GEOGRAPHY
Benin,
a narrow, north-south strip of land in West Africa, lies between
the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Benin's latitude ranges
from 6030N to 12030N and its longitude from
10E to 3040E. Benin is bounded by Togo to
the west, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, Nigeria to the
east, and the Bight of Benin to the south. With an area of 112,622
square kilometers, roughly the size of Pennsylvania, Benin extends
from the Niger River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the
south, a distance of 700 km. (about 500 mi.). Although the coastline
measures 121 km. (about 80 mi.), the country measures about 325
km. (about 215 mi.) at its widest point. It is one of the smaller
countries in West Africa: eight times smaller than Nigeria, its
neighbor to the east. It is, however, twice as large as Togo,
its neighbor to the west. A relief map of Benin shows that it
has little variation in elevation (average elevation 200 meters).
The country can be divided into four
main areas from the south to the north. The low-lying, sandy,
coastal plain (highest elevation 10 meters) is, at most, 10 km.
wide. It is marshy and dotted with lakes and lagoons communicating
with the ocean. The plateaus of southern Benin (altitude comprised
between 20 meters and 200 meters) are split by valleys running
north to south along the Couffo, Zou, and Oueme Rivers. An area
of flat lands dotted with rocky hills whose altitude seldom reaches
400 meters extends around Nikki and Save. Finally, a range of
mountains extends along the northwest border and into Togo; this
is the Atacora, with the highest point, Mont Sokbaro, at 658 meters.
Two types of landscape predominate in the south. Benin has fields
of lying fallow, mangroves, and remnants of large sacred forests.
In the rest of the country, the savanna is covered with thorny
scrubs and dotted with huge baobab trees. Some forests line the
banks of rivers. In the north and the northwest of Benin the Reserve
du W du Niger and Pendjari National Park attract tourists eager
to see elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos, and monkeys.
Benin's climate is hot and humid.
Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 36 cm. (14 in.),
not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy
and two dry seasons. The principal rainy season is from April
to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late
September to November. The main dry season is from December to
April, with a short cooler dry season from late July to early
September. Temperatures and humidity are high along the tropical
coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is 310C
(890F); the minimum is 240C (750F).
Variations in temperature increase when moving north through a
savanna and plateau toward the Sahel. A dry wind from the Sahara
called the Harmattan blows from December to March. Grass dries
up, the vegetation turns reddish brown, and a veil of fine dust
hangs over the country, causing the skies to be overcast. It is
also the season when farmers burn brush in the fields.
Official
Name: Republic of Benin
Area: 116,622 sq. km. (43,483 sq. mi.).
Cities: Capital--Porto-Novo (pop. 295,000). Political and
economic capital--Cotonou (pop. 1 million).
Terrain: Mostly flat plains of 200 meters average elevation,
but the Atacora mountains extend along the northwest border, with
the highest point being Mont Sokbaro 658 meters.
Climate: Tropical, average temperatures between 24 and
31 degrees Celsius. Humid in south; semiarid in north
