Benin

Summary of Benin located in Africa.   Back to All Countries List


Offical Flag of Benin
FIPS Code :   BN
ISO Code :   BJ
ISO 3 Code :   BEN
Numeric ISO :   204
Continent :   Africa
Area in (Sq KM) :   112620
DMS :   9° 18' 27.68" N, 2° 18' 57.00" E
Phone Code :   229
Currency :   Franc (XOF)
In Native :   Bénin

Benin, officially the Republic of Benin and formerly known as 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 small southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country's largest city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometres (44,310 sq mi) and its population in 2018 was estimated to be approximately 11.49 million. Benin is a tropical nation, highly dependent on agriculture, and is a large exporter of cotton and palm oil. Substantial employment and income arise from subsistence farming.

August 1 Benin Independence Day: Marks Benin gaining full independence from France on 1 August 1960
 
Capital :   Porto-Novo
Neighbour Countries :   Niger,   Togo,   Burkina Faso,   Nigeria
Languages :   French

Regions in Benin

Alibori
Atakora
Atlantique
Borgou
Collines
Donga
Kouffo
Littoral
Mono
Oueme
Plateau
Zou

Time zones in Benin

Countries can have more than one time zone. Date time has been calculated using UTC.

Time Zone Id GMT Offset Current Date Time
Africa/Porto-Novo 1 Friday, April 4, 2025 12:21:26 AM

Time Zone Name GMT Offset Current Date Time
W. Central Africa Standard Time 1 Friday, April 4, 2025 12:21:26 AM

Largest Cities and Populated Areas of Benin