This West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, between Togo on the west and Nigeria on the east, is about the size of Tennessee. It is bounded also by Burkina Faso and Niger on the north. The land consists of a narrow coastal strip that rises to a swampy, forested plateau and then to highlands in the north. A hot and humid climate blankets the entire country.
Population
7,862,944 (growth rate: 2.7%); birth rate: 38.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 79.6/1000; life expectancy: 53.0; density per sq mi: 184
Land Area
42,710 sq mi (110,619 sq km); total area: 43,483 sq mi (112,620 sq km)
Monetary unit
CFA Franc Language
French (official), Fon, Yoruba, tribal languages
Ethnicity African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Religion African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Transportation Railways: total: 578 km (2004). Highways: total: 6,787 km; paved: 1,357 km (including 10 km of expressways); unpaved: 5,430 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2004). Ports and harbors: Cotonou. Airports: 5 (2004 est.).
