Benin

Overview

The country's official capital is Porto Novo, however, this is not the economic centre nor the location of the major airport, both of which are at Cotonou. The former city contains a range of pre and colonial architectuer and a few museums. Both cities allow access to the famed stilted villages, with Ganvié being situated for an easy day trip from Cotonou. African and French food are available in the city, with several nightclubs for thos that wish to extend the evening.

There is the fomer slave post at Ouidah, also considered the place where Voodoo started. The lucky visitor might be able to see a ceremony. A major factor in the the appeal of Benin is the opportunity to see the traditional way of life of a number of peoples, for example the Somba, Dariba and Fulani.

If the visitor is also interested in the history of the region there are ruins at Abomey of the palace of the Kingdom of Dahomey which was once a great empire in West Africa. The museumw with a throne made of human skulls and the Fetish Templs should not be missed. After all that excitement, the visitor might like to head back out to the coast for some seafood and the beaches of Grand Popo or one of the National Parks to see the natural attractions.

History

Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged.