What are the key facts to remember about Benin?
Benin is the first African country to have organized a national conference of stakeholders and the first to have adopted multiparty democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. This 1990 democratic transition makes Benin a pioneer of African democracy.
The pioneer of African democracy
Benin holds a unique place in the history of modern African politics. In 1990, it becomes the first sub-Saharan African country to organize a national conference of stakeholders, bringing together all actors of civil society to define the country's future.
This historic initiative also marks Benin's transition to democratic multipartyism, making the country a model followed by many other African nations in the 1990s.
Other essential landmarks
- Capital : Porto-Novo (constitutional capital), Cotonou (economic capital)
- Population : approximately 13 million inhabitants
- Languages : French (official), Fon, Yoruba, Bariba
- Heritage : birthplace of voodoo, royal palaces of Abomey (UNESCO)
- Geography : Atlantic coastline of 125 km, borders with Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Niger
To remember for your trip
This democratic stability makes Benin a safe and welcoming destination to discover authentic West Africa, between ancestral traditions and modernity.