The West African state of Benin is hardly a tourist destination. It has poorly developed infrastructure, and the lion's share of the population lives by the same rules and beliefs as 100-200 years ago. However, it will be interesting precisely from a historical point of view, because here you can see the real Africa, be convinced of the identity of its people, marvel at its traditions.
about the country
Not everyone will be able to immediately answer the question of where Benin is located. Most likely, this country is not familiar at all. Meanwhile, the state is the historical successor to the once powerful medieval African state formation of Dahomey.
The Republic of Benin is located in West Africa, near the Gulf of Guinea. It borders with Niger and Burkina Faso in the north, with Togo in the west, and Nigeria in the east. The territory of the state is administratively divided into twelve departments: Alibori, Atlantic, Atakora, Borgu, Colleen, Kuffo, Dongo, Litoral, Mono, Veme, Plateau, Zu. All of them, in turn, are divided into 77 communes.
The nominal capital of Benin is the city of Porto Novo, in fact, all government agencies, foreign embassies are located in Coston. The state system is a presidential republic with a monoparty 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 widespread in the country: von, Yoruba, Somba, and French, which is the state language. Benin's economy is based entirely on subsistence agriculture (yams, corn, tapioca) and cotton growing. In the bowels there are deposits of gas and oil, but they are not exploited. Gold, iron ore, phosphorites, and marble are mined in scanty amounts.
Climate and nature
If you look at the map, you will notice that Benin (Africa) has an elongated shape from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the center of the mainland. This explains the fact that the state is located in two climatic zones. The equatorial climate dominates in the southern part, with characteristic rainy seasons lasting from March to July and from September to early November. The northern part of Benin is located in the subequatorial belt. There are two seasons expressed during the year: dry (December - April, May) and rainy (June - November). Precipitation is much less than in the south. The most favorable time for traveling, when the capital of Benin can be visited, comes from December to March, the climate is most comfortable during this period, and numerous festivals and holidays are held 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 on the whole they are practically cut down, only palm trees can be found in the region. The fauna is represented by birds, large predators (panthers, crocodiles) and herbivores (elephants, buffalos, antelopes).
Historical essay
The territory of modern Benin was once part of the large medieval kingdom of Dahomey with its capital in the city of Abomey (now the administrative center of the Zu department).
People have lived on these lands since the days of the Paleolithic and Neolithic. The Kingdom of Dahomey was founded in the 17th century. The first information about the modern capital Porto Novo dates back to the same time. The origins of the country go back 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 the first European settlements of merchants were founded on the coast of the country by the French, Dutch and Portuguese. The king traded in slaves, receiving in return a weapon 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 Dahomeian Amazons. They proved themselves as desperate, courageous and professional warriors during the first and second Franco-Dagomean war.
Dahomey lasted until the 19th century, when it was conquered by French troops from Senegal. Then came the accession of the kingdom to French West Africa in 1904. The colonialists partly contributed to the development of the region: the construction of roads and industrial enterprises began.
In 1946, the Dahomey changed its status and became known as the overseas territory of France. Under the governor, who runs the country, the General Council began to function, which included the local intelligentsia and the bourgeoisie.
The Republic of Dahomey gained independence on August 1, 1960. Its first president was M.K. Hubert, 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, having established a one-party system with a 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 peoples of Benin
According to the latest data, 8.3 million people live in the country, the average life expectancy is short and is 54 years. The country has a rather difficult situation with medicine, the birth rate and mortality, especially for children. About 1.9% of the population are HIV-infected.
Benin is a multinational state; representatives of more than 60 nations and 42 ethnic groups live on its territory. The largest people are the background (about 65%), akin to ewe. It is mainly distributed in the south and adjacent territories of neighboring states. The number is 3.5 million people, all of them basically retain their traditional beliefs, and only a part belongs to Christianity. Mostly they settled the capital of Benin. The background was the ethnic core of Dahomey.
In addition, the Barba people are common, accounting for approximately 1/10 of the population of the whole country. Mostly traditional beliefs are practiced, a small part is Sunni Muslims. In Benin, the largest tribes of the Somba, Yoruba and Busa peoples live.
State capital
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 culturally and politically. According to 2002 data, 223 552 people live in the capital.
Sights of the capital
Despite the fact that the capital of Benin cannot boast of a high level of comfort for vacationers and large size, it is of interest from the point of view of ancient history. Arriving tourists will be interested in the following attractions:
- The Cathedral of the XVIII century., Built by the Portuguese.
- Ethnographic museum, which collected an incredible amount of objects of worship of the Yoruba tribe, 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.