Benin
The Republic
of Benin,
former Dahomey,
is made up of several socio-cultural groups, which constitute a number of
homogeneous entities with a national basis regarding languages and cultures.
The history of Benin
is a succession of kingdoms. During the pre-colonial era these communities were
independent nation-states. For example,
the Kingdom
of Nikki,
whose most prestigious king was Sero Kpera, marks the history of the northern people of Benin.
In the south prevailed the Kingdom
of Abomey
(Dahomey),
which is most commonly spoken of. The prosperity of
the kingdom was due to trade with Europeans and the strength of its army, part
of which were the famous Amazons.
In 1704, France received permission to erect a port at Ouidah,
and in 1752 the Portuguese founded Porto Novo. Porto-Novo is the political capital; its most important city is Cotonou.
In June 22, 1894,
the territory was named by decree the "Colony of Dahomey
and its dependences" and was granted autonomy, which it retained until October 18, 1904
when it became part of French West Africa.
On December 4, 1958
the Republic was proclaimed. Dahomey
became independent on August
1, 1960 and is currently a UN member.
However, the regime
was unable to solve the important problems of the nation. A historical national
conference, held from 19th to 28th
February 1975, created the Republic
of Benin
and with it an environment of economic and social development. Since then, Benin
has been a multi-party democracy.
| Home | FARAGEL | Mission | Vision |
Objectives | RAC
School | Benin | Dedication | Contact
Copy
right FARAGEL 2005 Foundation