Foundation Islamic Union
Benin
Official Name: Republic of Benin (BJ)
Capital city; : Porto Novo
Important Cities: Kotonu. Abomey, Uida, Cugu and Saraku (Sarakou)
Area: 112.622 km²
Population : 12.838.000[1]
The most populous group is the Fon living in the southern and central regions. The Yorubas live near the Nigerian border, the Acas, Minas and Guns in the south-east and south-west, the Baribas in the north, the Sombas between Atakora and Togo and the Dendis in the Niger plains. Benin is one of the most densely populated countries in West Africa, with an average of 34.9 inhabitants per square kilometre, although in the south this ratio rises to 120.
Language: French (official language), Fon and Yoruba.
Religion: Local beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%. In Benin, where various local African beliefs live and fetishism is common, some of the people are pagans.
Islamism in the country: Islam entered Benin by various routes, first penetrating from the north of the country. The Mali Empire established a commercial colony in the Songay region in the XIIIth century and was effective in the spread of Islam in this region. The Muslims here played an important role in inter-regional trade by organising commercial caravans to the countries on the west African coast, transporting salt and other products and slaves from the north to the south and cola, gold and other goods from the south to the Niger countries. Thus, Muslim merchants in the cities formed on the caravan routes connecting the north of the country to the south helped Islam to be recognised and spread in these cities. The conversion of local leaders to Islam and the marriages of Muslims with local women were also effective in the spread of Islam.
The other development was the settlement of a group of Muslims in the northern parts of the country after the Songay state was destroyed by the Fascists in the early 17th century. The ancestors of the Dendis living in the country today are Muslims from Songay. According to a census conducted in the early 20th century, it is understood that 10.000 of 16.000 Dendi are Muslims. The Dendis living in Cugu, Paraku and Nikki, which are important trade centres, have been in contact with the Muslim Hevsa throughout history and have been influenced by their culture and language. On the other hand, the Pöls, who came to Benin from the east and northeast in the 18th century and whose main occupation was shepherding, settled in the central region of the country and formed an important Muslim community. In addition, some of the Baribas living in and around Borgu also converted to Islam in the 19th century. Those who brought Islam to the south of Benin were Muslim Yoruba traders who carried commercial goods from Nigeria to Porto Novo, Uida and Kotonu, and some of them stayed here and played a role in the spread of Islam. In the mid-19th century, a group of Muslims who returned from Brazil also served to spread Islam in the country. In addition, Murshid members of various sects who came to the country from Nigeria established zawiyas in some cities and contributed significantly to the rooting of Islam, especially in the southern regions.
Muslims in Benin are Maliki and most of them belong to the Tijaniyya and Kâdiriyya sects. There are differences of understanding between the members of different sects, as well as some differences between the religion in practice and the scriptural religion.
Mode of Government: Multi-party democratic republic
Political Parties: The Union Progressiste Dahome-enne, the country's first political party, was founded in April 1947, but political turmoil ensued a few months later when M. Ahomadegba, one of its strongest figures, left to form the Bloc Populaire Africaine. M. Apithy also left the Progressive Union of Dahomey in 1951 to found the Parti Republicain du Dahomey.
Recent History: While Dahomey was under colonial rule, during the years of World War I, in 1923 and in 1936, disturbances and some uprisings occurred in various parts of the country. From the beginning of the 20th century, with the emergence of the local press, nationalist demonstrations became more and more intense. La Guide du Dahomey, which started to be published in 1921, and the struggle of the press associations against the corruption of the colonialists have been important factors in the political and social history of the country.
In 1958, the country agreed to join the French Community and gained autonomy within the community; in August 1960, it gained full independence from France and left the community. Maga's Dahomey Unity Party won the December elections and came to power, with Maga as president and Apithy as his deputy. Maga was removed from power in a military coup in October 1963 and Colonel Christophe Sogo took power. After independence, Dahomey fell into a serious political instability. In the period between 1960-1972, when the instability was the most intense in the country, six coups d'état were carried out. In the new period beginning with the Kerekou government, attention was paid to nationalism and a policy in conflict with French interests. In March 1974, Kerekou seized French-owned businesses and subsequently declared Marxist-Leninist ideology to be the official ideology. He nationalised some companies, banks, schools and utilities. He reorganised the judicial system. He tried to reduce the influence of religious and moral beliefs on society. Kerekou, who completely neutralised the old politicians, established an authoritarian regime based on a single party, the Parti de la RĞvolution Populaire du Banin, and changed the name of the country to the People's Republic of Benin at the end of 1975. In Benin, where relations with France had deteriorated, the influence of this state was further reduced and military co-operation was terminated and an army of volunteers was established.
Kerekou, in power since 1972, introduced a new constitution in August 1977. According to this constitution, the legislature belonged to the 336-member parliament. The number of members of this parliament was reduced to 196 in 1984. On 18 June 1989, the parliament, which was formed at the end of the elections with a single party list, re-elected Kerekou as the head of state for a five-year term.
It became a member of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference in 1983.[2]
Internal Problems: Economic instability and difficult to solve problems in the country are the main cause of political instability.
Currency: African Franc (XOF)
National Income per Capita: 1,432 USD[3]
Industry: Industry is very weak in the country and there are some manufactories where products such as oil palm, coconut, corn and flax, which constitute the main export materials, are processed. However, the share of the industrial sector in national income increased from 5 per cent in 1965-1966 to 14 per cent in 1984. In recent years, investments have been made in textile, fisheries and palm oil with foreign loans. Large capacity industrial enterprises are in the hands of the state.
Transport: Railways: 578 km, Highways: 16,000 km; paved: 1,400 km; unpaved: 14,600 km, Port: Cotonou, Porto Novora.
Border Neighbours: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Climate: Equatorial climate dominates the coastal region. In the south there are two rainy seasons, one from March to June and the other from September to November. There are also two dry seasons in between. In the north the rainy season lasts from May to September, the other months are dry.
Natural resources: Small oil deposits off the coast, limestone, marble, timber.
Land use: Soils suitable for agriculture: 23.53%, permanent crops: 2.37%, pastures: 4%, woodland: 31%, other: 39.1% (2005 data)
Literacy rate: Total population aged 15 and over: 33.6%, males: 46.4
Administrative divisions: It is divided into 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou.
Legal system: It is based on French common law.
Economy: Benin's economy is based on transit trade and agriculture and is driven by centralised planning. Traditional fisheries are declining due to the increasing salinisation of the lagoons, but investment in modern sectors such as offshore fishing is increasing. Manufacturing industry is small-scale. Large enterprises are under state control. The largest industrial enterprise is the Parakou weaving complex. One third of the labour force works in the service sector, which accounts for 45% of the gross national product. The tourism sector is also developing. Many large hotels are being built and some are being renovated. In Turkey, 52 companies export to Benin in all sectors.
Industry: Textiles, cigarettes; soft drinks, food; building materials, petrol.
Electricity consumption: 538.2 million kWh (2003)
Electricity imports: 474 million kWh (2003)
Agricultural products: Corn, beans, rice, cotton, poultry
Exports: $826.9 million (2005)
Export products: Cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Export partners: China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)
Import products: Food, tobacco, petroleum products, capital goods.
Import partners: France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, United Kingdom 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)
Transportation: The infrastructure of the country is quite good in transport. The total length of the railways, the construction of which started during the colonial period, has reached 980 km and the total length of the highways has reached 5.200 km. The railway from Kotonu to Paraku is in the process of reaching Niger. The motorways extending to Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria are utilised in transit trade. Kotonu Port has an important place in maritime transport and the airport in Porto Novo has an important place in air transport.
Physical and Human Geography. Benin, a country sandwiched between Togo and Nigeria, has a coastline of 125 kilometres. As you move northwards from the coast, the distance between east and west suddenly widens from the 9th parallel and reaches 325 kilometres at the level of Natitungu mountain. The distance between the southernmost point of the country and the northernmost point is 700 kilometres.
Benin is geographically divided into three main regions. The coastal region, which has flat and sandy lands, is covered with lagoons and lakes connected to each other by canals. The north-east of the coastal region, which has the appearance of a plain with alluvial and fertile soils, descends towards the Niger River basin, while the north-west rises towards the Atakora mountainous mass. Low, eroded hills are seen 50 kilometres inland from the coast.
Benin is considered rich in rivers. Some of the various rivers originating from the Atakora and Ndali-Bimbereke mountains flow into lagoons and lakes in the coastal region, while others flow northwards and join the Niger and Olta rivers.
Education and Culture. Education in Benin is state-controlled, secular and free of charge. Primary education lasts five years, secondary education four years in the first cycle and three years in the second cycle. In secondary education, students spend nine months a year studying and three months in military and ideological practice. Only 59 per cent of children of reading age attend primary school. The rate of students attending secondary schools is 19 per cent in this age group. The only university in the country is the University of Benin, which was opened in 1970.
International organisations and institutions of which it is a member: IDB (Islamic Development Bank), ILO (International Labour Organization), IMF (International Monetary Fund), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), UN (United Nations), WHO.
[1] www.ticaret.gov.tr (accessed April 2022)
[2] Encyclopaedia of Islam, TDV.
[3] www.ticaret.gov.tr (accessed April 2022)
