Benin

Benin is a small country in West Africa. It was once home to the powerful Kingdom of Dahomey. Benin is the birthplace of the voodoo religion and has a rich history of art and powerful warrior traditions.

Land and People

About 13 million people live in Benin. The capital is Porto-Novo, but the biggest city is Cotonou. Benin has a short southern coast, swampy areas, flat plains, and hills in the northwest. The Pendjari National Park has elephants and lions.

Old map of Dahomey and the lands around it.
Old map of Dahomey and the lands around it. (Dalzel, Archibald / Wikimedia Commons)

Culture and Fun Facts

The Kingdom of Dahomey had an elite group of female warriors called the Amazons. Benin celebrates National Voodoo Day every January 10. People eat pate, a cornmeal dish, with sauces. Benin has stilt villages built over water on Lake Nokoue.

Fun Facts

  • Benin celebrates National Voodoo Day on January 10 every year.
  • The Kingdom of Dahomey in Benin had famous female warriors.
  • Ganvie in Benin is called the Venice of Africa because the whole village is built on stilts over a lake.

Did You Know?

Ganvie in Benin is a village where about 30,000 people live in houses built on stilts over Lake Nokoue. People travel by boat instead of walking. It has been there for hundreds of years and is sometimes called the Venice of Africa.