Africa Homeschool Series with Benin teaches that the most democratic nation in Africa, Benin, was formerly known as Dahomey. Benin is named after the body of water on which it lies – the ‘Bight of Benin’. Benin is a narrow, key-shaped, north-south strip of land situated in West Africa; it is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its population lives on the small southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean.

The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country’s largest city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometres (44,310 sq mi) and its population in 2018 was estimated to be approximately 11.49 million. Benin is a tropical nation, highly dependent on agriculture, and is a large exporter of cotton and palm oil. Substantial employment and income arise from subsistence farming.

The official language of Benin is French, with several indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and Dendi also being commonly spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Roman Catholicism, followed closely by Islam, Vodun (commonly referred to as Voodoo outside the country) and Protestantism. Voodoo is practiced by 17% of the population and is recognized as an official religion. Because of superstitious Voodoo, some communities believe that photography steals part of the soul and refrains tourists from taking their pictures.

The people of Benin are called as Beninese. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons; you can expect to get heavily rained on from April to late July and from late September to November. Benin is a mixture of terrain, featuring marshy plains, lakes, lagoons, sandy coastal plains, rivers, flat lands, rocky hills, and forests.

Benin grows cotton, yams, corn, cassava, beans, peanuts and cashews, rears livestock and produces palm oil. Its industry consists of food processing, textiles, cement and construction materials. It also exports cotton, cashews, textiles, shea butter, palm products and seafood. Soccer is the national sport of Benin. The currency here is called the West African CFA franc.

Benin is also home to Fulani herders who move their livestock over long distances in search of grass. These herders are locally known as the Peul. People generally eat rice, vegetables, and meat. A variety of fish is eaten in the south while beef is more popular in the north. It is traditional to offer food and drink to visitors here. In the country’s culture, it is considered bad to eat with the left hand or offer another person something with it.

The price of gas is high in west Africa, and petrol stations are rare to come by so people prefer cheap gas sold on the black market. The country is largely composed of young people and the median age is 17.9 years. When leaving or entering a room, it is considered respectful to shake everyone’s hand. People wear winter jackets during summer to avoid extreme heat.

The Pendjari National Park lies in north western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. The W National Park or W Regional Park is a major national park in West Africa around a meander in the River Niger shaped like the letter W. The park includes areas of the three countries Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso, and is governed by the three governments.

Benin is home to “The Venice of Africa”, a group of villages floating in a lake. It is also home to the Benin Iya, the world’s largest archaeological structure. The country is famous around the world for carved wood masks. Unlike in most parts of the world, snakes in Benin are revered, particularly the Royal pythons. They even eat and sleep in people homes. The Temple of Pythons is home to 50 royal pythons and t measures 130 square feet.

The national flag of Benin is a flag consisting of two horizontal yellow and red bands on the fly side and a green vertical band at the hoist. Adopted in 1959 to replace the French Tricolour, it was the flag of the Republic of Dahomey until 1975, when the People’s Republic of Benin was established. The new regime renamed the country and changed the flag to a green field with a red star in the canton. This version was utilized until the regime collapsed in 1990, coinciding with the Revolutions of 1989.

The new government promptly restored the original pre-1975 flag. The colours of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. As stated in the national anthem, the green of the flag represent the hope of a new democracy. The red represents the courage of the ancestors, and the yellow is for the treasures of the nation. We invite you to learn some more interesting facts about Africa and its rich history and culture on our Africa Homeschool Series and thank you for joining us!

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