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Tourism In Benin
Tourism in Benin is a small industry. In 1996, Benin had approximately 150,000 tourists. By 2014 number rose to 242,000. A small country with a high concentration of tourist attractions, Benin's national parks and culture are among its main tourist attractions.Taylor & Francis Group, 2003, ''Africa South of the Sahara 2004'', Routledge, , page 88. Abomey is one of Benin's main tourist attractions, with palaces that became a World Heritage Site in 1982. The capital city Porto Novo's attractions include its museums and architecture. Cotonou is the only international airport in Benin.Williams, Stephen, Dec 2002Benin: The belly of history ''African History''. There are direct flights to Benin from Belgium, France, and a number of African countries. There are 578 kilometres of railroad in the country, which were developed under a joint effort with the Republic of Niger.Leonard, Thomas M., 2006, ''Encyclopedia of the Developing World'', Taylor & Francis, , page 198. Benin's government r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tourism In Benin
Tourism in Benin is a small industry. In 1996, Benin had approximately 150,000 tourists. By 2014 number rose to 242,000. A small country with a high concentration of tourist attractions, Benin's national parks and culture are among its main tourist attractions.Taylor & Francis Group, 2003, ''Africa South of the Sahara 2004'', Routledge, , page 88. Abomey is one of Benin's main tourist attractions, with palaces that became a World Heritage Site in 1982. The capital city Porto Novo's attractions include its museums and architecture. Cotonou is the only international airport in Benin.Williams, Stephen, Dec 2002Benin: The belly of history ''African History''. There are direct flights to Benin from Belgium, France, and a number of African countries. There are 578 kilometres of railroad in the country, which were developed under a joint effort with the Republic of Niger.Leonard, Thomas M., 2006, ''Encyclopedia of the Developing World'', Taylor & Francis, , page 198. Benin's government r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, 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. The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of and its population in was estimated to be approximately million. It is a tropical nation, dependent on agriculture, and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton. Some employment and income arise from subsistence farming. The official language of Benin is French, with indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and Dendi also spoken. The largest religious group in Benin is Sunni Islam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abomey
Abomey is the capital of the Zou Department of Benin. The commune of Abomey covers an area of 142 square kilometres and, as of 2012, had a population of 90,195 people. Abomey houses the Royal Palaces of Abomey, a collection of small traditional houses that were inhabited by the Kings of Dahomey from 1600 to 1900, and which were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.Butler, Stuart (2019) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Benin'', pgs. 135-45 History Abomey was founded in the 17th century as the capital of the Kingdom of Dahomey (1600–1904), on the site of the former village of Kana. Traditional legends state that the town was founded by Do-Aklin, a son of the king of Allada who ventured north to found his own kingdom; the name is thought to come from Danhomé, also spelled Danxomé, meaning "belly of Dan", Dan being the original chief of the village. Dahomey expanded rapidly in the 1700s, absorbing many of the surrounding kingdoms, and growing rich from the slave trade. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porto Novo
Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Guinea, in the southeastern portion of the country, the city was originally developed as a port for the transatlantic slave trade led by the Portuguese Empire. It is Benin's second-largest city, and although it is the official capital, where the national legislature sits, the larger city of Cotonou is the seat of government, where most of the government buildings are situated and government departments operate. Etymology The name ''Porto-Novo'' is of Portuguese origin, literally meaning "New Port". It remains untranslated in French, the national language of Benin. History Porto-Novo was once a tributary of the Yoruba kingdom of Oyo, which had offered it protection from the neighbouring Fon, who were expanding their influence and pow ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies in the southeast of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué. In addition to being Benin's largest city, it is the seat of government, although Porto-Novo is the official capital. History The name "Cotonou" means "by the river of death" in the Fon language.Butler, Stuart (2019) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Benin'', pgs. 74-91 At the beginning of the 19th century, Cotonou (then spelled "Kutonou") was a small fishing village, and is thought to have been formally founded by King Ghezo of Dahomey in 1830. It grew as a centre for the slave trade, and later palm oil and cotton. In 1851 the French Second Republic made a treaty with King Ghezo that allowed them to establish a trading post at Cotonou. During the reign of Kin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wildlife Of Benin
Benin has varied resources of wildlife comprising flora and fauna, which are primarily protected in its two contiguous protected areas of the Pendjari National Park and W National Park. The former is known for many species of avifauna and the latter park is rich in mammals and predators. In addition, many other forest reserves are noted in the country but are not easily accessible, well protected or adequately surveyed for its wildlife resources. The protected area system of Benin defined as National Protected Area System is situated in the northern Benin, mostly with a woody savanna ecosystem. It covers 10.3% of the national territory and is part of the three nation transboundary W-Arly-Pendjari (WAP) complex (with area distribution of 43% in Benin, 36% in Burkina Faso and 21% in Niger). Forests of particular note are the Riparian forests which form a dominant ecosystem, accounting for ⅓ of the estimated flora of 3,000 species in Benin. These forests are found along river ban ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pendjari National Park
The Pendjari National Park (french: Parc National de la Pendjari) lies in north western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso. Named for the Pendjari River, the national park is known for its wildlife and is home to some of the last populations of big game like the African forest elephant, lion, hippopotamus, African buffalo, and various antelopes in West Africa. The park is also famous for its richness in birds. The Pendjari National Park has an area of and is part of the WAP complex ( W- Arli-Pendjari), a large protected area in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger. Hills and cliffs in the Atakora range are visible from the park. In March 2009, the park was tentatively nominated for UNESCO's World Heritage Site program, and in July 2017, it was officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of a transnational extension of the WAP Complex. Ecology The rocky cliffs of the area are sparsely wooded with ''Burkea africana'', ''Detarium microcarpum'', '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
W National Park
The W National Park (french: Parc national du W) or W Regional Park (french: W du Niger, links=no) is a major national park in West Africa around a meander in the River Niger shaped like the letter W (french: double v, links=no). The park includes areas of the three countries Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso, and is governed by the three governments. Until 2008, the implementation of a regional management was supported by the EU-funded project ECOPAS (Protected Ecosystems in Sudano-Sahelian Africa, french: Ecosystèmes protégés en Afrique soudano-sahélienne). The three national parks operate under the name W Transborder Park. (french: Parc Regional W). The section of W National Park lying in Benin, measuring over , came under the full management of African Parks in June 2020. In Benin, W National Park is contiguous with Pendjari National Park which is also under the management of African Parks. History The W National Park of Niger was created by decree on 4 August 1954, and sinc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest. It has a population of 20,321,378. Previously called Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), it was renamed Burkina Faso by President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as ''Burkinabè'' ( ), and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou. The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. They established powerful kingdoms such as the Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as president. Throughout the decad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Niger
) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesRépublique du Niger, "Loi n° 2001-037 du 31 décembre 2001 fixant les modalités de promotion et de développement des langues nationales." L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde (accessed 21 September 2016) , languages = , religion_ref = , religion_year = 2012 , religion = , demonym = Nigerien , capital = Niamey , coordinates = , largest_city = Niamey , government_type = Unitary state, Unitary Semi-presidential s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music Of Benin
Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in Angélique Kidjo. Post-independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba. It also has a rich variety of ethnomusicological traditions. National music The national anthem of Benin, adopted upon independence in 1960, is "L'Aube Nouvelle" (The New Dawn) by Gilbert Jean Dagnon. The Gangbe brass band is an internationally prominent Beninese ensemble. Traditional music The majority of Benin’s 9.32 million people live in the south. The population includes about 42 ethnic groups overall. These include coastal populations of Yoruba in the southeast, who migrated from what is now Nigeria in the 12th century, the Fon in the south central area around Abomey, Mina, Xueda and Aja who came from what is now T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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