19 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures--dollar figure: $15 million (FY97/98)

Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 2% (FY97/98)

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: border with Guatemala in dispute

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; minor
money-laundering center

======================================================================

@Benin
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Geography

Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean,
between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km,
Togo 644 km

Coastline: 121 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low
mountains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone,
marble, timber

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 31%
other: 48% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north
in winter

Environment--current issues: recent droughts have severely
affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of
potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations;
deforestation; desertification

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography--note: no natural harbors

People

Population: 6,305,567 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 1,510,703; female 1,501,437)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,511,114; female 1,637,155)
65 years and over: 2% (male 62,459; female 82,699) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.3% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 45.37 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12