POPULATION:	3.5 million
LITERACY RATE:	20% to 28%
SELF DEFENSE FORCES:	US Armed Forces, BNG
LANGUAGES:	French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
ETHNIC GROUPS:	Dahomeyans,  Somba, Fulani, Ewe, Adja,  Aizo, Barabi, Yoruba,
BORDERING COUNTRIES:	Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Togo

BENIN - Benin has always been one of the poorest countries in Africa.  They are under US aid, but this is pretty much just along the coast and the friendly borders, with mobile units loosely patrolling the outer borders and middle country.  Mostly the US is there to protect american tourists, and keep the Nigerian border and the coast secure.  Benin itself is considered expendable by the US and this has led to small conflicts between disenfranchised Beninese revolutionary groups and tribes.  There have also been a few confrontations between Beninese and US military forces.  mostly in disagreement over authority.

Benin has only one national export, the palm kernel, and the land used to grow the one source of financial income the country has is being taken up by the American Agricorp Agrimax, the sam company that owns the popular fast food restaurants such as MaxBurger, TacoMax, and Max's Pizza, as well as the other companies like Chill cola, Max coffee, AM chips, Spice Preservatives and Toppings, and Tasty Health frozen foods.
While Agrimax's presence has created massive employment for Benin (its workers live on a corp farm ala slave labor, and are paid a pittance, on the plus side they get vouchers redeemable for any Agrimax product.) it is slowly edging out the palm kernel fields, replacing them with soy fields ad other high yield crops.  This in turn is destroying the soil, much like the peanut plantations did in Ethiopia.

Poverty in Benin is extreme, and in some of the northern provinces the death toll from malnutrition and disease has reached epidemic proportions.  Distended bellies and sunken faces are common here.  But most westerners never see this as they stay along the coast, where the water is filtered, the food is fresh, and the locals are rarely seen (they can't afford to even walk down the streets.)  Benin's own government is on the verge of collapse and its President, Yahib Shallam is nothing more than a US lapdog lining his own pockets at the expense of his people.  Terrorist activity is on the rise here, and it is strongly advised that western visitors stay in the es along the coast as banditry is rampant, and often ends in tourists getting murdered.  To make matters worse rebel groups have allied themselves with Togo, and conflicts between the two groups and the US forces are escalating.  If you do have to travel, go through a reputable guide service and travel in large armed parties.

Benin is dying, and it is only a matter of time before the US either abandons it or takes it over completely.