Irrigated land: 100 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in winter
Environment-current issues: recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment-international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography-note: no natural harbors
@Benin:People
Population: 6,100,799 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 48% (male 1,465,067; female 1,455,852) 15-64 years: 50% (male 1,455,224; female 1,582,880) 65 years and over: 2% (male 61,523; female 80,253) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.31% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 45.82 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)