Today we head to Benin, a country I know practically nothing about, other than it’s in West Africa. Sandwiched between Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and Niger to be precise.
Apparently, Benin is the birthplace of Voodoo or (Vodun). Today 17% (or 11%*) of the population (1.6m) still practice Vodun despite Portuguese and then French colonisers trying to stamp it out. National Voodoo Day is celebrated annually on 10th January
Benin is a developing country and the economy of Benin is dependent on subsistence agriculture and cotton production. Cotton production accounts for 40% of the country’s GDP.
Despite being a poor country, Benin is considered one of the most politically stable countries in West Africa.
To round up this evening’s quick visit to Benin, I’ll leave you with a few eye-opening facts. Benin has a staggeringly high fertility rate with approximately 5 children per woman. Despite this Benin has a very low literacy rate of 38% and only 4.5% of Benin’s 12.8 million population have internet access.
*If you’re more of a Guardian reader and enjoy good photography
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