Note: The menu shows the 36 African countries where Africare has worked, not the other African countries.

 

Benin (Map courtesy of The World Factbook)

Benin

REGION: West Africa
CAPITAL CITY: Porto-Novo (official)
POPULATION: 8,177,000
LAND AREA: The size of Virginia

Democracy came to Benin in 1991, when the first free elections brought an end to 17 years of Marxist rule. The country has maintained its commitment to democracy ever since and is regarded as one of Africa's most stable nations. An important cotton producer, Benin nevertheless remains a poor nation by international standards. Among the most pressing problems are inadequate supplies of potable water, deforestation, desertification (in the semi-arid north) and disease (malaria is especially prevalent in the hot, humid south). As a result, development — hand in hand with democracy — is as a priority of the people and government of Benin.


Country Stats

Life expectancy: 55.4 years (USA: 77.9)

Under-5 child mortality: 150/1,000 live births (USA: 7/1,000)

HIV prevalence, ages 15-49: [1.2 - 2.5]% (USA: [0.4 - 1.0]%)

Physicians per 100,000 people: 4 (USA: 256)

People undernourished: 12% (USA: 0%)

People with access to safe drinking water: 67% (USA: 100%)

Adult literacy: 34.7% (USA: 99%)

Annual income, one way to look at it (GDP per capita, PPP US$): $1,141 (USA: $41,890)

Annual income, another way to look at it (GDP per capita): $508 (USA: $41,890)

People living on less than $1 a day: 30.9% (USA: 0%)

(HIV prevalence statistics, UNAIDS. All other statistics, 2007/2008 Human Development Report, UNDP)

 

(Updated, Dec. 18, 2007)