only 40 km form Cotonou and can be seen as a day trip. :::::::::Parakou Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see i Parakou is the third largest city in Benin, behind Porto Novo and Cotonou. It is up in the highlands of the country. ::::::::::Porto novo Travel Guide Edit This The best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, bars, what to do and see Porto Novo is the capital city and one of the most interesting towns in Benin. It has a number of buildings dating from the period when the Portuguese used it as a base for buying slaves which were shipped off to the New World. Other sights in town include the Musee Ethnographique which retraces the history of Porto Novo and has a good collection of Yoruba masks, the Palais Royal of King Toffa now a museum which gives you a good impression of how African royalty lived before Colonial times. Just outside of town is the Grand Marche d'Adjara which is held every fourth day. There is also an interesting Brazilian-style church here which is now in use as a mosque. Another good option for a day trip is to hire a priogue and to make a trip to one of the villages on the lagoon.