Hotels in Benin
Hotels in the country of Benin are often required for tourists who need short term accommodation in the nation. Some tourists might want to see the culture, the landmarks, the scenery the wildlife, the tourist attractions, cities and towns of the country. Some may want to get a hotel that is luxury or cheap. Some may want a hotel that has good prices and good reputation.
Benin, is a country in Western Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin. Its capital is the Yoruba founded city of Porto Novo, but the seat of government is the Fon city of Cotonou. Benin was known as Dahomey.
The indigenous Edo people (also known as Bini or Benin people) of modern day Nigeria were run by a group of local chieftains, until a single ruler known as the oba,(oba means 'king' or 'ruler' in the Yoruba language), had asserted control. See Kingdom of Benin. U The obas brought great prosperity and a highly organized state to Benin. They also established good relations and an extensive slave trade with the Portuguese and Dutch who arrived from the 15th century onwards. The Benin Empire was very powerful.
The decline of the obas began in the 18th century when a series of internal power struggles began which lasted into the 19th century. This paved the way for the French takeover and colonization of the country in 1872. In 1904, the territory was incorporated into French West Africa as Dahomey.
Under the French, a port was constructed at Cotonou, and railroads were built. School facilities were expanded by Roman Catholic missions. In 1946, Dahomey became an overseas territory with its own parliament and representation in the French national assembly. On December 4, 1958, it became the République du Dahomey, self-governing within the French Community.
Benin is divided into 12 departments, and subdivided into 77 communes. In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12. The new six departments have not been assigned an official capital yet.
Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Donga, Kouffo, Littoral, Mono, Ouémé, Plateau, Zou
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 (altitude between 20 meters and 200 meters) 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.
Benin has played an important role in the African music scene, producing one of the biggest stars to come out of the continent in Angélique Kidjo. Post independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba. Ignacio Blazio Osho was perhaps the most influential musician of this period, alongside Pedro Gnonnas y sus Panchos, Les Volcans de la Capitale and Picoby Band d'Abomey. Pedro produced the song Feso Jaiye[6], which became a hit and was performed by many bands at the 2nd All Africa Games in 1973.
Porto-Novo (also known as Hogbonou and Adjacé is the official capital of the West African nation of Benin. It is a port on an inlet of the Gulf of Guinea, in the southeastern portion of the country. Porto-Novo is Benin's second largest city, but the city of Cotonou is more important, culturally and politically. The region around Porto-Novo produces palm oil, cotton and kapok. Petroleum was discovered off the coast of the city in the 1990s, and has become an important export.
Settlements in Benin include or have included ; Abeokouta, Abidzi, Abomey, Abomey-Calavi, Adjarra, Adjohoun, Akoumokoumo, Akpro-Missérété, Alekpo, Allada, Amou, Benin, Apaki, Aplahoué, Athiémé, Atokou, Banikoara, Bantè, Bassila, Bembèrèkè, Bohicon, Bori, Benin, Boukoumbé, Bétérou, Comé, Cotonou, Cové, Dassa-Zoumé, Djougou, Dogbo-Tota, Don, Benin, Ganvie, Gogounou, Grand Popo, Guene, Kafingbe, Kandi, Karimama, Benin, Kokoro, Benin, Kouandé, Kérou, Kétou, , Lokossa,, Malanville, Natitingou, Ndali, Benin, Nikki, Benin, N’Dali, Okpedie, Ouidah, Parakou, Pobé, Porga, Porto-Novo, Péhonko, Sakété, Savalou, Savi, Savé, Segboroué, Setto, Souri, Ségbana, Tanguiéta, Tchaourou
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