Benin Benin Benin ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Benin () and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. The majority of its population lives on the small southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country's largest city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of and its
Science and technology in Benin Benin would reduce its reliance on fluctuating global market prices for commodities and create jobs for its rapidly growing population (2.64% per year in 2014). According to the World Bank, 'despite moderate GDP growth of between 4% and 5% annually over the past two decades, poverty remains widespread and on the rise in Benin, with national poverty rates of 37.5% in 2006, 35.2% in 2009, 36.2% in 2011 and 40.1% in 2015'.Benin is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In 2014, Benin ranked 18th on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance. In 2011, 57% of