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Full country name: Republic of Benin
Area: 110,620 sq km
Population: 225,000
People: Fon and Adja (40%), Yoruba (12%), Bariba (9%), Betamaribé, Fulani (6%), and 37 smaller ethnic groups
Language: French (official), Fon, Yoruba and almost fifty other tribal languages
Religion: Animism (Voodoo) (70%), Muslim (15%), Christian (20%)
Government: Democratic republic

Climate
Benin has a tropical climate with three climatic zones — south, north and central Benin. There is little variation along the coastal southern part of the country. Summer and winter temperatures do not vary more than 5-6º C. It rains for most of the year especially between May and October averaging 1340cm. The dry season is from December to April. The hot, dry Harmattan winds from the Sahara blows from December to March.

The temperatures in the north are higher and the humidity is much lower. The wet season is from July to October when it is much cooler and rainfall averages at 960mm. It is hot and dry between November and June.

Central Benin has two wet seasons — a short one between October and November and a lengthy one between March and June. In between the season is dry between November and March.