National Symbols of Benin

Last updated on February 23rd, 2023 by Editorial Staff

Table Of Contents

Introduction
Country Information
Coat of arms
Flag map
Country motto
National animal
National flower
National bird
Rest of national symbols
State symbols
Neighbouring countries
Proverbs & sayings
Compare with other countries
Location

Benin is a country in Africa. The official name of Benin is the Republic of Benin. It shares borders with 4 countries: Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The people of Benin are called Beninese, Beninois. The country is situated in Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo.

Etymology discusses where a term is considered to have originated from and how its meaning has changed over time. Etymology has been a factor in the naming of countries all across the world, and Benin has also been influenced. The etymology of Benin can be defined as; “Land beside the Bight of Benin”.

An ethnicity is a group or sub-group of people who are connected based on common characteristics which may include religion, origin, language, traditions, or culture. The ethnic groups in Benin include Fon, Adja, and Mina.

Westair Benin is the national airline of Benin. The national colors of the country are green, yellow, and red. The emoji flag of the country is 🇧🇯, and the ISO code is BEN.

Benin is known for its brass work. The national dish of Benin is Kuli-Kuli. La Béninoise, in addition to being a traditional beverage, is one of the country’s national drinks. The national instrument of Benin is Marimba.

The country has the time zone UTC+1 (WAT) followed by dd/mm/yyyy as the standard date format.

Benin is divided into 12 departments, 77 communes, and 546 districts. Cotonou is Benin’s largest city, while Porto-Novo serves as the capital.

The literacy rate in Benin is 32.9%.

The country’s total area is 114,763 km² (44,310 sq mi), and the total population is 12,123,200. The country’s average elevation is 200 m (656 ft), whereas the country’s terrain can be defined as; Mostly flat to the undulating plain; some hills, and low mountains. The country’s usual climate is tropical; hot, humid in the south; semiarid in the north.

The area of land next to a sea is called the coast, and a coastline is defined as the line where land and sea meet. Benin has 121 km of coastline.

The West African CFA franc serves as the national unit of currency, and the Central Bank of West African States is recognized as the country’s central bank. The domain for Benin is .bj and the country code is +229. Two horns with corn are the country’s coat of arms.

The national dress of Benin is the Bomba and Pagne, and 1 August is designated as National Day. In Benin, the majority of the population practices Christianity, Islam, and other traditional faiths as their religion.

Nature is a blessing from God and we must protect it because it provides us with the oxygen and food to survive. It also helps to keep our environment beautiful and clean. To emphasize the significance of nature, Benin has selected a few forces of nature as national symbols. Benin’s national animal is the Leopards. The national tree of Benin is the Palm tree, and the highest peak is Mont Sokbaro.

Mythical creatures can be found in the literature and mythologies of many different nations. They represent imaginative representations of various creatures, humans, or hybrids. They are known for their specific features, supernatural abilities, and distinctive appearance. The mythical creature of Benin is Anansi.

Sports have always played an important role in developing the social and cultural structure of Benin and other countries. When it comes to designating a sport as the official symbol, Football is considered the country’s national sport.

Oranmiyan is the founder of Benin. The country’s national anthem was written by Gilbert Jean Dagnon, and composed by Gilbert Jean Dagnon.

The country’s national hero is Mathieu Kérékou.

Due to their unique qualities and rich cultural or historical backgrounds, national monuments around the world are of great importance. Place des Martyrs is recognized as the national monument of the country. It attracts visitors from all around the world.

Numerous organizations are working on a global level to improve the current state of affairs and to collaborate in order to establish and maintain constructive partnerships. Benin is a member of the African Union (AU), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and United Nations (UN). Benin collaborates with them to organize, analyze, and address various events and situations.

“Fraternité, Justice, Travail -“Fellowship, Justice, Labour” is the official motto of the country, and the current President of the country is Patrice Talon.

Benin has declared French as the country’s official language.

– Further information regarding the symbols and knowledge of Benin can be found in the table of contents –

Country information

Former name(s)	Dahomey
Official name(s)	Republic of Benin
Alternative name(s)	Republic of Benin (official, English), Dahomey (former name)
Regional location	Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Country name etymology	"Land beside the Bight of Benin"
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid in the south; semiarid in the north
Terrain	Mostly flat to the undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Population	12,123,200
National Day	1 Aug 1960
Language(s)	French - Learn more about the languages of Benin/
Religion	Christianity, Islam, and other traditional faiths
Country code	+229
Literacy rate	32.9%
Currency	West African CFA franc
Capital city	Porto-Novo
ISO	BEN
Domain(TLD)	.bj
Ethnicity	Fon, Adja & Mina
Head of government	Prime Minister
Nationality	Beninese, Beninois
Driving side	Drive on the Right-hand side
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Total area	114,763 km² (44,310 sq mi)
Timezone	UTC+1 (WAT)
Average elevation	200 m (656 ft)
Coastline	121 km
Mains electricity	220 V
Emergency telephone numbers	Emergency Telephone Numbers

Coat of arms

Flag map of Benin

Motto of Benin

Fraternité, Justice, Travail -"Fellowship, Justice, Labour"

National animal of Benin

The National animal of Benin is Leopards

National flower of Benin

The National flower of Benin is Not Declared. Botanical name is .

National bird of Benin

The National bird of Benin is Not Declared

Rest of the National symbols of Benin 👇

Neighbouring countries of Benin

Beninese, Beninois Proverbs - Popular quotes, proverbs and sayings.

Silence is an attribute of the dead; he who is alive speaks.

Anyone who sees beauty and does not look at it will soon be poor.

Work is the medicine for poverty.

The world is a journey, the afterworld is home.

A great affair covers up a small matter.

Anyone who plants a tree before they die has not lived in vain.

Before you ask a man for clothes, look at the clothes that he is wearing.

Blacksmiths and woodworkers will never suffer from poverty.

Everyone has his place: the dead in the cemetery and the living at the table.

Fear a silent man. He has lips like a drum.

Many words do not fill a basket.

The misfortune that comes into town does not wear a turban.