Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in Western Africa, formerly known as Dahomey or Dahomania. It has a small coast line with the Bight of Benin in the south, borders Togo in the west, Nigeria in the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger in the north. It has no particular connection to Benin City or the Kingdom of Benin, the source of the famous Benin Bronzes.

History

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The African kingdom of Dahomey originated in Benin. By the 17th century, the kingdom, ruled by an oba, stretched beyond the borders of present-day Benin, covering a large part of West-Africa. The kingdom was prosperous and established slave trading relations with the Europeans (mostly Portuguese and Dutch) who first arrived in the late 15th century. The coastal part of the kingdom became known as the Slave Coast.

Dahomey was known for its distinct culture and traditions. Starting in 1729, Dahomey started a female army system, with legislation stating that all females would be inspected by the authorities at the age of 15. Those that were determined to be beautiful would be sent to the Palace to become royal wives while those that were ill or physically unattractive were executed, and the remainder were trained as soldiers for a period of two years. Human sacrifice was a common practice; on holidays and special occasions, thousands of slaves and prisoners of war were sacrifices for gods and ancestors.

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International Monetary Fund Country Report on Benin, West Africa - http://short.to/vmhu.
afribiz (AfriBiz) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:24:09 -0000
International Monetary Fund Country Report on Benin, West Africa - http://short.to/vmhu.
@elifalgedik sen neden benin sitenin marketingini yapmiyon yahu
bohemistic (Nur Ertem) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:56:34 -0000
@elifalgedik sen neden benin sitenin marketingini yapmiyon yahu
Les Pays Bas annoncent une aide annuelle de 20 milliards de FCFA au Bénin http://bit.ly/4CXmpv
afriqueactu (Afrique Actu) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:16:28 -0000
Les Pays Bas annoncent une aide annuelle de 20 milliards de FCFA au Bénin http://bit.ly/4CXmpv
[#music #nigeria #lightupnigeria] http://bit.ly/13DaW8 Douglas From Benin City a.k.a. Doggay Talking About THESE DAYZ
nigeriamusic (Nigeria Music) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:15:25 -0000
[#music #nigeria #lightupnigeria] http://bit.ly/13DaW8 Douglas From Benin City a.k.a. Doggay Talking About THESE DAYZ
#Afrique #Bénin Les Requins et les Dragons comme dans le bon vieux temps http://bit.ly/3Y1a64
GibertPascal (Pascal Gibert) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:12:02 -0000
#Afrique #Bénin Les Requins et les Dragons comme dans le bon vieux temps http://bit.ly/3Y1a64
#Afrique #Bénin Tournoi des vétérans http://bit.ly/45ic09
GibertPascal (Pascal Gibert) Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:12:00 -0000
#Afrique #Bénin Tournoi des vétérans http://bit.ly/45ic09

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