10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BENIN
Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country located in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. Benin is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the northwest, and Niger to the northeast. The capital of Benin is Porto Novo but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the largest city and economic capital of the country. The country covers an area of 44,310 square miles and had a population of approximately 11.49 million as of 2018. French is the official language of Benin.
Benin is a largely rural society. Agriculture provides a livelihood for over 70% of its population. Agriculture contributes approximately 35% of the country's GDP and 80% of export earnings. Benin produces palm products, cocoa beans, and textiles for export. Rice, corn, beans, cassava, yams, pineapples, cashew nuts, peanuts and other tubers are grown for local consumption. Cotton accounts for 40% of Benin’s GDP and about 80% of official exports.
Cotton is the main cash crop. It is mainly exported in bales with only 3% of total production processed locally, mainly based on world prices. Seed cotton production is concentrated in northern and central Benin in an area called the cotton belt. It is also grown by small farmers who then sell it to ginning companies that process it into cotton lint and/or produce products such as oil, cottonseed and cakes.
Bilateral relations between Benin and China have improved. China has supported Benin in improving cotton production. This sector provides a source of income for half of the country’s population.
Although Cotonou is the largest city in Benin and has the seat of government - where government buildings are located and government services operate, Porto Novo is the capital of Benin. "Porto Novo" is of Portuguese origin and means "New Port". It remains untranslated and is in French which is the official language of Benin. The area covers 110 square kilometers and has a population of over 200,000 people.
