Republic of Benin

Benin (capital Porto-Novo)
between its neighboring African
states,Togo and Nigeria

Wealth and National Well-Being

Country Comparisons:
2010: see chart (middle)

World Factbook: "The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase."

Wikipedia: The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms." Wikipedia writes further: "The Paris Club (French: Club de Paris) is an informal group of financial officials from 19 of some of the world's biggest economies, which provides financial services such as debt restructuring, debt relief, and debt cancellation to indebted countries and their creditors. Debtors are often recommended by the International Monetary Fund after alternative solutions have failed."

People

Living in an urban area
2008: 41%

Geography

Western Africa just west of Nigeria. A little smaller than Pennsylvania, with a 100 kilometer strip bordering the ocean.

Government

Independence from France: 1960. Military governments to 1972, followed by power by Marxist-Leninists, to 1989. Democratic elections in 1991. Multi-party rule with electoral politics and a unicameral legislature.