History of Benin

(English)

The History of Benin since the 16th century, for the geographical area included in 1960 in what was then called the Republic of Dahomey before becoming the People's Republic of Benin.

Benin ( ben-EEN, bin-EEN; French: Bénin , Fon: Benɛ, Fula: Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (French: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country 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 southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometres (44,310 sq mi) and its population in 2021 was estimated to be approximately 13 million. It is a small, tropical country. It is one of the least developed, with an economy significantly dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton. Some employment and income arise from subsistence farming.

From the 17th to the 19th century, political entities in the area included the Kingdom of Dahomey, the city-state of Porto-Novo, and other states to the north. This region was referred to as the Slave Coast from the early 17th century due to the high number of people who were sold and trafficked during the Atlantic slave trade to the New World. France took over the territory in 1894, incorporating it into French West Africa as French Dahomey. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France. As a sovereign state, Benin has had democratic governments, military coups, and military governments. A self-described Marxist–Leninist state called the People's Republic of Benin existed between 1975 and 1990. In 1991, it was replaced by the multi-party Republic of Benin.

The official language of Benin is French, with indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and Dendi also spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Christianity (52.2%), followed by Islam (24.6%) and traditional faiths (17.9%). Benin is a member of the United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, Francophonie, the Community of Sahel–Saharan States, the African Petroleum Producers Association and the Niger Basin Authority.

Histoire du Bénin (Français)

Cet article couvre l'histoire du territoire du Bénin depuis le xvie siècle, pour la zone géographique incluse en 1960 dans ce qui a été appelé à l'époque la République du Dahomey avant de devenir la République populaire du Bénin.

Le Bénin (), en forme longue la république du Bénin (en yoruba : Orílɛ̀-èdè Olómìnira ilɛ̀ Benin ; en gun-gbe : Beninto ; en fon : Benɛto), est un État d'Afrique de l'Ouest, qui couvre une superficie de 114 763 km2 et s'étend sur 700 km, du fleuve Niger au nord à la côte atlantique au sud. Le Bénin comptait 10 741 458 habitants en 2016. Le pays fait partie des Etats membres de la CEDEAO et a comme voisins le Togo à l'ouest, le Nigeria à l'est, le Niger au nord-est et le Burkina Faso au nord-ouest.