Benin
Africa ยท Capital: Porto-Novo
How it is run: Benin is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Benin is home to 14.8 million people in Western Africa, where people speak French.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
14.8 million people
That is 0.2% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
112,622 kmยฒ
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
๐๏ธ How crowded
About 132 people per square kilometre โ busy towns with countryside in between.
๐ Size in its region
28th most people in Africa
39th largest by land in Africa.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
French
๐ฐ Money
West African CFA franc (Fr)
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
61 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$1,658
A lower-income country: money for schools, clinics and roads has to stretch a very long way.
๐ข Living in cities
53.4% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
41.3% of the population
A very young country โ schools have to be built quickly.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+229
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.bj
๐ง People here are called
Beninese
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
Bรฉnin
Also written: Republic of Benin, Rรฉpublique du Bรฉnin.
๐ Coast or inland
Has a coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
African Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
Benin touches 4 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Benรญn
French
Bรฉnin
Arabic
ุจููู
Chinese
่ดๅฎ
Japanese
ใใใณ
Russian
ะะตะฝะธะฝ
Portuguese
Benin
German
Benin
Put it in perspective ๐
- Nigeria โ the most populated country in Africa โ has about 16.0ร as many people as Benin.
- Benin covers roughly 1,073 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Benin lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 7,407 km.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: Benin sits in Western Africa, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Republic of Benin
๐๏ธ Capital
Porto-Novo
๐ Region
Africa ยท Western Africa
๐ค Country code
BJ
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about Benin ๐
๐งญ Where on the map
9.5ยฐ N, 2.3ยฐ E
๐ Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC+0 โ when it is noon in London it is about 12:00 in Porto-Novo.
- Benin shares its part of the world with Liberia. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
- Benin is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- Benin sits in Western Africa, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
- Benin lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Benin is close to the line of 0ยฐ longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- Benin has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Benin can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Benin spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Benin?
Porto-Novo
Which money do people spend in Benin?
West African CFA franc (Fr)
How many countries share a land border with Benin?
4 โ Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Togo.
Roughly how many people live in Benin?
14.8 million people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.