History of Benin

Dahomey, 1600–1894 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Kingdom of Dahomey was a West African kingdom located within the present-day Republic of Benin. The Kingdom of Dahomey was established around 1600 as an offshoot of the royal dynasty of the Kingdom of Allada. It developed on the Abomey Plateau among the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a regional power in the 18th century by expanding south to conquer key cities like Whydah belonging to the Kingdom of Whydah on the Atlantic coast, which granted it unhindered access to the Atlantic Slave Trade. Territorial disputes with France led to the war in 1890 and part of the kingdom becoming a French protectorate.

Seat of power: Abomey

French Dahomey, 1904–1958 Draft, not yet reviewed

French Dahomey, officially the Colony of Dahomey and Dependencies, was a French colony and part of French West Africa. The Second Franco-Dahomean War resulted in it becoming a French protectorate in 1894. A decree dated 22 June 1894 created the Colonie de Dahomey et dépendances, which was to be incorporated into French West Africa in 1904. On 4 December 1958, it became the Republic of Dahomey, self-governing within the French Community.

Seat of power: Porto-Novo

Republic of Dahomey, 1958–1975 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Republic of Dahomey, simply known as Dahomey, was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. On 1 August 1960, it attained full independence from France. These rivals were Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, who held sway in the southern and central regions of the country, Sourou-Migan Apithy, who dominated the southeast, and Hubert Maga, whose power base was located in the north. In 1975, the country was renamed Benin after the Bight of Benin.

Seat of power: Porto-Novo

Rulers

• Hubert Maga, President of Dahomey, 1960–1963
• Christophe Soglo, President of Dahomey, 1963–1967
• Sourou-Migan Apithy, President of Dahomey, 1964–1965
• Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin, President of Dahomey, 1965–1965
• Tahirou Congacou, President of Dahomey, 1965–1965
• Alphonse Alley, President of Dahomey, 1967–1968
• Maurice Kouandété, President of Dahomey, 1967–1967
• Jean-Baptiste Hachème, President of Dahomey, 1967–1967
• Émile Derlin Zinsou, President of Dahomey, 1968–1969
• Paul-Émile de Souza, President of Dahomey, 1969–1970
• Maurice Kouandété, President of Dahomey, 1969–1969
• Hubert Maga, President of Dahomey, 1970–1972
• Mathieu Kérékou, President of Dahomey, 1972–1975

People's Republic of Benin, 1975–1990 Draft, not yet reviewed

The People's Republic of Benin was a Marxist-Leninist state located in the Gulf of Guinea on the African continent, which became present-day Benin in 1990. The People's Republic was established on 30 November 1975, after the 1972 coup d'état led by Marxist and nationalist general Mathieu Kérékou in the Republic of Dahomey. It was governed under a one-party state led by the People's Revolutionary Party of Benin, which effectively lasted until 1 March 1990, with the adoption of a new constitution, and the abolition of Marxism-Leninism in the nation in 1989. A new constitution was adopted in 1978, and the first elections for the National Revolutionary Assembly were held in 1979.

Seat of power: Porto-Novo

Republic of Benin, 1990 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, formerly known as Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. In 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France. 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.

Seat of power: Porto-Novo

Rulers

• Mathieu Kérékou, President of the Republic of Benin, 1980–1991
• Nicéphore Soglo, President of the Republic of Benin, 1991–1996
• Mathieu Kérékou, President of the Republic of Benin, 1996–2006
• Thomas Boni Yayi, President of the Republic of Benin, 2006–2016
• Patrice Talon, President of the Republic of Benin, 2016–2026
• Romuald Wadagni, President of the Republic of Benin, 2026 to today