Benin Geography
What is the terrain and geography like in Benin?
Overview:
Benin, a narrow, north-south strip of land in West Africa, lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Benin is bordered by Togo to the west, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, Nigeria to the east, and the Bight of Benin to the south.With an area of 112,622 square kilometers, roughly the size of Pennsylvania, Benin extends from the Niger River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the south, a distance of 700 kilometers (about 500 miles). Although the coastline measures 121 kilometers (about 80 miles), the country measures about 325 kilometers (about 215 miles) at its widest east-west point. It is one of the smaller countries in West Africa: 8 times smaller than Nigeria, its neighbor to the east. It is, however, twice as large as Togo, its neighbor to the west. A relief map of Benin shows that it has little variation in elevation (average elevation 200 meters). The country can be divided into four main areas from the south to the north. The low-lying, sandy, coastal plain (highest elevation 10 meters) is, at most, 10 kilometers wide. It is marshy and dotted with lakes and lagoons communicating with the ocean. The plateaus of southern Benin — between 20 and 200 meters in altitude — are split by valleys running north to south along the Couffo, Zou, and Oueme Rivers. An area of flat lands dotted with rocky hills whose altitude seldom reaches 400 meters extends around Nikki and Save. Finally, a range of mountains extends along the northwest border and into Togo: this is the Atacora, with the highest point, Mont Sokbaro, at 658 meters.
Two types of landscape predominate in the south. Benin has fields of lying fallow, mangroves, and remnants of large sacred forests. In the rest of the country, the savanna is covered with thorny scrubs and dotted with huge baobab trees. Some forests line the banks of rivers. In the north and the northwest of Benin the Reserve du W du Niger and Pendjari National Park attract tourists eager to see elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos, and monkeys.
Geography - note:
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Climate:
Benin's climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 36 centimeters (14 inches), not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons. The principal rainy season is from April to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late September to November. The main dry season is from December to April with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September.
Temperatures and humidity are high along the tropical coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is 31°C (89°F); the minimum is 24°C (75°F). Variations in temperature increase when moving north through a savanna and plateau toward the Sahel. A dry wind from the Sahara called the harmattan blows from December to March. Grass dries up, the vegetation turns reddish brown, and a veil of fine dust hangs over the country, causing the skies to be overcast.
Benin Use of Natural Resources
Benin Environment
Climate:
Benin's climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 36 centimeters (14 inches), not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons. The principal rainy season is from April to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late September to November. The main dry season is from December to April with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September.
Temperatures and humidity are high along the tropical coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is 31°C (89°F); the minimum is 24°C (75°F). Variations in temperature increase when moving north through a savanna and plateau toward the Sahel. A dry wind from the Sahara called the harmattan blows from December to March. Grass dries up, the vegetation turns reddish brown, and a veil of fine dust hangs over the country, causing the skies to be overcast.
Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Natural Resources:
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Natural Hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Irrigated Land:
89 Square Miles230 Square Kilometers
Environmental Issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - International Agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Benin Geography
| Geographic Location | Africa |
| Total Area |
43,483 Square Miles 112,622 Square Kilometers |
| Land Area |
42,711 Square Miles 110,622 Square Kilometers |
| Water Area |
772 Square Miles 2,000 Square Kilometers |
| Land Boundaries |
1,236 Miles 1,989 Kilometers |
| Irrigated Land |
89 Square Miles 230 Square Kilometers |
| Border Countries | Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
| Coastline |
75 Miles 121 Kilometers |
| Geographic Coordinates | 9 30 N, 2 15 E |
| Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
| Highest Point | 658 Meters |
| Highest Point Location | Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
| Lowest Point Location | Atlantic Ocean 0 m |
| Natural Resources | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
| Time Zone | UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |