pen-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular
connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers
international: country code - 229; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 1, FM 34, shortwave 1 (2007)

Radios:

660,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:

6 (2007)

Televisions:

66,000 (2000)

Internet country code:

.bj

Internet hosts:

848 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

4 (2002)

Internet users:

150,000 (2007)

Transportation
Benin

Airports:

5 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007)

Railways:

total: 758 km
narrow gauge: 758 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 16,000 km
paved: 1,400 km
unpaved: 14,600 km (2006)

Waterways:

150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)

Ports and terminals:

Cotonou

Military
Benin

Military branches:

Benin Armed Forces (FAB): Army (l'Arme de Terre), Benin Navy (Forces
Navales Beninois, FNB), Benin People's Air Force (Force Aerienne
Populaire de Benin, FAPB) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

21 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; in
practice, volunteers may be taken at the age of 18; both sexes are
eligible for military service; conscript tour of duty - 18 months
(2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,908,457
females age 16-49: 1,882,421 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,173,742
females age 16-49: 1,162,113 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 97,543
female: 94,008 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.7% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues
Benin

Disputes - international:

in September 2007, Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to resolve the dispute over two
villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso border that remain from 2005
ICJ decision; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with
Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen
villages to Benin, but border relations remain strained by rival
cross-border gang clashe