Benin Orphanage

Benin is a small country in West Africa.  It is just over 110,000 square kilometres with a population of about 8 million.  It is bordered to the west by Togo, the east by Nigeria, and Burkina Faso and Niger border the north.  The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, and the commercial capital is Cotonou.  The official language is French, though many other languages are spoken such as Fon, Yoruba and Dendi. Christianity is practiced by 30% of the population, and Islam is practiced by 20%, though the most practiced religion is Voodoo and traditional beliefs which, to this day, is practiced by 50% of the population.  Benin has over 20 different ethnic groups, though the Fon dominate 40% of the country.  Formerly known as Dahomey, the country received independence on August 1, 1960.  Benin is currently one of the twenty poorest countries in the world, with 33% of the population living below the poverty line.