Benin Highlights BENIN Video Clip Benin Video Clip Africa General Information VIDEO CLIP BENIN, https://www.doubledutchworldsafari.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/BENIN-low-resolution-245MB1.mp4 2. VIDEO CLIP OVERLANDING AFRICA https://www.doubledutchworldsafari.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Africa-Overland4.mp4 3. GENERAL INFORMATION BENIN Our first visit to Benin was in 1977 when Benin was a Marxist/Leninist (1975-1990) country under control of the Military Council of the Revolution (CMR), which nationalized the petroleum industry and banks. In those days it was called People’s republic of Benin. Benin is a country located in West Africa, bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The capital city is Porto-Novo, but the largest city and economic hub is Cotonou. Benin is known for its rich cultural heritage, including the historic Kingdom of Dahomey, which was one of the most powerful kingdoms in West Africa before colonial times. The country is also famous for its vibrant culture, including music, art, and dance, as well as its role in the transatlantic slave trade. The city of Ouidah is a key site in this history, known for the “Door of No Return,” which marks the point where enslaved Africans were shipped to the Americas. Benin is home to several national parks, including Pendjari National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is one of the best places in West Africa to see wildlife like elephants, lions, and cheetahs. The coastal region is low, flat, and sandy, backed by tidal marshes and lagoons. Behind the coast mostly savanna and valleys, followed by rocky hills and mountains at the Northwest border with Togo. In the north and the northwest of Benin, elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos, monkeys, and the endangered West Africa lion.