Benin - An Introduction
Benin, a French republic located in the West along the southern coast of the Horn of Africa, is nestled between Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger and the Atlantic Ocean. Porto-Novo, the capital of the nation, has a latitude of 6° 29' 47.26" N and a longitude of 2° 36' 12.92" E (“GPS coordinates of Porto-Novo, Benin. Latitude: 6.4965 Longitude: 2.6036,” 2018). And the most populous city of Benin, Cotonou, the unofficial capital and a large port city, has a latitude of 6° 21' 45.00" N and a longitude of 2° 25' 31.80" E (“GPS coordinates of Cotonou, Benin. Latitude: 6.3625 Longitude: 2.4255,” 2018). With a population of just over eleven million, Benin was previously known as Dahomey up until 1975, until it claimed its named officially from Bight of Benin, the “bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the Western coast of Africa that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River” (Adotevi, Law, & Ronen, “Benin,” 2017).
Due to its length and its narrow shape, the climate varies between Benin’s northern and southern regions. The South is close to the equator, and as a result, experiences much rainfall throughout the year with consistently high temperatures and humidity, while the northern region is drier, with less rain and more arid conditions, and temperatures averaging roughly ten degrees higher than those in the South (Adotevi, Law, & Ronen, “Benin,” 2017). Due to Benin’s location along the coast and its proximity to Bight of Benin, it became a center for the Atlantic Slave Trade from the 15th through the 19th century. As a result of the mass exportation of large people groups, this era had, “a substantial and deleterious impact in Benin, causing the depopulation of certain areas as well as a general militarization of society” (Adotevi, Law, & Ronen, “Benin,” 2017). The slave trade was a historical event, which continues to have great impact on current culture and society. However, its coast has not only served a role in the slave trade but it has also proven to assist Benin’s agriculturally-fueled economy with tropical weather and various bodies of water surrounding its borders. Those same water sources also create susceptibility to the contamination and spread of disease, such a cholera, a deadly infection with a high mortality rate. Because water is often publicly shared, this illness is more common, and is more difficult to treat with insufficient health care.
References
Adotevi, S., Law, R., & Ronen, D. (2017, November 23). Benin. In Encyclopedia Britannica.
Retrieved January 26, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Benin
GPS coordinates of Cotonou, Benin. Latitude: 6.3625 Longitude: 2.4255. (2018). Retrieved
January 26, 2018, from http://latitude.to/articles-by-country/bj/benin/4925/cotonou
GPS coordinates of Porto-Novo, Benin. Latitude: 6.4965 Longitude: 2.6036. (2018). Retrieved
January 26, 2018, from http://latitude.to/map/bj/benin/cities/porto-novo
Due to its length and its narrow shape, the climate varies between Benin’s northern and southern regions. The South is close to the equator, and as a result, experiences much rainfall throughout the year with consistently high temperatures and humidity, while the northern region is drier, with less rain and more arid conditions, and temperatures averaging roughly ten degrees higher than those in the South (Adotevi, Law, & Ronen, “Benin,” 2017). Due to Benin’s location along the coast and its proximity to Bight of Benin, it became a center for the Atlantic Slave Trade from the 15th through the 19th century. As a result of the mass exportation of large people groups, this era had, “a substantial and deleterious impact in Benin, causing the depopulation of certain areas as well as a general militarization of society” (Adotevi, Law, & Ronen, “Benin,” 2017). The slave trade was a historical event, which continues to have great impact on current culture and society. However, its coast has not only served a role in the slave trade but it has also proven to assist Benin’s agriculturally-fueled economy with tropical weather and various bodies of water surrounding its borders. Those same water sources also create susceptibility to the contamination and spread of disease, such a cholera, a deadly infection with a high mortality rate. Because water is often publicly shared, this illness is more common, and is more difficult to treat with insufficient health care.
References
Adotevi, S., Law, R., & Ronen, D. (2017, November 23). Benin. In Encyclopedia Britannica.
Retrieved January 26, 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Benin
GPS coordinates of Cotonou, Benin. Latitude: 6.3625 Longitude: 2.4255. (2018). Retrieved
January 26, 2018, from http://latitude.to/articles-by-country/bj/benin/4925/cotonou
GPS coordinates of Porto-Novo, Benin. Latitude: 6.4965 Longitude: 2.6036. (2018). Retrieved
January 26, 2018, from http://latitude.to/map/bj/benin/cities/porto-novo
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