Shaylin+Benin+2b


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•__**Size of country in square miles (compare it to the United States)**__ Benin- 43,482 square miles USA- 3,826,675 square miles •__**Population density in people per square mile (compare it to the United States)**__ Benin's population of 9.1 million is growing by 2.95 percent annually. 208 people per square mile . US has 88 people per square mile.

•__**Gross Domestic Product per capita (explain what “GDP per capita” means and how your country relates to the United States’ GDP per capita)**__ Benin-1,312 GDP USA-45,592 GDP

•__**Life expectancy (compare it to the United States)**__ Benin- 60(male), 62(female) USA- 77(male) 81(female)

•__**Birth rate (compare it to the United States)**__ USA-14 out of 1,000<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> Benin-39 out of 1,000

__<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">•**Infant mortality rate (compare it to the United States)** __ <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Benin- 65 out of 1,000 <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">USA-6 out of 1,000 <span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">French,Yoruba, and adja-fon
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">•__Language(s) spoken__ **

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">•__**Type of Government (and explain what this means and how it is different from the United States)**__ Benin has a multiparty democracy. Their current president is Thomas Yayi Boni. He has been elected for a 5 year term. Their national assembly has 83 members and they are elected for a 4 year term. They can vote at 18. More than 50 political parties are active in Benin, but only a handful have legislative representation. While the government works to unite the country, regional politics remain important. USA-The United States is a democratic national republic directed by a constitution. Individual states hold rule over their land and have all rights that are not kept by the national government. Each state has its own legislature for enacting laws. Free elections have always strong-minded the country's leadership, and people may vote at age 18.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">•__**Political Leader**__

<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Thomas Yayi Boni <span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Tahoma','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">﻿ •__Literacy Rate (compare it to the United States)__ Benin- 53%(male), 28%(female) USA- 99% (male), 99%(female)

•__Religions practiced__ Although most people in Benin have known about Christianity since the 17th century, it is not their religion. Most Beninese have faith in in a highest God (Mahu among the Fon and Olorun or Olodumare among the Yoruba) and they also believe in a life after death. They award great importance to worshiping descendants, who protect them against bad luck. Therefore, death is considered as an important family event, and in some circumstances, funeral rites are elaborate. Forecast is a central piece of local faith; people frequently refer an vision about significant events or decisions they wish to start. People worship the ultimate God through traditional religions (Voodoos among the Fon and Orisha among the Yoruba). Most families have a image to which they pray and offer victims to get help from these local gods.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">•__Brief history__ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">﻿ Benin used to be called Dahomey until 1975. In Dahomey used to be a powerful kingdom,Danhomê. The kingdom was known for its slave trading, production of palm oil, and how they had an army of woman called the Amazons. Danhomê expanded its north side in the earlier 1800’s so they could have more slaves .In 1893 the French, after many incursions, gradually defeated King Gbehanzin; Dahomey became fully integrated into French West Africa by 1904. They got their independece in 1960, but it wasn’t what they thought it would be. After 12 years of unrest Major Matthieu Kérékou united the nation and adopted Marxism-Leninism in 1974. Then he renamed the country The Peoples Republic of Benin.

Economic Summary Benin happens to be one of the poorest countries the entire world. Money is in the hands of only a couple. Many people rely on farming and sometimes fishing for living. Most urban production comes from the small farms they have. The majority of their crops are cassava and other groundnuts, soy, millet, sorghum, tuber, and corn. Cotton is a principal export crop, but ready money crops like tobacco, palm oil, cocoa, and coffee are also made in small amounts. Industry workers are only a small fraction of all the employees. Remittances from Beninese laboring overseas are also important to the economy. Benin stocks way more than it exports, and a huge contract of illegal trade is going on across Benin’s boarders, mainly with Nigeria.

Monetary Unit Communaute Financiere Africaine francs

**- Their usual meal is a** stiff porridge eaten with a spicy stew - Their capital is Porto-Novo
 * Fun Facts **
 * - ﻿ Beninese people usually speak at least three languages **
 * - They like to warship their ancestors **
 * -Beninese people like to play cards and checkers **

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 110%; line-height: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; overflow: hidden;">

<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Benin flag

The flag of Benin was most recently adopted on the 1st August 1991. The colors on the flag are red, green, and yellow. Red represents courage, Green represents hope, and Yellow represents prosperity. The national anthem talks about the colors in the song.

** Political and Physical map- **

flicrCC Google Maps Culture Grams CIA Factbook
 * Where I got my information**

Comparing Table


 * ||~ [|Nation] ||~ [|Region] ||~ [|Capital] ||~ [|Area (square miles)] ||~ [|Area (square kilometers)] ||~ [|Population] ||~ [|Urban population] ||~ [|Real GDP (per capita)*] ||~ [|Real GDP (total in billions)*] ||~ [|Internet users (per 1,000 people)] ||~ [|Cellular telephone subscribers (per 1,000 people)] ||~ [|Telephone landlines (per 1,000 people)] ||~ [|Adult literacy] ||~ [|Literacy (male)] ||~ [|Literacy (female)] ||~ [|Daily calorie consumption (per capita)] ||~ [|Infant mortality (per 1,000 births)] ||~ [|Life expectancy (male)] ||~ [|Life expectancy (female)] ||~ [|Doctors (per 100,000 people)] ||~ [|Maternal mortality (per 100,000 live births)] ||~ [|Probability of not surviving to age 40] ||~ [|Electricity consumption (kilowatt-hours per capita)] ||~ [|Carbon dioxide emissions (metric tons per capita)] ||~ [|HDI rank (of 182 countries)*] ||~ [|HDI adjusted for women (of 155 countries)*] ||
 * Benin || Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa) || Porto-Novo || 43,482 || 112,620 || 9,056,010 || 42% || $1,312 || $12 || 50 || 89 || 9 || 41% || 53% || 28% || 2,530 || 65 || 60 || 62 || 4 || 840 || 19% || 81 || 0 || 161 || 135 ||
 * United States of America || Americas (North America) || Washington, D.C. || 3,794,100 || 9,826,675 || 310,232,863 || 82% || $45,592 || $13,751 || 630 || 680 || 606 || 99% || 99% || 99% || 3,774 || 6 || 77 || 81 || 256 || 11 || 4% || 14,240 || 21 || 13 || 19 ||


 * *U.S. Dollars
 * UN Development Programme, Human Development Report ||  || [[image:http://online.culturegrams.com/world/images/spacer.gif width="20"]] ||