AFRICAN
CONSERVATION AND WEB SITES FOR AFRICA FROM
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PROFILE
ON BENIN
Relief
Map of Benin - 191K
Benin (formerly the Republic of Dahomey) covers about 112,622 sq km (43,
484 sq miles). It has a coastline on the Gulf of Guinea and extends
inland about 650 km to the Niger river. The coast is a straight sand-bar,
pounded by heavy surf on the seaward side and backed by one or more lagoons
and former shorelines on the landward side. Rivers flow into these lagoons,
Lakes Aheme and Nokoue being estuaries of two rivers whose seaward exits
are obstructed by the sand-bar. North of Lake Nokoue the Oueme river has
a wide marshy delta where it is very fertile.
Most of the rest of the country is underlain by Pre-Cambrian rocks, with
occassional bare domes, laterite cappings on level surfaces, and poor soils.
The Atacora mountains - with less poor, although eroded soils - are
situated in the northwest.
The southern areas have an equatorial climate, especially along the coast,
although low in rainfall; inland the dry months increase until a tropical
climate prevails over the northern half of the country.
Plant and animal life
The original rain forest, which covered most of the southern part of the
country, has now largely been cleared, except near the rivers. In its place,
many oil palms and rônier palms have been planted and food crops are
cultivated. North of Abomey the vegetation is an intermixture of forest and
savanna (grassy parkland), giving way farther north to savanna. Apart from
the oil and rônier palms, trees include coconut palms, kapok, mahogany,
and ebony.
In the extreme north is the "W" National Park (1,938 square miles), which
extends into Burkina Faso and Niger. Its varied animal life includes elephants,
leopards, lions, antelope, monkeys, wild pigs, crocodiles, and buffalo. There
are many species of snakes, including pythons and puff adders. Birds include
guinea fowl, wild duck, and partridge, as well as many tropical species.
The Pendjari National Park (1,062 square miles) borders on Burkina Faso.
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