Benin
Benin: Political System
Benin is a presidential republic. The Assemblée Nationale is a unicameral
parliament and has 83 members. It is re-elected every 4 years. The direct
election of the head of state takes place every 5 years; re-election is possible
once.
According to Digopaul.com,
the official name of the country is:
| République du Bénin
Republic of Benin |
National anthem
The national anthem of Benin is L'Aube Nouvelle. It was introduced with the
country's independence in 1960. Gilbert Jean Dagnon wrote and
composed the hymn.
| In French |
In the English translation |
| Jadis à son appel, nos aïeux sans faiblesse
Ont su avec courage, ardeur, pleins d'allégresse
Livrer au prix du sang des combat éclatants.
Accourez vous aussi, bâtisseurs du présent,
Plus forts dans l'unité, chaqu'jour à la tâche,
Pour la postérité, construisez sans relâche.Refrain
Enfants du Bénin, debout!
La liberté d'un cri sonore
Chante aux premiers feux de l'aurore,
Enfants du Bénin, debout!Quand partout souffle un vent de colère et de
haine.
Béninois, sois fier, et d'une âme sereine,
Confiant dans l'avenir, regarde ton drapeau!
Dans le vert tu liras l'espor du renouveau,
De tes aïeux le rouge évoque le courage,
Des plus riches trésors le jaune est le présage.
refrainTes monts ensoleillés, tes palmiers, ta verdure,
Cher Bénin, partout font ta vive parure.
Ton sol offre à chacun la richesse des fruits.
Bénin, désormais que tes fils tous unis
D'un fraternel élan partagent l'espérance
De te voir à jamais heureux dans l'abondance.refrain |
In the past, at our appeal, our ancestors
knew no weakness, With courage and ardor, full of joy
At the price of blood, fought an overwhelming battle.
Hurry up too, you builders of the present,
stronger in unity, every day in the task of building
for the descendants without interruption of work.Refrain
Children from Benin, get up!
The freedom of a sonorous scream
Sing by the first fires of dawn.
Benin children, stand up!When a wind of anger and hate blows everywhere.
The Benin is proud and of a calm soul.
Entrust your flag to the future and look!
In the green you will read the hope of renewal.
Courage is mentioned in red by your ancestors.
The yellow of the omens is richer treasures.refrainYour
sunny mountains, your palm trees, your greenery,
Dear Benin, make your lively jewelry set everywhere.
Your soil offers everyone the richness of fruits.
Benin, from now on that your threads all united.
The hope is shared by a brotherly vigor
to see you happily in abundance into eternity.refrain |
National flag
The national flag (country flag) of Benin was introduced on December 4, 1958
as the flag of Dahomey, which was then independent from France. Based on flag
descriptions by Countryaah.com, the three colors
- the traditional Pan-African colors - are interpreted as follows:
- Green symbolizes the fertile south
- Yellow stands for the savannahs in the north
- Red stands for the blood that was shed earlier.
Benin: animals
Mammals
Numerous mammals that are otherwise only known from the zoo or television
live in the wild in Benin. Here you can meet elephants, leopards, hyenas,
antelopes, lions and, with a lot of luck, the shy panthers. The latter in
particular live solitary and very withdrawn. On the other hand, an encounter
with wild boars or brush-eared pigs, which are spread all over the country,
is much more likely to take place. Giraffes, warthogs and hippos are at home
in the nature reserves.
Reptiles
Reptiles are very common in Benin and can be found almost everywhere. For
example, Nile crocodiles can be found on the rivers and banks. Especially in the
Pendjari National Park you can see the animals in their natural environment. The
crocodile, which is up to 5 m tall, was threatened with extinction for a while,
but it was saved from this through targeted protective measures and is now found
in relatively stable populations throughout Africa.
Widely used is the python, which mainly by notice that he curls up in case of
danger into a ball and hence the name "Ball Python" has received. Another
non-poisonous snake is the rock python.
Venomous snakes in Benin:
- Common puff adder
- Green mamba
- Rhinoceros viper
- Black and white cobra
- Southern bird snake, Thelotornis capensis
Birds
The bird life in Benin is amazingly rich in species. Flamingos, pelicans,
boobies, ibises, cormorants, numerous species of herons and also small
specialties such as the secretary and the darter, which, as the name suggests,
is characterized by an extremely long neck, are at home here. The hammer head is
one of the wading birds, and if you take a closer look at its head shape and
beak, you understand the unusual naming without further explanation. One of the
birds of prey in Benin is the osprey, which however only hibernates here. In his
diet he specializes in fishing, but can also fall back on reptiles and small
mammals in times of need.
insects
Some of the native insects are carriers of parasites that cause diseases that
are not harmless. These include the anopheles mosquito as the carrier of
malaria, as well as the no less dangerous tsetse fly, which transmits sleeping
sickness. But there are other mosquitos as well as flies and ants.
Benin: plants
Trees
The predominant type of landscape in Benin is the savannah, where a
distinction is made between the wet and dry savannah in the Niger plain. The
former rainforest near the coast was cut down so that small areas of forest are
only near rivers.
The dominant tree species are coconut and oil palms, which are particularly
common along the coast. Ebony and kapok trees are also found here. The latter
grow up to 70 m high and are characterized by fold-like roots at the foot of the
tree. The German name is "Wollbaum", in English it is known as "Silk cotton
tree". This is because there are cotton-like hairs in the fruit capsules, which
can be used to stuff mattresses, among other things.
Crops
The crops that are increasingly grown include cotton in particular, which is
one of Benin's main export goods. but also cereals, beans, rice, peanuts and
cassava. Manioc is also known under the name cassava or bread root. This plant
belongs to the milkweed family, grows up to 3 m high, has a bushy habit and
greenish-yellow flowers. The starchy, up to 8 cm thick and up to 90 cm long
tubers are used. All parts of the plant contain a toxin that is destroyed by
washing out and exposure to heat. This makes the cassava palatable.
Fruits growing in Benin are bananas, guavas, limes, lemons, mangoes, melons,
papayas and pineapples.
A useful plant of particular importance is the physic nut. The oil contained in
the seeds is not only used in the production of lamp oil, soaps and candles, but
also has a much more important function in the production of
biodiesel. Furthermore, due to its inedible nature, it is often planted as a
hedge to protect cultivated fields from animal damage.
Medicinal plants
The physic nut, which belongs to the wolf milk family, was previously used as
a laxative. Today this is no longer the case due to their high toxicity. Local
healers still use the plant as a cure for malaria.
Poisonous plants
Both the nuts and the leaves of the physic nut are highly poisonous and
inedible. The plant has its origin in tropical America as well as
in Mexico and Chile. Seafarers eventually brought the plant
to Asia and Africa.
More plants
Much of the original vegetation had to give way to growing agriculture in
Benin. And the savannah as the dominant type of landscape is not exactly rich in
vegetation due to the constant lack of water. Because of the drought, seedlings
either do not sprout at all or are grazed very early.
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