Leopard; national colors: green, yellow, red.
Title | "L'Aube Nouvelle" (The Dawn of a New Day) |
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Lyric/music | Gilbert Jean DAGNON |
Date of Independence | 1 August 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday | Independence Day, 1 August (1960) |
Legal system | civil law system modeled largely on the French system and some customary law |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
Constitution | |
History | Previous 1946, 1958 (preindependence); latest adopted by referendum 2 December 1990, promulgated 11 December 1990 |
Amendments | Proposed concurrently by the president of the republic (after a decision in the Council of Ministers) and the National Assembly; consideration of drafts or proposals requires at least three-fourths majority vote of the Assembly membership; passage requires approval in a referendum unless approved by at least four-fifths majority vote of the Assembly membership; constitutional articles affecting territorial sovereignty, the republican form of government, and secularity of Benin cannot be amended; amended 2019 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Benin |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 10 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Patrice TALON (since 6 April 2016) |
Head of government | President Patrice TALON |
Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the president |
Elections/appointments | president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last held on 11 April 2021 (next to be held on 12 April 2026); note - the president is both head of state and head of government |
Election results | 2021: Patrice TALON reelected president in the ; percent of vote - Patrice TALON (independent) 86.3%, Alassane SOUMANOU (FCBE) 11.4%, Corentin KOHOUE (The Democrats) 2.3% 2016: Patrice TALON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Lionel ZINSOU (FCBE) 28.4%, Patrice TALON (independent) 24.8%, Sebastien AJAVON (independent) 23%, Abdoulaye Bio TCHANE (ABT) 8.8%, Pascal KOUPAKI (NC) 5.9%, other 9.1%; percent of vote in second round - Patrice TALON 65.4%, Lionel ZINSOU 34.6% |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats, including 24 seats reserved for women; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms except for the current members whose terms will end in 2026 to facilitate general elections) |
Elections | Last held on 8 January 2023 (next to be held on 11 January 2027) |
Election results | Percent of vote by party - Progressive Union for Renewal 37.6%, Bloc Republicain 29.2%, The Democrats 24%; seats by party - Progressive Union for Renewal 53, Bloc Republicain 28, The Democrats 28; composition- men 80, women 29, percentage women 26.6% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of the chief justice and 16 justices organized into an administrative division, judicial chamber, and chamber of accounts); Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 7 members, including the court president); High Court of Justice (consists of the Constitutional Court members, 6 members appointed by the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court president); note - jurisdiction of the High Court of Justice is limited to cases of high treason by the national president or members of the government while in office |
Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court president and judges appointed by the president of the republic upon the advice of the National Assembly; judges appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court members - 4 appointed by the National Assembly and 3 by the president of the republic; members appointed for single renewable 5-year terms; other members of the High Court of Justice elected by the National Assembly; member tenure NA |
Subordinate courts | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court for the Repression of Economic and Terrorism Infractions (CRIET) or Cour de Repression des Infractions Economiques et du Terrorisme; district courts; village courts; Assize courts |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Jean-Claude Felix DO REGO (since 17 July 2020) |
Chancery | 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 232-6656 |
FAX | [1] (202) 265-1996 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://beninembassy.us/ |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Brian SHUKAN (since 5 May 2022) |
Embassy | 01 BP 2012, Cotonou |
Mailing address | 2120 Cotonou Place, Washington DC 20521-2120 |
Telephone | [229] 21-30-06-50 |
FAX | [229] 21-30-03-84 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://bj.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 2 (1 cultural, 1 natural) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Royal Palaces of Abomey (c); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n) |
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