Benin
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Access
Benin is not directly accessible from Italy. The main point of access by air is Cadjehoun International Airport in Cotonou (COO), with obligatory stairs at hubs such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Addis Ababa or Casablanca. Etihad Airways, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines and Royal Air Maroc operate the most frequent connections. By land, the country can be reached from Togo in the west, Nigeria in the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger in the north; the main roads are paved but in variable condition. The internal road network runs along the coast and to the north; the route nationale is the main axis connecting Cotonou to the northern border. There is no major operational railway network. Inland transport relies mainly on taxi brousse (collective minibuses) and mototaxi (zémidjan), which are widespread throughout the coastal urban belt.
Introduction
Benin faces the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, stretching some 700 km from the sea to the Niger River in the north. The territory is one of the narrowest in the region: the coastline measures only 121 km, while the maximum width is just over 320 km. The morphology is predominantly flat in the south, with a coastal zone of lagoons, lakes and sandy shores, and gradually rises towards the north, where the Atakora massif introduces the country's most significant elevations (700-800m). Benin borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. The country is known historically by the name Dahomey, carried until 1975: the eponymous kingdom that prospered in the coastal strip between the 17th and 19th centuries was one of the most organised African states of the pre-colonial period. Independent from France since 1960, Benin is today a presidential republic that has gone through an uneven path between military experiences and democratic transitions.
Description
The Beninese territory is divided into four parallel geographical belts oriented east-west. The coastal plain, below an altitude of 10 metres, is characterised by a chain of lagoons, coastal lakes such as Lake Nokoué and Lake Ahémé, and sandy belts separating the inland waters from the Atlantic Ocean; on these belts stand Cotonou, the economic capital, and the charming lakeside village of Ganvié, built entirely on water. North of the coast is the slightly undulating and fertile Plateau d'Abomey, seat of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey. The central region is characterised by more pronounced hills, where the Ouémé and Couffo rivers flow towards the sea. The northern area is home to the Atakora massif, a remnant of an ancient quartzite rock relief that reaches altitudes of 700-800m, and the Kandi Basin, a semi-arid plain that opens out towards the Niger.
The kingdom of Dahomey (17th-19th century), with its capital Abomey, was one of the most powerful political entities in pre-colonial Africa: centrally organised, with a regular army and a famous unit of female fighters (the Agojie, known in the West as the "Amazons of Dahomey"), the kingdom was a key player in both resistance to colonial expansion and the slave trade to the Atlantic. The historic capital Abomey, with its royal palaces, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. French colonisation, which began in the early 20th century, left Dahomey with a centralised administration and a relatively formed intellectual class; after independence (1960), the country went through six military coups before the Marxist regime of Mathieu Kérékou renamed the country Benin in 1975. The democratic change in 1990 initiated a transition that was long considered a model for sub-Saharan Africa.
The Beninese economy is heavily dependent on agriculture (maize, cassava, cotton, peanuts, palm oil), coastal fishing and informal trade with neighbouring economic giant Nigeria. Cotonou is the region's main port and serves as a transit point for the landlocked countries of the Sahel. Tourism is limited but growing, favoured by the presence of the UNESCO site of Abomey, the Route des Pêches and the fauna of the W National Park.
Beninese culture is marked by the legacy of the Fon and Yoruba kingdoms. The sacred city of Ouidah is considered the world capital of Voodoo, the traditional African religion that originated in the Dahomean area and was later exported to the Americas through the slave trade; the International Voodoo Festival is celebrated every year on 10 January. Abomey's bronze craftsmanship is among the finest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Protected areas include the Parc National du W (shared with Niger and Burkina Faso, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996), home to elephants, lions, leopards, hippos and hundreds of species of birds, the Parc National de la Pendjari in the north, and several forest reserves in the central area.
Walking in Benin is mainly concentrated in the north of the country, in the Pendjari National Park and in the Atakora massif area, where it is possible to hike through savannahs and rocky reliefs in the company of local guides. The visit to the lakeside village of Ganvié by dugout canoe and the routes along the Route des Pêches are cultural trekking experiences along the coast. The hiking offer is still poorly structured.
There is no mountaineering tradition in Benin; the country's maximum altitudes (700-800m) do not justify this practice.
There are no trail running events of international significance in Benin. The flat terrain and tropical climate limit the development of this discipline.
Information
General Data
Capital: Porto-Novo
Area: 112.622 km²
Minimum elevation: 0m (Atlantic coast)
Maximum elevation: 658m - Mont Sokbaro
Number of inhabitants: 13,700.000 (estimated 2024)
Official name: République du Bénin
Name of inhabitants: Beninese
Main administrative divisions: 12 departments
Bordering countries: Burkina Faso - Niger - Nigeria - Togo
Institutional website: https://www.gouv.bj