Benin, Africa

Contact: Francis Ahle

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Benin (/bɛˈnn/ (listen) ben-EEN/bɪˈnn/ bin-EEN;[8] FrenchBénin [benɛ̃]FonBenɛFulaBenen), officially the Republic of Benin (FrenchRépublique du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey,[9] 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 southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean.[10] The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital.[citation needed] Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometres (44,310 sq mi)[3] and its population in 2021 was estimated to be approximately 13 million.[11][12] It is a tropical country, with an economy significantly dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton. Some employment and income arise from subsistence farming.[13][better source needed]