World Factbook
Benin
République du Benin
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
110,622 sq km
water
2,000 sq km
total
112,622 sq km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Land use
other
29.7% (2023 est.)
forest
28.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
41.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 31.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 5.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 4.9% (2023 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Coastline
121 km
Elevation
lowest point
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point
unnamed elevation 675 m; located 2.5 km southeast of the town of Kotopounga
mean elevation
273 m
Irrigated land
530 sq km (2019)
Map references
Africa
Land boundaries
total
2,123 km
border countries
Burkina Faso 386 km; Niger 277 km; Nigeria 809 km; Togo 651 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim
continental shelf
200 nm
exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Geography - note
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Natural resources
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Geographic coordinates
9 30 N, 2 15 E
Population distribution
the population is primarily located in the south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the north remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations of residents in the west, as shown in this population distribution map
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage
Niger (2,261,741 sq km), Volta (410,991 sq km)