4 years: 49% (female 1,431,630; male 1,299,180)
65 years and over: 3% (female 74,119; male 59,522) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.33% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 47.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 13.93 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 107.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.24 years
male: 50.34 years
female: 54.2 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese

Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being
Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500

Religions: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars
in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 23%
male: 32%
female: 16%

Labor force: 1.9 million (1987)
by occupation: agriculture 60%, transport, commerce, and public
services 38%, industry less than 2%

@Benin:Government

Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey

Digraph: BN

Type: republic under multiparty democratic rule dropped
Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February
1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991

Capital: Porto-Novo

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou,
Mono, Oueme, Zou

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)

Constitution: 2 December 1990

Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Nicephore SOGLO
(since 4 April 1991); election last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next
election 1996); results - Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%
cabinet: Executive Council; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28 March
1995; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (83 tot