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Benin Travel Information

Travel Alert Status

Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Travel 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.

Travel Currency

605.7

Languages

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

Ethnic Groups

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

National Holiday

Independence Day, 1 August (1960)

Geographic Coordinates

9 30 N, 2 15 E

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Airports

1

Benin Weather


Benin Currency Exchange

Benin Travel Video

Uniqueness of Benin - Tradition and Culture Re-enacted during Ugie Mobo Celebration
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