119-554: Michel Am-Nondokro Djotodia (born c. 1949) is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2013 to 2014. He was the first Muslim to hold that office in the predominantly Christian country. Djotodia was a leader of the almost entirely Muslim Séléka rebel coalition in the December 2012 rebellion against President François Bozizé . Following a peace agreement, Djotodia
238-408: A Presidential Council after violence marred the 1970 elections. On 7 May 1972, Maga ceded power to Ahomadégbé. On 26 October 1972, Lt. Col. Mathieu Kérékou overthrew the ruling triumvirate, becoming president and stating that the country would not "burden itself by copying foreign ideology , and wants neither Capitalism, Communism, nor Socialism". On 30 November 1974, he announced that the country
357-483: A runoff between Yayi Boni and Adrien Houngbédji . The runoff election was held on 19 March and was won by Boni, who assumed office on 6 April. Boni was reelected in 2011 , taking 53.18% of the vote in the first round—enough to avoid a runoff election. He was the first president to win an election without a runoff since the restoration of democracy in 1991. In the March 2016 presidential elections in which Boni Yayi
476-557: A sovereign state , Benin has had democratic governments , military coups , and military governments . A self-described Marxist–Leninist state called the People's Republic of Benin existed between 1975 and 1990. In 1991, it was replaced by the multi-party Republic of Benin. 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
595-422: A wet season that lasts from June to September in the northern regions of the country, and from May to October in the south. During the wet season, rainstorms are an almost daily occurrence, and early morning fog is commonplace. Maximum annual precipitation is approximately 1,800 millimetres (71 in) in the upper Ubangi region. The northern areas are hot and humid from February to May, but can be subject to
714-531: A 2005 analysis of police, business, and political corruption. Its democratic system "has eroded" since President Talon took office. In 2018, his government introduced new rules for fielding candidates and raised the cost of registering. The electoral commission, packed with Talon's allies, barred all opposition parties from the parliamentary election in 2019, resulting in a parliament made up entirely of supporters of Talon. That parliament subsequently changed election laws such that presidential candidates need to have
833-431: A 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 5.86/10, ranking it 93rd globally out of 172 countries. Benin shows some variation in elevation and can be divided into four areas from the south to the north, starting with the lower-lying, sandy, coastal plain (highest elevation 10 m (32.8 ft)) which is, at most, 10 km (6.2 mi) wide. It is marshy and dotted with lakes and lagoons communicating with
952-494: A 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 9.28/10, ranking it seventh globally out of 172 countries. In 2008, Central African Republic was the world's least light pollution affected country. The Central African Republic is the focal point of the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly , one of the largest magnetic anomalies on Earth. The climate of the Central African Republic is generally tropical , with
1071-739: A U.N. peacekeeping force (MINURCA) . Since 1997, the country has hosted almost a dozen peacekeeping interventions, earning it the title of "world champion of peacekeeping". In 1998, parliamentary elections resulted in Kolingba's RDC winning 20 out of 109 seats. The next year, however, in spite of widespread public anger in urban centers over his corrupt rule, Patassé won a second term in the presidential election. On 28 May 2001, rebels stormed strategic buildings in Bangui in an unsuccessful coup attempt . The army chief of staff, Abel Abrou, and General François N'Djadder Bedaya were killed, but Patassé regained
1190-525: A ceremony known as the Annual Customs . By about 1750, the King of Dahomey was earning an estimated £250,000 per year by selling African captives to European slave-traders. The area was named the "Slave Coast" because of a flourishing slave trade. Court protocols which demanded that a portion of war captives from the kingdom's battles be decapitated, decreased the number of enslaved people exported from
1309-478: A company owned by one of his wives. The government violently suppressed the protests, killing 100 children and teenagers. Bokassa might have been personally involved in some of the killings. In September 1979, France overthrew Bokassa and restored Dacko to power (subsequently restoring the official name of the country and the original government to the Central African Republic). Dacko, in turn,
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#17327803329001428-604: A convention forced Kérékou to release political prisoners and arrange elections. Marxism–Leninism was abolished as the country's form of government. The country's name was officially changed to the Republic of Benin on 1 March 1990, after the newly formed government's constitution was completed. Kérékou lost to Nicéphore Soglo in a 1991 election and became the first President on the African mainland to lose power through an election. Kérékou returned to power after winning
1547-517: A decree on 6 April for the formation of a transitional council that would act as a transitional parliament. The council was tasked with electing an interim president to serve during an 18-month transitional period leading to new elections. The transitional council, composed of 105 members, met for the first time on 13 April 2013 and immediately elected Djotodia as interim President; there were no other candidates. A few days later, regional leaders publicly accepted Djotodia's transitional leadership, but, in
1666-521: A framework of a presidential representative democratic republic in which the President of Benin is both head of state and head of government , within a multi-party system . Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the government and the legislature. The judiciary is officially independent of the executive and the legislature, while in practice its independence has been gradually hollowed out by Talon, and
1785-485: A network of roads were built, attempts were made to combat sleeping sickness , and Protestant missions were established to spread Christianity. New forms of forced labour were also introduced and a large number of Ubangians were sent to work on the Congo-Ocean Railway . Through the period of construction until 1934 there was a continual heavy cost in human lives, with total deaths among all workers along
1904-605: A new constitution, and announced that he would step down and run for office once the new constitution was approved. In 2004, the Central African Republic Bush War began as forces opposed to Bozizé took up arms against his government. In May 2005, Bozizé won the presidential election, which excluded Patassé, and in 2006 fighting continued between the government and the rebels. In November 2006, Bozizé's government requested French military support to help them repel rebels who had taken control of towns in
2023-626: A part of the 5,500 European population. Religion in Benin (2020 CIA World Factbook estimate) The two main religions in Benin are Christianity , followed mostly in the south and center, and Islam, brought by the Songhai Empire and Hausa merchants and followed in Alibori , Borgou , and Donga provinces, as well as among the Yoruba , who also practice Christianity. Some continue to hold Vodun and Orisha beliefs and have incorporated
2142-481: A percentage of their profits into the French treasury. The concessionary companies forced local people to harvest rubber, coffee, and other commodities without pay and held their families hostage until they met their quotas. In 1920, French Equatorial Africa was established and Ubangi-Shari was administered from Brazzaville . During the 1920s and 1930s the French introduced a policy of mandatory cotton cultivation,
2261-636: A plane crash on 29 March 1959, his cousin, David Dacko , took control of MESAN. Dacko became the country's first president when the Central African Republic formally received independence from France at midnight on 13 August 1960, a date celebrated by the country's Independence Day holiday. Dacko threw out his political rivals, including Abel Goumba , former Prime Minister and leader of Mouvement d'évolution démocratique de l'Afrique centrale (MEDAC), whom he forced into exile in France. With all opposition parties suppressed by November 1962, Dacko declared MESAN as
2380-523: A power-sharing government. The deal later broke down, and the rebels seized the capital in March 2013 and Bozizé fled the country. Michel Djotodia took over as president. Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye requested a UN peacekeeping force from the UN Security Council and on 31 May former President Bozizé was indicted for crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide. By the end of
2499-403: A result, France treated Dahomey as a sort of preserve in case future discoveries revealed resources worth developing. The French government outlawed the capture and sale of slaves. Previous slaveowners sought to redefine their control over slaves as control over land , tenants , and lineage members. This provoked a struggle among Dahomeans, "concentrated in the period from 1895 to 1920, for
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#17327803329002618-741: A second round of elections were finally held in 1993, again with the help of the international community coordinated by GIBAFOR, Ange-Félix Patassé won in the second round of voting with 53% of the vote while Goumba won 45.6%. Patassé's party, the Mouvement pour la Libération du Peuple Centrafricain (MLPC) or Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People, gained a plurality (relative majority) but not an absolute majority of seats in parliament, which meant Patassé's party required coalition partners. Patassé purged many of
2737-446: A share to tertiary education: 0.97% of GDP. Between 2009 and 2011, the share of people enrolled at university rose from 10% to 12% of the 18 – 25 year age cohort. Student enrollment in tertiary education more than doubled between 2006 and 2011 from 50,225 to 110,181. These statistics encompass not only bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. programmes but also students enrolled in nondegree post-secondary diplomas. The HIV/AIDS rate in Benin
2856-668: A single term of 5 years in order to combat "complacency". He said that he planned to slash the size of the government from 28 to 16 members. In April 2021, President Patrice Talon was re-elected, with more than 86.3% of the votes cast, in Benin's presidential election . The change in election laws resulted in total control of parliament by president Talon's supporters. In February 2022, Benin saw its largest terrorist attack in history . On 20 February 2022, President Patrice Talon inaugurated an exhibition with 26 pieces of sacred art returned to Benin by France , 129 years after they were looted by colonial forces. Its politics take place in
2975-444: A surprise attack against Patassé, who was out of the country. Libyan troops and some 1,000 soldiers of Bemba's Congolese rebel organization failed to stop the rebels and Bozizé's forces succeeded in overthrowing Patassé. François Bozizé suspended the constitution and named a new cabinet, which included most opposition parties. Abel Goumba was named vice-president. Bozizé established a broad-based National Transition Council to draft
3094-536: A symbolic show of disapproval, stated that he would "not be called President of the Republic, but Head of State of the Transition". According to the plans for the transition, Djotodia would not stand as a candidate for President in the election that would conclude the transition. In the months that followed Séléka's takeover, the group was criticized for continuing to perpetrate violence against civilians. Djotodia
3213-888: Is Christianity (52.2%), followed by Islam (24.6%) and African Traditional Religions (17.9%). Benin is a member of the United Nations , the African Union , the Economic Community of West African States , the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone , Francophonie , the Community of Sahel–Saharan States , the African Petroleum Producers Association and
3332-558: Is also estimated to be the unhealthiest country as well as the worst country in which to be young. The Central African Republic is a member of the United Nations , the African Union , the Economic Community of Central African States , the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the Non-Aligned Movement . The name of the Central African Republic is derived from the country's geographical location in
3451-476: Is argued that the focus of the initial disarmament efforts exclusively on the Seleka inadvertently handed the anti-Balaka the upper hand, leading to the forced displacement of Muslim civilians by anti-Balaka in Bangui and western Central African Republic. On 11 January 2014, Michael Djotodia and Nicolas Tiengaye resigned as part of a deal negotiated at a regional summit in neighboring Chad . Catherine Samba-Panza
3570-741: 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. The distance from the Niger River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the south is about 650 km (404 mi). Although the coastline measures 121 km (75 mi), the country measures about 325 km (202 mi) at its widest point. Four terrestrial ecoregions lie within Benin's borders: Eastern Guinean forests , Nigerian lowland forests , Guinean forest-savanna mosaic , and West Sudanian savanna . It had
3689-511: Is celebrated each year as Independence Day , a national holiday . The president who led the country to independence was Hubert Maga . After 1960, there were coups and regime changes, with the figures of Hubert Maga , Sourou Apithy , Justin Ahomadégbé , and Émile Derlin Zinsou dominating; the first 3 each represented a different area and ethnicity of the country. These 3 agreed to form
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3808-556: Is the country's capital and largest city, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Central African Republic covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi). As of 2024, it has a population of 5,357,744, and is in the scene of a civil war , which has been ongoing since 2012. As a former French colony , French is the official language, with Sango, a Ngbandi based-creole language as
3927-420: Is today the Central African Republic has been inhabited since at least 8,000 BCE. The country's borders were established by France, which ruled the country as a colony starting in the late 19th century. After gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic was ruled by a series of autocratic leaders, including an abortive attempt at a monarchy under the regime of Jean-Bedel Bokassa . By
4046-571: The Atakora region, and Vodun and Orisha veneration among the Yoruba and Tado peoples in the center and south of the nation. The town of Ouidah on the central coast is the spiritual center of Beninese Vodun or Voodoo. The literacy rate in 2015 it was estimated to be 38.4% (49.9% for males and 27.3% for females). Benin has achieved universal primary education and half of the children (54%) were enrolled in secondary education in 2013, according to
4165-538: 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 112,622 km (43,484 sq mi), and its population in 2021 was estimated to be approximately 13 million. It is a tropical country with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture , and is an exporter of palm oil and cotton . From
4284-549: The Demographic and Health Surveys Program in 2011-2012 indicated that followers of Christianity comprised 57.5% of the population (with Catholics making up 33.9%, Methodists 3.0%, Celestials 6.2% and other Christians 14.5%), while Muslims were 22.8%. According to the most recent (2020) estimate, the population of Benin was 52.2% Christian, 24.6% Muslim, 17.9% animist, and 5.3% followed other faiths or had no religion. Traditional religions include local animistic religions in
4403-621: The Free French Forces in Bangui . In 1946 Barthélemy Boganda was elected with 9,000 votes to the French National Assembly , becoming the first representative of the Central African Republic in the French government. Boganda maintained a political stance against racism and the colonial regime but gradually became disheartened with the French political system and returned to the Central African Republic to establish
4522-672: The Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa ( Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire , MESAN) in 1950. In the Ubangi-Shari Territorial Assembly election in 1957, MESAN captured 347,000 out of the total 356,000 votes and won every legislative seat, which led to Boganda being elected president of the Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa and vice-president of
4641-580: The Niger Basin Authority . During French colonial rule and after independence on 1 August 1960, the country was named Dahomey, after the Kingdom of Dahomey . On 30 November 1975, following a Marxist–Leninist military coup , the country was renamed Benin, after the Bight of Benin , which borders the country, due to Dahomey only being associated with the Fon who inhabited the southern half of
4760-590: The Peace Corps evacuated all its volunteers to neighboring Cameroon. To date, the Peace Corps has not returned to the Central African Republic. The Bangui Agreements , signed in January 1997, provided for the deployment of an inter-African military mission, to the Central African Republic and re-entry of ex-mutineers into the government on 7 April 1997. The inter-African military mission was later replaced by
4879-520: The Republic of Benin ( French : République du Bénin ), is a country in West Africa . It was formerly known as Dahomey . 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
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4998-601: The Treaty of Fez , France ceded a nearly 300,000 km portion of the Sangha and Lobaye basins to the German Empire which ceded a smaller area (in present-day Chad ) to France. After World War I France again annexed the territory. Modeled on King Leopold 's Congo Free State , concessions were doled out to private companies that endeavored to strip the region's assets as quickly and cheaply as possible before depositing
5117-504: The UNESCO Institute for Statistics . While at a time the education system was not free, Benin has abolished school fees and is carrying out the recommendations of its 2007 Educational Forum. The government has devoted more than 4% of GDP to education since 2009. In 2015, public expenditure on education (all levels) amounted to 4.4% of GDP, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics . Within this expenditure, Benin devoted
5236-802: The fall of the Berlin Wall , a pro-democracy movement arose. Pressure from the United States, France, and from a group of locally represented countries and agencies called GIBAFOR (France, the US, Germany, Japan, the EU, the World Bank , and the United Nations ) finally led Kolingba to agree, in principle, to hold free elections in October 1992 with help from the UN Office of Electoral Affairs. After using
5355-1101: The 12th century); the Dendi in the north-central area (who came from Mali in the 16th century); the Bariba and the Fula in the northeast; the Betammaribe and the Somba in the Atakora Mountains ; the Fon in the area around Abomey in the South Central and the Mina , Xueda , and Aja (who came from Togo) on the coast. Migrations have brought other African nationals to Benin, including Nigerians, Togolese, and Malians. The foreign community includes Lebanese and Indians involved in trade and commerce. The personnel of European embassies and foreign aid missions and of nongovernmental organisations and missionary groups account for
5474-697: The 17th to the 19th century, political entities in the area included the Kingdom of Dahomey , the city-state of Porto-Novo, and other states to the north. This region was referred to as the Slave Coast of West Africa from the early 17th century due to the high number of people who were sold and trafficked during the Atlantic slave trade to the New World. France took over the territory in 1894, incorporating it into French West Africa as French Dahomey . In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France. As
5593-406: The 1990s, calls for democracy led to the first multi-party democratic elections in 1993. Ange-Félix Patassé became president, but was later removed by General François Bozizé in a 2003 coup . The Central African Republic Bush War began in 2004 and, despite a peace treaty in 2007 and another in 2011, civil war resumed in 2012. The civil war perpetuated the country's poor human rights record : it
5712-580: The 1996 vote. In 2001, an election resulted in Kérékou winning another term, after which his opponents claimed election irregularities. In 1999, Kérékou issued a national apology for the substantial role that Africans had played in the Atlantic slave trade. Kérékou and former president Soglo did not run in the 2006 elections, as both were barred by the constitution's restrictions on age and total terms of candidates. On 5 March 2006, an election resulted in
5831-585: The 26th highest rate of maternal mortality in the world. According to a 2013 UNICEF report, 13% of women had undergone female genital mutilation . An approach strategy was extended to all areas of healthcare, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost. Demographic and Health Surveys has surveyed the issue in Benin since 1996. The north–south strip of land in West Africa lies between latitudes 6° and 13°N , and longitudes 0° and 4°E . It
5950-550: The Central African Republic is among the ten poorest countries in the world, with the lowest GDP per capita at purchasing power parity in the world as of 2017. As of 2022 , according to the Human Development Index (HDI), the country had the third-lowest level of human development, ranking 191 out of 193 countries. The country had the second lowest inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), ranking 164th out of 165 countries. The Central African Republic
6069-639: The Central African Republic is the world's 44th-largest country . Much of the southern border is formed by tributaries of the Congo River ; the Mbomou River in the east merges with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River , which also comprises portions of the southern border. The Sangha River flows through some of the western regions of the country, while the eastern border lies along
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#17327803329006188-572: The Central African Republic...a 'vassal state' of the Kremlin." The Central African Republic is a landlocked nation within the interior of the African continent. It is bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. The country lies between latitudes 2° and 11°N , and longitudes 14° and 28°E . Much of the country consists of flat or rolling plateau savanna approximately 500 metres (1,640 ft) above sea level . In addition to
6307-678: The Constitutional Court is headed by his former personal lawyer. The political system is derived from the 1990 Constitution of Benin and the subsequent transition to democracy in 1991. It was ranked 18th out of 52 African countries and scored best in the categories of Safety & Rule of Law and Participation & Human Rights. In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Benin 53rd out of 169 countries. That place had fallen to 78th by 2016, when Talon took office, and has fallen further to 113th. Benin has been rated equal-88th out of 159 countries in
6426-688: The Fertit Hills in the northeast of the Central African Republic, there are scattered hills in the southwest regions. In the northwest is the Yade Massif, a granite plateau with an altitude of 348 metres (1,143 ft). The Central African Republic contains six terrestrial ecoregions: Northeastern Congolian lowland forests , Northwestern Congolian lowland forests , Western Congolian swamp forests , East Sudanian savanna , Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic , and Sahelian Acacia savanna . At 622,984 square kilometres (240,535 sq mi),
6545-561: The Kolingba elements from the government and Kolingba supporters accused Patassé's government of conducting a " witch hunt " against the Yakoma. A new constitution was approved on 28 December 1994 but had little impact on the country's politics. In 1996–1997, reflecting steadily decreasing public confidence in the government's erratic behavior, three mutinies against Patassé's administration were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and heightened ethnic tension. During this time (1996),
6664-451: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served for a time as the CAR's consul in the Sudanese city of Nyala . Djotodia soon became involved in a milieu of rebel activity; he was one of the founders and leading members of the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity rebel group in 2006. He lived in exile in Cotonou , Benin during the war. In November 2006 he was arrested together with his spokesman Abakar Sabon without trial by Beninese forces at
6783-436: The National Revolutionary Assembly in 1980, re-elected in 1984. Establishing relations with China , North Korea , and Libya , he put "nearly all" businesses and economic activities under state control, causing foreign investment in Benin to dry up. Kérékou attempted to reorganize education, pushing his own aphorisms such as "Poverty is not a fatality". The regime financed itself by contracting to take nuclear waste, first from
6902-473: The Soviet Union and later from France. In the 1980s, Benin experienced higher economic growth rates (15.6% in 1982, 4.6% in 1983 and 8.2% in 1984), until the closure of the Nigerian border with Benin led to a drop in customs and tax revenues. The government was no longer able to pay civil servants' salaries. In 1989, riots broke out when the regime did not have enough money to pay its army. The banking system collapsed. Eventually, Kérékou renounced Marxism , and
7021-414: The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said 417 of the country's 436 mosques had been destroyed, and Muslim women were so scared of going out in public they were giving birth in their homes instead of going to the hospital. On 14 December 2015, Séléka rebel leaders declared an independent Republic of Logone . Presidential elections were held in December 2015. As no candidate received more than 50% of
7140-425: The Ubangi-Shari Government Council. Within a year, he declared the establishment of the Central African Republic and served as the country's first prime minister. MESAN continued to exist, but its role was limited. The Central African Republic was granted autonomy within the French Community on 1 December 1958, a status which meant it was still counted as part of the French Empire in Africa. After Boganda's death in
7259-402: The Western Hemisphere, or to the slave ports and factories along the West and North Africa or South along the Ubangui and Congo rivers. During the 18th century Bandia-Nzakara Azande peoples established the Bangassou Kingdom along the Ubangi River . In the mid 19th century, the Bobangi people became major slave traders and sold their captives to the Americas using the Ubangi river to reach
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#17327803329007378-458: The approval of at least 10% of Benin's MPs and mayors. As parliament and most mayors' offices are controlled by Talon, he has control over who can run for president. These changes have drawn condemnation from international observers and led to the United States government partially terminating development assistance to the country. Benin is divided into twelve departments (French: départements ) which are subdivided into 77 communes . In 1999,
7497-447: The area. The number went from 102,000 people per decade in the 1780s to 24,000 per decade by the 1860s. The decline was partly due to the Slave Trade Act 1807 banning the trans-Atlantic slave trade by Britain in 1808, followed by other countries. This decline continued until 1885 when the last slave ship departed the modern Benin Republic for Brazil , which had yet to abolish slavery. The capital Porto-Novo ("New Port" in Portuguese)
7616-412: The behest of the government of CAR President François Bozizé. They were released in February 2008 after agreeing to participate in peace talks with the CAR government. In December 2012, Djotodia was a key leader in the Séléka rebel coalition when it succeeded in rapidly taking control of a large portion of the country. At peace talks in January 2013, President Bozizé agreed to appoint a prime minister from
7735-399: The central region of Africa and its republican form of government. From 1976 to 1979, the country was known as the Central African Empire . During the colonial era, the country's name was Ubangi-Shari ( French : Oubangui-Chari ), a name derived from two major rivers and Central African waterways – Ubangi and Chari . Barthélemy Boganda , the country's first prime minister , favored
7854-420: The coast. In 1875, the Sudanese sultan Rabih az-Zubayr governed Upper-Oubangui, which included present-day Central African Republic. The European invasion of Central African territory began in the late 19th century during the Scramble for Africa . Europeans, primarily the French, Germans , and Belgians , arrived in the area in 1885. France seized and colonized Ubangi-Shari territory in 1894. In 1911 at
7973-413: The coastal cities of Allada and Whydah . Dahomey had become a tributary of the Oyo Empire, and rivaled but did not directly attack the Oyo-allied city-state of Porto-Novo . The rise of Dahomey, its rivalry with Porto-Novo, and tribal politics in the northern region persisted into the colonial and post-colonial periods. In the Dahomey , some younger people were apprenticed to older soldiers and taught
8092-489: The constitution and dissolved the government, as well as the National Assembly. He then reappointed Tiangaye as Prime Minister on 27 March 2013. Top military and police officers met with Djotodia and recognized him as President on 28 March 2013. A new government headed by Tiangaye was appointed on 31 March 2013; Djotodia retained the defense portfolio. On 3 April 2013, African leaders meeting in Chad declared that they did not recognize Djotodia as President; instead, they proposed
8211-423: The country's northern regions. Though the initial public details of the agreement pertained to logistics and intelligence, by December the French assistance included airstrikes by Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters against rebel positions. The Syrte Agreement in February and the Birao Peace Agreement in April 2007 called for a cessation of hostilities, the billeting of FDPC fighters and their integration with FACA,
8330-426: The country. Some 800 of the country's polling stations, or 14% of the total, were closed due to violence. Three Burundian peacekeepers were killed and an additional two were wounded during the run-up to the election. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra was reelected in the first round of the election in December 2020. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group have supported President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in
8449-467: The country. The bight takes its name from the Kingdom of Benin , located in present-day Nigeria . Prior to 1600, present-day Benin comprised a variety of areas with different political systems and ethnicities. These included city-states along the coast (primarily of the Aja ethnic group, and also including Yoruba and Gbe peoples) and tribal regions inland (composed of Bariba , Mahi, Gedevi, and Kabye peoples). The Oyo Empire , located primarily to
8568-595: The country. On 18 February 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the UN Security Council to immediately deploy 3,000 troops to the country, bolstering the 6,000 African Union soldiers and 2,000 French troops already in the country, to combat civilians being murdered in large numbers. The Séléka government was said to be divided, and in September 2013, Djotodia officially disbanded Seleka, but many rebels refused to disarm, becoming known as ex-Seleka, and veered further out of government control. It
8687-536: The decision, not himself. There was speculation that, while Djotodia may have been content with his prominent new government post, others in Séléka wanted to take power outright. After days of fighting, the rebels captured Bangui on 24 March 2013, forcing Bozizé to flee the country, and Djotodia declared himself President. Djotodia said that there would be a three-year transitional period and that Tiangaye would continue to serve as Prime Minister. Djotodia promptly suspended
8806-607: The diet; they were also used in the production of alcoholic beverages . Production of copper , salt , dried fish , and textiles dominated the economic trade in the Central African region. In the 16th and 17th centuries, slave traders began to raid the region as part of the expansion of the Saharan and Nile River slave routes. Their captives were enslaved and shipped to the Mediterranean coast, Europe, Arabia,
8925-456: The domestication of African oil palm improved the groups' nutrition and allowed for expansion of the local populations. This agricultural revolution, combined with a "Fish-stew Revolution", in which fishing began to take place and the use of boats, allowed for the transportation of goods. Products were often moved in ceramic pots. The Bouar Megaliths in the western region of the country indicate an advanced level of habitation dating back to
9044-507: The east of Benin, was a military force in the region, conducting raids and exacting tribute from the coastal kingdoms and tribal regions. The situation changed in the 17th and 18th centuries as the Kingdom of Dahomey , consisting mostly of Fon people , was founded on the Abomey plateau and began taking over areas along the coast. By 1727, King Agaja of the Kingdom of Dahomey had conquered
9163-497: The economy and population. Northern areas will see additional regions become deserts. An area of flatter land dotted with rocky hills whose altitude reaches 400 m (1,312 ft) extends around Nikki and Save. A range of mountains extends along the northwest border and into Togo; these are the Atacora . The highest point, Mont Sokbaro , is at 658 m (2,159 ft). Benin has fields, mangroves , and remnants of forests. In
9282-471: The edge of the Nile River watershed . It has been estimated that up to 8% of the country is covered by forest, with the densest parts generally located in the southern regions. The forests are highly diverse and include commercially important species of Ayous , Sapelli , and Sipo . The deforestation rate is about 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is commonplace. The Central African Republic had
9401-407: The excuse of alleged irregularities to suspend the results of the elections as a pretext for holding on to power, President Kolingba came under intense pressure from GIBAFOR to establish a "Conseil National Politique Provisoire de la République" (Provisional National Political Council, CNPPR) and to set up a "Mixed Electoral Commission", which included representatives from all political parties. When
9520-529: The fears of widespread violence were ultimately unfounded, and the African Union regarded the elections as successful. Touadéra was sworn in on 30 March 2016. No representatives of the Seleka rebel group or the "anti-balaka" militias were included in the subsequently formed government. After the end of Touadéra's first term, presidential elections were held on 27 December 2020 with a possible second round planned for 14 February 2021. Former president François Bozizé announced his candidacy on 25 July 2020 but
9639-477: The fight against rebels. Russia's Wagner group has been accused of harassing and intimidating civilians. In December 2022, Roger Cohen wrote in The New York Times , " Wagner shock troops form a Praetorian Guard for Mr. Touadéra, who is also protected by Rwandan forces, in return for an untaxed license to exploit and export the Central African Republic's resources" and "one Western ambassador called
9758-423: The formation of an inclusive transitional council and the holding of new elections in 18 months, rather than three years as envisioned by Djotodia. Speaking on 4 April, Information Minister Christophe Gazam Betty said that Djotodia had accepted the proposals of the African leaders; however, he suggested that Djotodia could remain in office if he were elected to head the transitional council. Djotodia accordingly signed
9877-544: The group. Central African Republic The Central African Republic ( CAR ), formerly known as Ubangi-Shari , is a landlocked country in Central Africa . It is bordered by Chad to the north , Sudan to the northeast , South Sudan to the east , the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south , the Republic of the Congo to the southwest , and Cameroon to the west . Bangui
9996-546: The hot, dry, and dusty trade wind known as the Harmattan . The southern regions have a more equatorial climate, but they are subject to desertification , while the extreme northeast regions of the country are a steppe . In the southwest, the Dzanga-Sangha National Park is located in a rain forest area. The country is noted for its population of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas . In
10115-423: The influence of young revolutionaries – the "Ligmangers" - the government embarked on a socialist program: nationalization of strategic sectors of the economy, reform of the education system, establishment of agricultural cooperatives and new local government structures, and a campaign to eradicate " feudal forces" including tribalism . The regime banned opposition activities. Mathieu Kérékou was elected president by
10234-560: The interwar years, was carefully hidden from the French public because it provided evidence of strong opposition to French colonial rule and forced labour. French colonization in Oubangui-Chari is considered to be the most brutal of the French colonial Empire. In September 1940, during the Second World War , pro-Gaullist French officers took control of Ubangi-Shari and General Leclerc established his headquarters for
10353-574: The kingdom's military customs until they were old enough to join the army. Dahomey instituted an elite female soldier corps variously called Ahosi (the king's wives), Mino ("our mothers" in Fongbe ), or the "Dahomean Amazons ". This emphasis on military preparation and achievement earned Dahomey the nickname of "Black Sparta ", from European observers and 19th-century explorers such as Sir Richard Burton . The kings of Dahomey sold their war captives into transatlantic slavery or killed them ritually in
10472-456: The liberation of political prisoners, the integration of FDPC into government, an amnesty for the UFDR , its recognition as a political party, and the integration of its fighters into the national army. Several groups continued to fight but other groups signed on to the agreement or similar agreements with the government (e.g., UFR on 15 December 2008). The only major group not to sign an agreement at
10591-586: The name "Central African Republic" over Ubangi-Shari, reportedly because he envisioned a larger union of countries in Central Africa . Approximately 10,000 years ago, desertification forced hunter-gatherer societies south into the Sahel regions of northern Central Africa, where some groups settled. Farming began as part of the Neolithic Revolution . Initial farming of white yam progressed into millet and sorghum , and before 3000 BCE
10710-528: The national and co- official language . The Central African Republic mainly consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas , but the country also includes a Sahelo - Sudanian zone in the north and an equatorial forest zone in the south. Two-thirds of the country is within the Ubangi River basin (which flows into the Congo ), while the remaining third lies in the basin of the Chari , which flows into Lake Chad . What
10829-834: The north, the Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park is well-populated with wildlife, including leopards , lions , cheetahs and rhinos , and the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park is located in the northeast of the Central African Republic. The parks have been seriously affected by the activities of poachers, particularly those from Sudan , over the past two decades. Benin Benin ( / b ɛ ˈ n iː n / ben- EEN , / b ɪ ˈ n iː n / bin- EEN ; French : Bénin [benɛ̃] , Fon : Benɛ , Fula : Benen ), officially
10948-536: The ocean. Behind the coast lies the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic -covered plateaus of southern Benin (altitude between 20 and 200 m (66 and 656 ft)), which are split by valleys running north to south along the Couffo , Zou , and Ouémé Rivers . This geography makes it vulnerable to climate change . With the majority of the country living near the coast in lower-lying areas sea level rise could have effects on
11067-798: The official party of the state. On 31 December 1965, Dacko was overthrown in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa , who suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. President Bokassa declared himself President for Life in 1972 and named himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire (as the country was renamed) on 4 December 1976. A year later, Emperor Bokassa crowned himself in an expensive ceremony. In April 1979, young students protested against Bokassa's decree that all school pupils were required to buy uniforms from
11186-594: The opposition and incorporate the rebels into the government. Following negotiations, a national unity government, headed by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye , was appointed on 3 February 2013; it was composed of Bozizé supporters, the opposition, and rebels. Djotodia received the key post of First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense. The peace agreement unraveled in March 2013, as Séléka resumed seizing towns, accusing Bozizé of failing to keep his promises. The rebels kept their five ministers, including Djotodia, from going to Bangui . Djotodia said that rebel soldiers made
11305-548: The pantheon of Vodun and Orisha into Christianity. Ahmadiyya , a sect of Islam originating in the 19th century, also has a presence in the country. In the 2013 census, 48.5% of the population of Benin were Christian (25.5% Roman Catholic , 6.7% Celestial Church of Christ , 3.4% Methodist , and 12.9% other Christian denominations), 27.7% were Muslim , 11.6% practiced Vodun , 2.6% practiced other local traditional religions, 2.6% practiced other religions, and 5.8% claimed no religious affiliation. A government survey conducted by
11424-405: The previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the later twelve. (per km in 2013) Ethnic Groups of Benin (2013 Census) The majority of Benin's 11,485,000 inhabitants live in the south of the country. The life expectancy is 62 years. About 42 African ethnic groups live in this country, including the Yoruba in the southeast (migrated from Nigeria in
11543-593: The railway estimated in excess of 17,000 of the construction workers, from a combination of both industrial accidents and diseases including malaria . In 1928, a major insurrection, the Kongo-Wara rebellion or 'war of the hoe handle', broke out in Western Ubangi-Shari and continued for several years. The extent of this insurrection, which was perhaps the largest anti-colonial rebellion in Africa during
11662-408: The redistribution of control over land and labor. Villages sought to redefine boundaries of lands and fishing preserves. Religious disputes scarcely veiled the factional struggles over control of land and commerce which underlay them. Factions struggled for the leadership of great families". In 1958, France granted autonomy to the Republic of Dahomey , and full independence on 1 August 1960 which
11781-552: The rest of the country, the savanna is covered with thorny scrub and dotted with 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 has African bush elephants , lions , antelopes, hippopotamus and monkeys. Pendjari National Park together with the bordering Parks Arli and W National Park in Burkina Faso and Niger are among
11900-605: The situation. Djotodia resigned as President at a summit held in N'Djamena on 10 January 2014. He then went into exile in Benin on 11 January. He was welcomed at Cotonou Airport by Benin's Foreign Minister Nassirou Bako Arifari , who said that Benin received Djotodia "at the request of member states of the Economic Community of Central African States " as a "contribution to the search for peace in central Africa." Séléka announced in July 2014 that Djotodia had been restored as leader of
12019-471: The strongholds of the lion in West Africa; with an estimated 246–466 lions, W-Arli-Pendjari harbors the largest remaining lion population in West Africa . Historically Benin has served as habitat for the endangered African wild dog , Lycaon pictus ; this canid is thought to have been locally extinct . Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 1300 mm or about 51 inches. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons per year. The principal rainy season
12138-486: The time was the CPJP , which continued its activities and signed a peace agreement with the government on 25 August 2012. In 2011, Bozizé was reelected in an election which was widely considered fraudulent. In November 2012, Séléka , a coalition of rebel groups, took over towns in the northern and central regions of the country. These groups eventually reached a peace deal with Bozizé's government in January 2013, involving
12257-579: The upper hand by bringing in at least 300 troops of the Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba and Libyan soldiers. In the aftermath of the failed coup , militias loyal to Patassé sought revenge against rebels in many neighborhoods of Bangui and incited unrest including the murder of many political opponents. Eventually, Patassé came to suspect that General François Bozizé was involved in another coup attempt against him, which led Bozizé to flee with loyal troops to Chad. In March 2003, Bozizé launched
12376-485: The very late Neolithic Era ( c. 3500–2700 BCE ). Ironwork developed in the region around 1000 BCE. The Ubangian people settled along the Ubangi River in what is today the Central and East Central African Republic while some Bantu people migrated from the southwest of Cameroon . Bananas arrived in the region during the first millennium BCE and added an important source of carbohydrates to
12495-457: The vote, a second round of elections was held on 14 February 2016 with run-offs on 31 March 2016. In the second round of voting, former Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra was declared the winner with 63% of the vote, defeating Union for Central African Renewal candidate Anicet-Georges Dologuélé , another former Prime Minister. While the elections suffered from many potential voters being absent as they had taken refuge in other countries,
12614-438: The year, there were international warnings of a "genocide" and fighting was largely reprisal attacks on civilians by Seleka's predominantly Muslim fighters and Christian militias called " anti-balaka ". By August 2013, there were reports of over 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). French President François Hollande called on the UN Security Council and the African Union to increase their efforts to stabilize
12733-655: Was again overthrown in a coup by General André Kolingba on 1 September 1981. Kolingba suspended the constitution and ruled with a military junta until 1985. He introduced a new constitution in 1986 which was adopted by a nationwide referendum. Membership in his new party, the Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain (RDC), was voluntary. In 1987 and 1988, semi-free elections to parliament were held, but Kolingba's two major political opponents, Abel Goumba and Ange-Félix Patassé , were not allowed to participate. By 1990, inspired by
12852-515: Was appointed to the government as First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense in February 2013. When the peace agreement unravelled, Séléka captured Bangui and Djotodia took power on 24 March 2013. He promised to lead a transition to new elections in which he would not be a candidate, but his time in office was marked by escalating sectarian violence, and he was ultimately pressured into resigning by regional leaders on 10 January 2014. Djotodia
12971-440: Was barred by the constitution from running for a third term, businessman Patrice Talon won the second round with 65.37% of the vote, defeating investment banker and former Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou . Talon was sworn in on 6 April 2016. Speaking on the same day that the Constitutional Court confirmed the results, Talon said that he would "first and foremost tackle constitutional reform", discussing his plan to limit presidents to
13090-713: Was born in Gordil , Vakaga , French Equatorial Africa (modern day Central African Republic ), reportedly in 1949. He is Muslim , and as one, he is part of a religious minority population in the mostly Christian Central African Republic. He lived in the Soviet Union for about 10 years. While he was there, he furthered his tertiary studies in the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and became fluent in Russian , got married and had children. When he returned to Vakaga he
13209-417: Was characterized by widespread and increasing abuses by various participating armed groups, such as arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and restrictions on freedom of the press and freedom of movement. Despite its significant mineral deposits and other resources, such as uranium reserves, crude oil , gold , diamonds , cobalt , lumber , and hydropower , as well as significant quantities of arable land ,
13328-573: Was elected interim president by the National Transitional Council, becoming the first ever female Central African president. On 23 July 2014, following Congolese mediation efforts, Séléka and anti-balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement in Brazzaville . By the end of 2014, the country was de facto partitioned with the anti-Balaka in the southwest and ex-Seleka in the northeast. In March 2015, Samantha Power ,
13447-610: Was estimated in 2013 at 1.13% of adults aged 15–49 years. Malaria is a problem in Benin, being a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children younger than 5 years. During the 1980s, less than 30% of the country's population had access to primary health care services. Benin's infant mortality rate stood at 203 deaths for every 1 000 live births. One in three mothers had access to child health care services. The Bamako Initiative changed that by introducing community-based healthcare reform, resulting in "more efficient and equitable" provision of services. As of 2015 , Benin had
13566-443: Was formally sworn in as President on 18 August 2013. On that occasion he said that he hoped to be "the last of my countrymen to have to take up arms in order to come to power". He also vowed that he would not stand as a presidential candidate. Sectarian violence between Muslims and non-Muslims continued to escalate, and Djotodia faced pressure from regional leaders and the international community due to his apparent inability to control
13685-677: Was officially Marxist , under control of the Military Council of the Revolution (CMR), which nationalized the petroleum industry and banks. On 30 November 1975, he renamed the country the People's Republic of Benin . The regime of the People's Republic of Benin underwent changes over the course of its existence: a nationalist period (1972–1974); a socialist phase (1974–1982); and a phase involving an opening to Western countries and economic liberalism (1982–1990). In 1974, under
13804-485: Was originally developed as a port for the slave trade. Among the goods the Portuguese sought were carved items of ivory made by Benin's artisans in the form of carved saltcellars, spoons, and hunting horns - pieces of African art produced for sale abroad as exotic objects. Another major good sought by European settlers was palm oil. In 1856 approximately 2,500 tons of palm oil was exported by British companies which
13923-522: Was regarded as an intellectual, well-educated man who spoke various languages in addition to French and Sango . Although he was noted for being politically ambitious he was an obscure figure, little known outside his native region, and worked in the civil service. He was a tax official during the 1980s. Having studied economic planning in the Soviet Union, Djotodia worked at the Central African Republic (CAR) Ministry of Planning and subsequently at
14042-406: Was rejected by the Constitutional Court of the country, which held that Bozizé did not satisfy the "good morality" requirement for candidates because of an international warrant and United Nations sanctions against him for alleged assassinations, torture and other crimes. As large parts of the country were at the time controlled by armed groups, the election could not be conducted in many areas of
14161-472: Was valued at £112,500. By the middle of the 19th century , Dahomey had "begun to weaken and lose its status as the regional power ". The French took over the area in 1892. In 1899, the French included the land called French Dahomey within the larger French West Africa colonial region. France sought to benefit from Dahomey and the region "appeared to lack the necessary agricultural or mineral resources for large-scale capitalist development ". As
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