B - CLIMATE

Benin is located in an intertropical zone with a hot and humid climate. From December to January, it is characterized by the Harmattan, a dry and harsh wind blowing from Sahara. Usually, there are three climatic zones:

· In the South, the subequatorial climate (Guinean type) is characterized by a heavy humidity (800 to 1.200 mm rain fall per year) and two rainy seasons (April-July and September-October). The average temperature varies between 25° and 28°C.

· In the North, the tropical climate (Sudanese type) is characterized by higher temperatures, and annual rain fall varying between 900 and 1100 mm and the alternation of two seasons, a dry season (November-early May) and the other rainy (May-October).

· The North-Western region of the Country in Atacora mountain range enjoys a special tropical climate called "Atacorian" ; temperatures are cooler and rainfalls are higher than in the remaining part of the country.

C - VEGETATION

Two types of climatic zones correspond to the two types of vegetation:

· A thick severely damaged forest, covers the Southern region of the country and is characterized by a gallery forest, a thick savannah, and coastal swamps. A huge palm grove runs alongside the coast well beyond series of lagoons and coconut grove.

· The woody savannah in the central and northern Sudanese regions shelters a rich and varied fauna.

D - POPULATION

Benin is characterized by an unequal distribution of population between the most populated south (more than 150 inhabitants per Sq km) and the less populated North (less than 50 inhabitants per Sq km). More than half of the whole population is under 20 years. Benin is a young nation made of about twenty socio cultural linguistic groups that gave bith to homogenous linguistic and cultural entities :

- Fon (35%), Adja, Yoruba, Goun, Bariba, Dendi, Somba, Fulani, … the spoken languages are Fongbe, Gengbe or Mina, Yoruba, Baatonu and Dendi. French is the official administrative language and for International relations.
The mains cities in Benin are : Cotonou (800,000 inhabitants); Porto-Novo, capital of Benin (200,000 inhabitants) ; Parakou (110,000 inhabitants) ; Abomey (70,000 inhabitants) ; Natitingou (60,000 inhabitants).

E - RELIGIONS

The diversity of religions is an evidence of the plurality of Benin society in which believers of the traditional religions (61%), catholic (19%), muslim (15%), protestant (3%) and others (2%) live together.

F - TOURISM

The Republic of Benin is endowed with many tourist attractions, rich and varied, covering the whole national territory: sandy beaches dotted with coconut trees, rivers well stocked with fish, lakeside villages on pile at Ganvie, the ethnographic and historical museums in Porto-Novo and Abomey, the houses on the hills bare slopes in Dassa and Save, small fortified castles : Tata Somba, “Pendjari” and “W” national parks with reserves and their rich and varied flora and fauna; Kota falls and Tanougon waterfalls, similing populations characterized by a legendary hospitality. This inmense heritage shows some specificity from one region to another.

To enable tourists to better discover and enjoy the huge tourist potentials existing in Benin, a certain number of tour routes has been laid out and currently operated by tour operators whose addresses may be checked on the “List of Useful Addresses” included in this guide.