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THE AFRICA GUIDE



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 14th, 2003, 05:08 PM
sophia
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Default 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.


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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.


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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


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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




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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

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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

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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.


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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
  #2  
Old October 14th, 2003, 05:16 PM
Michael Christoffersen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 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?


  #3  
Old October 14th, 2003, 05:24 PM
Markku Grönroos
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 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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