Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 27 October 1972)
Political parties and leaders: only party—People's Revolutionary
Party of Benin (PRPB), President Mathieu Kerekou, chairman of the
Central Committee
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President—last held July 1989 (next to be held July 1994);
results—President Mathieu Kerekou was reelected by the
National Revolutionary Assembly;
National Revolutionary Assembly—dissolved 1 March 1990 and replaced by a 24-member interim High Council of the Republic with legislative elections for new institutions planned for February 1991
Communists: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, Niger
River Commission, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Theophile NATA; Chancery at
2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656;
US—Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard,
Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone [229] 30-06-50
Flag: green with a red five-pointed star in the upper hoist-side corner
- Economy Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 45% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of agricultural products and crude oil.