Republic of Benin
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
Mathieu Kérékou was elected president by the National Revolutionary Assembly in 1980, re-elected in 1984. Eventually, Kérékou renounced Marxism, and a convention forced Kérékou to release political prisoners and arrange elections. Kérékou lost to Nicéphore Soglo in a 1991 election and became the first president on the African mainland to lose power through an election.
Portrait of Mathieu Kérékou: Ricardo Stuckert/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, file
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Nicéphore Soglo
President of the Republic of Benin, 1991–1996
He was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. He was Mayor of Cotonou from 2003 to 2015.
Portrait of Nicéphore Soglo: Jean-Marc Ayrault, CC BY 2.0, file
Mathieu Kérékou
President of the Republic of Benin, 1996–2006
Kérékou returned to power after winning the 1996 vote. In 1999, Kérékou issued a national apology for the substantial role that Africans had played in the Atlantic slave trade. In 2001, an election resulted in Kérékou winning another term, after which his opponents claimed election irregularities.
Portrait of Mathieu Kérékou: Ricardo Stuckert/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, file
Thomas Boni Yayi
President of the Republic of Benin, 2006–2016
He was the president of Benin from 2006 to 2016. He took office after winning the March 2006 presidential election and was re-elected to a second term in March 2011. He also served as the chairperson of the African Union from 29 January 2012 to 27 January 2013.
Portrait of Thomas Boni Yayi: Wilson Dias/ABr, CC BY 3.0 br, file
Patrice Talon
President of the Republic of Benin, 2016–2026
He previously served as the eighth president of Benin from 2016 to 2026. In the March 2016 presidential elections in which Boni Yayi 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. In April 2021, President Patrice Talon was re-elected, with more than 86.3% of the votes cast in the 2021 Beninese presidential election.
Portrait of Patrice Talon: Lula Oficial, CC BY-SA 2.0, file
Romuald Wadagni
President of the Republic of Benin, 2026 to today
He has served as the ninth president of Benin since 2026. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Economy and Finance under President Patrice Talon from 2016 to 2026, and worked for the consulting firm Deloitte prior to entering politics. He was born in Lokossa on 20 June 1976.
Portrait of Romuald Wadagni: Aurore Martignoni / European Union, 2026 / EC - Audiovisual Service, CC BY 4.0, file
Culture
- The official language of Benin is French, with indigenous languages such as Fon, Bariba, Yoruba and Dendi also spoken.
- It is a tropical country with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture and the exports of palm oil and cotton.
- The capital is Porto-Novo, and the seat of government is in Cotonou, the most populous city and economic capital.
Picture
Pendjari National Park lies in north-western Benin, adjoining the Arli National Park in Burkina Faso.
Image: Fawaz.tairou, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.