| Republic of Benin République du Bénin(French) |
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Motto: "Fraternité, Justice, Travail" (French)
"Fraternity, Justice, Labour" |
Anthem: L'Aube Nouvelle (French)
The Dawn of a New Day
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| Capital | Porto-Novo1
6°28′N2°36′E / 6.467°N 2.6°E / 6.467; 2.6 |
| Largest city | Cotonou |
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| Official language(s) | French |
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| Vernacular | Fon, Yoruba |
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| Ethnic groups (2002) | Fon 39.2%
Adja 15.2%
Yoruba 12.3%
Bariba 9.2%
Peulh 7%
Ottamari 6.1%
Yoa-Lokpa 4%
Dendi 2.5%
other 1.6%
unspecified 2.9% |
| Demonym | Beninese; Beninois |
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| Government | Multiparty democracy |
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| - | President | Yayi Boni |
| - | Prime Minister | Pascal Koupaki |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
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| Independence |
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| - | from France | August 1, 1960 |
| Area |
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| - | Total | 112,622 km2 (101st)
43,484 sq mi |
| - | Water (%) | 0.02% |
| Population |
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| - | 2012 estimate | 9,598,787[1] (89th) |
| - | 2002 census | 8,500,500 |
| - | Density | 78.1/km2 (120th)
202.2/sq mi |
| GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
| - | Total | $14.683 billion[2] |
| - | Per capita | $1,481[2] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
| - | Total | $7.306 billion[2] |
| - | Per capita | $736[2] |
| Gini (2003) | 36.5[3] (medium) |
| HDI (2011) |  0.427 (low) (167th) |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
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| Time zone | WAT(UTC+1) |
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| - | Summer (DST) | not observed (UTC+1) |
| Drives on the | right |
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| ISO 3166 code | BJ |
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| Internet TLD | .bj |
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| Calling code | 229 |
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| 1 | Cotonou is the seat of government. |
| 2 | Estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected. |
0.427 (