Simple directory > Regional > Benin

Country : Benin Official name: République du Bénin (Republic of Benin) Head of State: President Mathieu Kérékou (since Mar 1996; re-elected Mar 2001) Head of government: President Mathieu Kérékou (since May 1998) Ruling party: The Mouvance Présidentielle (Presidential Movement) (a large coalition of parties backing President Mathieu Kérékou) (elected 30 Mar 2003) Area: 112,622 square km Population: 6.94 million (2004) Capital: Porto-Novo (administrative); Cotonou (seat of government) Official language: French Currency: CFA franc (CFAf) = 100 centimes (Communauté Financière Africaine (African Financial Community) franc). New notes have been issued; old notes cease to be legal tender from Jan 2005. Exchange rate: CFAf507.21 per US$ (Nov 2004); CFAf655.95 per euro (pegged from Jan 1999) GDP per capita: US$400 (2003) GDP real growth: 5.50% (2003) Inflation: 1.70% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$272.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$1.60 billion (2003)

Historical profile

Much of the area now comprising Benin belonged to the ancient kingdom of Dahomey, which gave up its independence to France in 1893.

1960 Gained independence from France as the Republic of Dahomey. Hubert Maga was elected president.

1963 Maga was overthrown by the army.

1970–72 Triumvirate leadership including Hubert Maga until the army intervened.

1974 Major Mathieu Kérékou seized power.

1975 The Republic of Dahomey was renamed Republic of Benin.

1990 With the country bankrupt and on the brink of social collapse, President Kérékou handed power to a national conference. The government abandoned Marxism-Leninism and committed itself to political reform.

1991 Nicéphore Soglo became president.

1995 Parties opposed to the president won a majority in the National Assembly in the legislative elections. However, the results in 13 constituencies were invalidated and fresh polls were ordered.

1996 After elections, Kérékou took office again and Adrien Houngbédji, leader of the Parti du Renouveau Démocratique (PRD) (Party of Democratic Renewal), assumed the role of prime minister.

1998 Houngbédji resigned and as the constitution made no provision for a prime minister, a new government was formed without one.

1999 After elections, former president Nicéphore Soglo's Parti de la Renaissance du Benin (PRB) (Benin Renaissance Party) emerged as the largest single opposition party in the National Assembly and Adrien Houngbédji (PRD) was elected president of the new Assembly.

2001 President Kérékou was re-elected for his last five-year term, since in 2006, he will be over the age limit of 70 years for presidential candidates.

2002 The European Commission adopted a programme of co-operation with Benin for the period 2002<196>07. The first municipal elections were held.

2003 A large coalition of parties backing President Mathieu Kérékou won the 30 March National Assembly elections.

2004 In July, an International Development Association (IDA) credit of US$45 million was approved to assist Benin in expanding electrification.

 

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