The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo. The Republic of Benin is a state in West Africa

The West African state of Benin is difficult to call a tourist destination. It has poorly developed infrastructure, and the lion's share of the population lives on the same rules and beliefs as 100-200 years ago. However, it will be interesting from a historical point of view, because here you can see real Africa, see the originality of its people, be surprised by its traditions.

about country

Not everyone can immediately answer the question about where Benin is located. Many, most likely, this country is not familiar at all. Meanwhile, the state is the historical successor of the once powerful medieval African state formation of Dahomey.

The Republic of Benin is located in West Africa, near the Gulf of Guinea. From the north it borders on the Niger and Burkina Faso, in the west - from Togo, in the east - to Nigeria. The territory of the state is divided administratively into twelve departments: Alibori, Atlantic, Atacora, Borgu, Colleen, Cuffo, Dongo, Litoral, Mono, Vema, Plateau, Zu. All of them, in turn, split into 77 communes.

The nominal capital of Benin is the city of Porto-Novo, in reality all government offices, foreign embassies are in Koston. The state system is a presidential republic with a mono-party system. The President is also the head of the government, which exercises executive power. The current Constitution of Benin was adopted in 1990.

Four languages are common in the country: von, yoruba, somb and French, which is state language. The economy of Benin is based entirely on subsistence agriculture (yams, maize, tapioca) and cotton growing. There are deposits of gas and oil in the bowels, but they are not exploited. In a meager amount, gold, iron ore, phosphorite, and marble are mined.

Climate and nature

If you look at the map, you will notice that Benin (Africa) has an elongated form from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the center of the continent. This explains the fact that the state is located in two climatic zones. In the southern part, the equatorial climate prevails with characteristic rainy seasons, which last from March to July and from September to early November. The northern part of Benin is located in the subequatorial belt. There, during the year, two seasons are expressed: dry (December - April, May) and rainy (June - November). Precipitation is much less than in the south. The most favorable time for travel, when the capital of Benin can be visited, comes from December to March, the climate is most comfortable during this period, and there are numerous festivals and holidays in the country.

Once the whole country was hidden in the jungle. Now they are partially preserved only in the center of the state, but as a whole are practically cut down, in the region one can find only palms. The fauna is represented by birds, large predators (panthers, crocodiles) and herbivores (elephants, buffaloes, antelopes).

Historical essay

The territory of modern Benin was once part of the great medieval kingdom of Dahomey with its capital in the city of Abomey (now the administrative center of the department of Zu).

People lived on these lands since the Paleolithic and Neolithic times. The Kingdom of Dahomey was founded in the 17th century. At the same time, the first information about the modern capital of Porto-Novo is included. The origins of the origin of the country go to the Aja tribe, who once inhabited the coastal state of Allad. They settled north and gradually assimilated with the local population.

In the 17th century. French, Dutch and Portuguese on the coast of the country were founded the first European settlements of merchants. The king sold slaves, receiving in return weapons that he used for further expansion. Europeans were attracted by local traditions and customs. Especially unusual for them was the existence of a military formation of women - the Dahomey Amazons. They showed themselves as desperate, brave and professional warriors during the first and second Franco-Dahomey war.

Dahomey lasted until the 19th century, when it was conquered by French troops from Senegal. Then came the annexation of the kingdom to French West Africa in 1904. The colonialists contributed in part to the development of the region: the construction of roads and industrial enterprises began.

In 1946, Dahomey changed its status and became known as the overseas territory of France. Under the governor, who ruled the country, the General Council began functioning, which included the local intelligentsia and the bourgeoisie.

Independence of the Republic of Dahomey received August 1, 1960. Its first president was MK Uber, who in fact established a personal dictatorship. From 1963 to 1972, the country experienced four military coups. As a result of the latter, M. Kerek came to power, establishing a one-party system with Marxist-Leninist ideology. In 1989, he renounced his principles, after which the first free elections took place, and the state was renamed the Republic of Benin.

The people of Benin

According to the latest data, there are 8.3 million people in the country, the average life expectancy is small and is 54 years. The country is in a rather difficult situation with medicine, the birth rate and death rate, especially the child. About 1.9% of the population are carriers of HIV.

Benin is a multinational state, on its territory there are representatives of more than 60 nations and 42 ethnic groups. The largest people are the background (about 65%), akin to eve. It is mainly distributed in the south and adjacent territories of neighboring states. The population is 3.5 million people, all of them basically keep their traditional beliefs, and only a part belongs to Christianity. Mostly they are inhabited by the capital of Benin. The background was the ethnic core of Dahomey.

In addition, the people of the barba, which is about 1/10 of the population of the whole country, are distributed. Beliefs are mostly traditional, a small part - Sunni Muslims. In Benin, the largest tribes of the peoples of the Somba and Yoruba, the bead, live.

The capital of the state

The first written sources mentioning the capital of Benin date back to the 17th century. The exact date of foundation remains unknown, but it is assumed that this happened in the 18th century. Then the Portuguese settled in the city, thanks to which it became the center of the slave trade. It was proclaimed the capital after the state gained independence in 1960.

Porto-Novo is one of the ports in the Gulf of Guinea, located in the south-eastern part of the country. It is its nominal capital and the second largest settlement after the actual center of Konton. The latter is more important for the state both from the cultural point of view and from the political point of view. In the capital lives, according to 2002, 223 552 people.

Sights of the capital

Despite the fact that the capital of Benin can not boast a high level of comfort for tourists and large sizes, it is of interest from the point of view of ancient history. The following attractions will be of interest for those who come to visit:

• Cathedral of the XVIII century., Built by the Portuguese.
• Ethnographic museum, which collected an incredible number of items of the Yoruba tribe cult, as well as historical documents and exhibits.
• The Da Silva Museum, dedicated to relations between Africa and Brazil, with an open-air cinema, library and hotel.
• The Royal Palace, which was the residence of King Roy Toffa.