Benin - Facts and Factoids

• Benin is a small, mostly rural, country on Africa’s west coast. It derives its name from the large body of water at the southern end of the colony 'the Bight of Benin.'
• The capital city of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the largest city is Cotonou, which is also home to the government.
• The country is largely composed of young people - the median age is 17.9 years.
• Cotton is the backbone of the country's economy, making up roughly 80 percent of the nation's total official exports.
• Despite French being the sole official language, used in government and education, it is spoken by only about one-third of the population, as indigenous languages like Fon and Yoruba dominate daily life
• Like Togo, Benin is more tourist oriented than most of West Africa, with larger numbers of European visitors.  There are chic beachside restaurants and bars with some excellent food. The beaches are glorious and golden.
• Also like Togo, it’s the home of voodoo. Read about that here.
• The government launched a tourist and visionary development programme, in 2025, dubbing the country A World of Splendour.

Is Benin a Poor Country?

Benin has nearly 11 million people and around half live on less than a dollar a day, so it is among the world’s poorest countries. Unlike other West African countries, which export oil and cocoa, Benin's largest export is cotton. If the crop fails the results can be devastating. And cotton cultivation both leaches and takes over the land and makes life difficult for small landholders.

A Very Brief History of Benin

• The Benin region was originally ruled by several powerful pre-colonial states, most notably the Kingdom of Dahomey, which emerged in the early seventeenth century
• The Dahomey Kingdom was known for its culture and traditions and famous for its highly centralized military state, Young boys were often apprenticed to older soldiers, and taught the kingdom's military customs, until they were old enough to join the army. There was also an elite female soldier corps, the Mino, formed from the king’s wives and dubbed the Dahomean Amazons by many Europeans.
• Dahomey grew wealthy through trading palm oil and through the kings of Dahomey working with mainly Portuguese merchants to establish the slave trade from the end of the eighteenth century, until well into the nineteenth century.
• As the trade lessened and the power of the kings weakened France invaded the region in 1892, defeated King Béhanzin in the Second Franco-Dahomean War, and officially incorporated the territory into French West Africa as French Dahomey.
• The colony gained full independence from France on August 1, 1960, under the name the Republic of Dahomey
• This was followed by a turbulent twelve-year period, marked by numerous military coups and political instability.
• Mathieu Kérékou seized power in a 1972 coup, established a strict Marxist-Leninist military government, and renamed the nation the People's Republic of Benin in 1975, to distance it from its colonial past, transitioning, in 1990 to a multi-party democracy

Is it Easy to Enter Benin?

I had to obtain an e- visa authorisation online. The form filling was a little trying- not all the links worked, but I mangaed it in the end. I got immediate authorisation. This was readily accepted at the border with Togo, though there were the usual interminable logbook entries to endure.

What are the Highlights of Benin?

In Benin, I'm visiting:

• The Slave Coast
• Cotonou and the stilt village at Ganvie
• And witnessing several Voodoo Ceremonies. Benin (with Togo) is THE place for Voodoo.

Is Benin a Safe Country?

Despite being located in a turbulent region, Benin is among Africa’s most stable democracies.

I felt perfectly safe travelling in the coastal areas. Far more caution is suggested on the northern borders, where there have been terrorist raids of late. At the time of my travel the FCO advises against all travel to the areas bordering Niger and Burkina Faso.

Is it Easy to Leave Benin?

I'm at Cotonou Airport . My ticket says I’m to be there by 1 pm, but I’m not allowed in for over half an hour, until it’s under two hours before the flight, and then I’m still not allowed to wait near the check in desks, when I ask where the ASKY desk is. I’m yelled at and forced to sit well away. It’s not at all friendly. Niger next. Or not. After half an hour of no action I steel myself to creep back to the check in area. I notice the information desk is now open, so I ask the girl sitting there when to check in. ‘But your flight’s been cancelled,’ she says. ’It's a holiday and ASKY have decided not to work today’. There’s no flight until Friday. And that only goes as far as Lomé.

Several messages with Gabriele and conversation about all my bad luck.  I express regret that I didn’t buy any amulets at the fetish market and ask if it’s too late. ‘Buy 100’, he replies.

So, I’m now in a car heading back to Lomé where I’m assured there is a plane to Niamey at lunchtime tomorrow. I will have driven the width of Togo four times. At least I get to spend another night in that lovely boutique hotel. I’m even going to have the same meal.

I have a stomach upset the next morning.

But the flight goes.