">

UCB Libraries

Click here for information on the Beninese flag
Country background

Benin

Use the tabs below to find online resources about Benin from governmental and nongovernmental sources. Most of these sources are freely available to the public, but titles followed by a CU symbol are only accessible on campus or via VPN.

 

  • Country Profiles
  • Official Government
  • Articles and Databases
  • Diplomacy and Aid
  • Health
  • Military and Peacekeeping
  • Search Chinook
  • Related Guides
BBC News Profile - Benin
A guide to history, politics and economic background of countries from BBC News.

CIA World Factbook - Benin
Country profile provides information on country background, geography, people, government, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues.

FAO and Benin
Information on economic and agricultural issues from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It also has a good selection of maps.

Human Development Report on Benin
Provides quick statistics on human development, economy, labor force, and population from the United Nations Development Programme.

IAEA - Benin
Country factsheet on multilateral and safeguard agreements from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

IEA - Benin
Country information, energy-related statistics, graphs and publications from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

ITC - Benin
Country-specific trade and market profiles, map, and trade statistics from the International Trade Centre (ITC).

OHCHR - Benin
Country background, treaties, reporting status, calendar of events and publications related to human rights from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR).

UNdata Country Profile - Benin
Provides summary, economic, social, and environmental statistics from the United Nations Statistics Division.

UNESCO Worldwide - Benin
Highlights cooperation between the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its Member States. United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Benin
Country profile covering history, politics, economy, human rights, relations with the UK, and travel.

United Nations Statistics Division: Environment Snapshot - Benin
Country snapshots offer national environment statistics.

U.S. Commercial Service - Benin
Country profile about doing business abroad by the Commercial Service, the global business solutions unit of the Department of Commerce.
  • U.S. Commercial Service - West Africa
    Regional profile about doing business in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo) by the Commercial Service, the global business solutions unit of the Department of Commerce.
U.S. Department of Energy - Benin
Country analysis report from the Energy Information Administration on production and consumption of energy resources.

U.S. Department of State - Background Note: Benin
This resource provides background information on issues such as the economy, history, politics, and foreign relations. The State Department also provides access to annual reports on human rights and terrorism.
Gouvernement du Benin (in French only)
Government Portal

Assemblée Nationale (in French only)
National Assembly

Constitution (in French only)

Cour Suprême (in French only)
Supreme Court

Institut National de la Statistique et de l'Analyse Economique (in French only)
National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis

Find Articles & More Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Declassified Documents
Declassified information available from the FOIA Electronic Reading Room. Enter "Benin" as the search term.
  • National Intelligence Council (NIC) Declassified Documents
    Database of intelligence reports, National Intelligence Estimates, and other publications produced by the National Intelligence Council or its predecessor organizations, the Office of National Estimates and the Office of Reports and Estimates since 1946.
Crisis Group International Databases and Resources
Crisis Group provides analysis of violent conflicts and peace implementation.
  • CrisisWatch Database
    Monthly bulletin of significant situations of conflict or potential conflict around the world.
CRS Reports - LexisNexis Congressional CU
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), the research arm of Congress, prepares reports (usually under 20 pages) on topics of interest to members of Congress. Enter "Benin" as the search term.

Declassified Documents Reference System CU
Search this database to find declassified documents related to Benin.

Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)
Department of Defense Scientific and Technical Reports Collection provides access to citations to unclassified unlimited documents that have been entered into DTIC's Technical Reports (TR) Database, as well as the electronic full-text of many of these documents.

Digital National Security Archive CU
Database of primary declassified documents regarding critical U.S. policy decisions.

Facts on International Relations and Security Trends (FIRST)
An integrated database containing information on armed conflicts and peace keeping, arms production and trade, military expenditure, armed forces and weapons.

Global Legal Information Network (GLIN)
"Public database of official texts of laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and other complementary legal sources contributed by governmental agencies and international organizations."

Human Rights Watch - Benin
News and reports related to human rights.

LexisNexis Academic Country & Region Reports CU
News, country briefings, and country risk guides. Filter by country or choose "Country & Region Reports" from publication type.

SESRIC Statistics Database
Searchable statistical database for member countries from the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), a subsidiary organ of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

UNdata
UNdata provides a single entry point allowing users to search and download numerous statistical resources of the United Nations System.

U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics - Benin
U.S. trade in goods (imports, exports and balance) with Benin.

World dataBank
Contains data from the World Bank, including the World Development Indicators & Global Development Finance, Gender Statistics, Education Statistics, Health Nutrition and Population Statistics, African Development Indicators, Global Economic Monitor, and Millennium Development Goals. Users can select variables (some going as far back as 1960) to create customized tables, charts, maps, and reports.

Worldwide Incidents Tracking System (WITS)
WITS is the National Counterterrorism Center's database of terrorist incidents.
African Development Bank Group - Benin
Projects, strategy papers, and information about Benin and the ADB.

African Union
The main objectives of the AU are "to promote unity and solidarity among African States, to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development, to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States, and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations."

Embassy of the Republic of Benin in Washington DC
Diplomatic representation of Benin in the United States.

Embassy of the United States in Cotonou, Benin
Diplomatic representation of the U.S. in Benin.

EU Relations with Benin
Overview, country strategy, EU support, and documents on the European Union's relations with Benin.

G-77 at the United Nations
The Group of 77 is an intergovernmental organization of developing states in the UN. It provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development. There are now 130 member states (including Benin), although the name G-77 was retained because of its historical significance.

IMF - Benin
Country information, reports and publications from the International Monetary Fund.

IRIN Humanitarian Profile - Benin
IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks), part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), provides news and analysis about sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia for the humanitarian community.

Islamic Development Bank
"The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is a Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), established to foster the economic development and social progress of its member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries in accordance with the principles of Shari'ah (Islamic Law). There are 56 member countries (including Benin).

New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
NEPAD is a strategy for sustainable development and poverty reduction in Africa.

Permanent Mission of Benin to the United Nations (in French only)
Web site of member state missions and their representatives to the United Nations.

ReliefWeb - Benin
ReliefWeb, administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), provides news, documents, maps, and background information on emergency assistance by country.

SESRIC - Republic of Benin
Socioeconomic statistics and information for member countries from the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), a subsidiary organ of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

UNHCR
News, operations, statistics, background, analysis and policy, and maps from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Select Benin from the "Browse by country" drop-down menu on the right.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Benin (in French only)
UNDP helps countries work toward human rights, democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, energy and environment for sustainable development, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

United Nations Division for Sustainable Development - Benin
Economic, social and environmental policies and plans for sustainable development from the UN Department Economic and Social Affairs.

USAID - Benin
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) economic and humanitarian assistance programs in Benin.
  • USAID - West Africa
    USAID Assistance in Western Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Male, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo).
U.S. Department of State - Benin
U.S.-Benin relations, humanitarian assistance, reconstruction, and country background notes.

World Bank - Benin
World Bank data, projects, and research in Benin.

World Food Programme - Benin
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global hunger.

World Trade Organization - Benin
Provides key information on trade statistics, WTO commitments, disputes, trade policy reviews, and notifications for member countries.
UNAIDS - Benin
Country situation analysis and news from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

USAID Health: HIV/AIDS - Benin
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) HIV/AIDS programs.

WHO (World Health Organization)
Benin: Security Assistance
Country-by-country listing provides information on Political-Military-administered security assistance funds from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

International Court of Justice (ICJ)
ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. ICJ "has a twofold role: to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States (Contentious cases ) and to give advisory opinions (Advisory proceedings) on legal questions referred to it by duly authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies."
The library collection contains numerous secondary, federal, and international sources of information on Benin.

 

Try these searches to see some of the resources in Chinook, the library catalog:

 

Electronic Resources Print and Electronic Resources
benin and econom* benin and econom*
benin and histor* benin and histor*
benin and politic* benin and politic*
benin
(government publications only)
benin
(government publications only)

The * replaces up to five characters in a word.

 

For additional foreign information, arranged by subject, see the Subject Page.