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THE AFRICA GUIDE
THE AFRICA GUIDE
Introduction Benin is situated in West Africa on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It has land borders to the north by Niger, on the west by Togo, and on the northwest by Burkina Faso. The coast has no natural harbors, river mouths or islands, due to access difficulty because of sandbanks. Behind the coastline is a network of lagoons, from that of Grand Popo on the Togo border (navigable at all seasons) and joined to Lake Aheme, to that of Porto-Novo on the east, in which flows Benin's longest river, the Oueme, navigable for some 125 miles of its total of 285 miles. Beside Oueme, the only other major river in the south is Couffo, which flows into Lake Aheme. The Mono, serving from Parahoue to Grand Pope, has the boundary with Togo and is navigable for 50 miles but subject to torrential floods in the rainy season. Benin's northern rivers, the Mekrou, Alibory and Sota, which are tributaries of the Niger, and the Pandjari, a tributary of the Volta, are torrential and broken by rocks. North of the narrow belt of coastal sand is a region of lateritic clay, the main oil palm area, intersected by a marshy depression between Allada and Abomey that stretches east to the Nigerian frontier. North of the hills of Dassa, the height ranges from 200 to 500 feet, broken only by the Atakora Mountains (1,500 - 2,400 ft), stretching in a southwesterly direction into Togo. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Africa Guide's recommended book The Rough Guide to West Africa (amazon.com) - USA (amazon.co.uk) - UK by Jim Hudgens, Richard Trillo Covering all 16 West African nations, plus trans-Saharan routes and Cameroon, this revised edition includes information on the latest political developments, looks at every national park, and provides practical information on music, eating and drinking, and ACCOMODATIONs. Includes a useful word and phrase list for more than 30 languages. 135 maps and plans. Read our featured article from Travel Africa Magazine: Benin - At a Glance Few people have heard of the scenic splendour that is the Nyika Plateau in the north of Malawi. This National Park boasts some of the most spectacular and contrasting countryside in Africa. Story by Philip Briggs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLIMATE South of Savalou, especially in the west, the climate is typically equatorial - hot and humid, with a long dry season from December to March, in which the dry harmattan blows in the northeasterly to southwesterly direction. The great rains fall from March to July; there is a short dry season from July to September and a short wet season from September to November. In the southwest, average rainfall is considerably lower and the dry season longer; at Grand Pope, for example, average rainfall is about 32.4 inches as compared with 40 inches further east and north, Northern Benin has a typical tropical climate, with only one wet season (May to September, with most rain in August) and a hot dry season in which the harmattan blows for three or four months. The highest midday temperatures are in January and the lowest in August, but throughout the year the range between midday and night temperatures is great, as much as 15.5C (28F) in the hot season. Although rainfall, which is highest in central Benin (53 inches), decreases as one moves northward, it remains high (40 inches) in most of northern Benin. The best time to visit the Southern area is from December to March and July/August while visiting period for the Northern part of the country is best between December and April Climate Chart for Cotonou For today's weather forecast see CNN - Africa Weather Forecasts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LATEST TRAVEL ADVICE Foreign & Commonwealth Office (London) US State Department - Travel Warnings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VISAS & IMMIGRATION Visa are required for all except nationals of Denmark, Germany, France, Sweden and many African countries. A 15 day visa generally requires 2 photos and is issued within 24 hours, If travelling overland it is possible to get your visa are the main Togo-Benin border crossing at Ouidah. Visas can be extended for up to a period of three month in Cotonou from the Ministry of Interior on Ave Jean Paul II and costs approximately US$20. Three photos are required are they take up to 3 days to be issued. Applications are only accepted in the mornings up to 11:00 a.m. Visa requirements can change at any time,so we do recommend that you contact your local representative for the latest information. Listing of BeninTourist offices, Consulates or embassies located around the world -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MONEY Official Currency: CFA (Communauté Financière Africane) Franc=100 centimes. Current Exchange Rate: Today's Exchange Rate Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Diners Club are accepted, but on a limited basis. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BANKING & BUSINESS HOURS Banks: Monday to Friday: 0800 - 1100 and 1500 - 1700 Business: Monday to Friday: 0800 am to 12:30 and 15:30 to 19:00 Saturday: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Government hours: Monday to Friday: 0800 to 12:30 and 15:00 to 18:30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL TIME Benin is one hour ahead of GMT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSPORT & GETTING AROUND Air: International Flights Air France : Flies into Cotonou Domestic Flights: There is a internal service offering flights between, Cotonou, Parakou, Djougu, Kandi and Natitingou and it is also possible to charter 2 seater planes Train: Benin has one operational railway line, linking Cotonou with Bohicon, Savé and Parakou. Upholstered seats are only available in first class, existing only on the route to Parakou. Children under the age of four travel free and between the ages of four and nine pay half price. It takes approximately 13 hours to travel from Cotonou to Parakou. Bus: Taxis are available in the main towns. Minibuses and bush taxis are the main form of travel throughout the country. Road: The Africa Guide's recommended Map Benin, Republic of (Maps Worldwide) Institut Geographique National (IGN) - Countries and Cities of the World Sheet map, Full colour, Scale 1 : 600,000 Other Maps & Atlases for Sale The roads are in a reasonable condition and some of the main ones are sealed. Some tracks are impassable during the rainy season. Traffic drives on the right hand side. You are required to have an international driving license. There are a number of local firms offering car hire in Cotonou. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 1st January New Year's Day Easter Monday Ascension Day 1st May Workers Day Whit Monday 1st August Independence Day 15th August Assumption Day 26th Oct Armed Forces Day 1st November All Saints' Day 30th Nov National Day 25th December Christmas Day Ramadan Ad-el-FITR Maouland The dates of Muslim holidays are observed following the sightings of the moon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Electrical Power Electric Power is 220V running at 50Hz. The Plug types used are : Round pins with ground - view -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAVEL INSURANCE If you need medical care whilst in Benin, it is best to be aware that medical providers may not accept payment through your insurance company. In these circumstances you will have to pay in full after your treatment and file a claim with your insurance company for reimbursement. Therefore you should have access to cash, either from a credit card or by wire transfer. If you need assistance contact the country's local embassy or representative. To be compensated you must be treated by licensed medical personnel and provide your insurance company with proper documentation and receipts. It is advisable to always ensure you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy which covers you for repatriation to your home country. You can check out the following websites which specialise in long term travellers, adventure travellers, backpackers and workers based abroad. Insure & Go - UK - UK Travellers Available to citzens of the United Kingdom, bringing you a comprehensive range of insurance products to ensure that you receive the most suitable quotation at the very best price. Come along and get a quote right now - you'll be please you did! Go Travel Insurance - UK & Irish Travellers one of the leading providers of on-line travel and holiday insurance for UK and Irish residents on the Internet. Go Travel Insurance offers great cover at the best prices for single trip, ski, annual and backpackers insurance. Travel insurance online - UK Travellers Offering a full range of policies, single trip, young travellers, long stay, annual cover for UK residents. Get your quote and policy on-line.... Bupa International - Worldwide BUPA International has been providing health insurance to expatriates and those living and working abroad for over 27 years. For total peace of mind for you and your family, make sure you're covered with us. Click here for an instant quote ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Favourite Links his section is reserved for our favourite Benin websites. If you have a website that relates to Benin and you would like to to be considered for inclusion, please see our Advertising section Bicycle Africa Tours Bicycle Africa specializes is soft adventure for Westerners to learn more about Africa at a person-to-person level not usually available to tourists, as well as see the beautiful sights. Small groups, backroad, active, cross-cultural, educational, environmentally friendly, economically responsible, moderate adventure level, sustainable eco-tourism bike holidays. The African Conservation Foundation trying to pull all flora and fauna Conservation Groups in Africa together to benefit both the conservation groups themselves and those people who, like ourselves, feel there is a really urgent need to protect the world's endangered species. Associazione Dialogo We are an italian non-profit organization. In Africa we organize campaigns and courses focused on adult and children literacy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music All the music recommended below are available from one of our Affiliate companies and when selected, the link will take you directly to the relevant page on our Affiliates' website where you will find prices and ordering details. A new browser window will fire up so you can return to this page at any time. I have personally used our Affiliate Companies for ordering and found their service to be first class, fast and reliable, and always received the merchandise in good condition. However, please read our disclaimer before ordering any goods Oremi by Angelique Kidjo (amazon.com) - USA - Audio CD Benin-born Afropop star Angelique Kidjo will rock you, but her music is ultimately a wave of higher consciousness. Oremi ("Friends"), her fifth album, makes the first stop of a projected trilogy in the U.S. and creates a coalition between the sounds and spirits of Africa and R&B. Aye by Angelique Kidjo (amazon.com) - USA (amazon.co.uk) - UK - Audio CD Kidjo sings in Fon and Yoruba (West African languages), but both producers as well as her cowriter Jean Hébrail reinforce her African rhythms with programmed drums and synths. The result is neither African music nor Anglo-American pop but a strange hybrid that contains some of the most exciting dance music anywhere today. Fifa by Angelique Kidjo (amazon.com) - USA (amazon.co.uk) - UK - Audio CD Logozo by Angelique Kidjo (amazon.com) - USA (amazon.co.uk) - UK - Audio CD Angelique Kidjo has one of those voices that exudes raw passion,seductiveness and sheer energy ! The production is excellent and her backing band are tight and effortlessly classy. Make no mistake, this album is a masterpiece. The music just grabs you , from the very first powerful track, 'Batonga' to the beautifully melodic traditional song 'Malika'. I played it to local Zimbabweans on a safari trip and they were knocked out by it.Angelique has rightly gone on to more success. It is a superb album. If you like African music, it is a must - get it ! ( A purchaser from London, England ) Yoruba Drums From Benin, West Africa by Various Artists (amazon.com) - USA (amazon.co.uk) - UK - Audio CD Listen to samples at Amazon's website Parakou by Angelique Kidjo (amazon.com) - USA |
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THE AFRICA GUIDE
"sophia" wrote in message om... THE AFRICA GUIDE Introduction Benin is situated in West Africa on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It has land borders to the north by Niger, on the west by Togo, and on the northwest by Burkina Faso. In other words it is not in ASIA, agreed? |
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THE AFRICA GUIDE
"Michael Christoffersen" wrote in message ... "sophia" wrote in message om... THE AFRICA GUIDE Introduction Benin is situated in West Africa on the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. It has land borders to the north by Niger, on the west by Togo, and on the northwest by Burkina Faso. In other words it is not in ASIA, agreed? Unlike ugly Americans who are everywhere. |
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