9781422280713

Benin

Béhanzin Béhanzin (1844–1906 ) was King of Dahomey, modern-day Benin. Upon taking the throne, he changed his name from Kondo, the shark. He succeeded his father, Glélé, and ruled from 1889–1894. Béhanzin was Abomey's last independent ruler established through traditional power structures. He led the national resistance during the Dahomey War in which French were eventually victorious, and in 1894, Béhanzin surrendered himself to French General Alfred Dodds, without signing any formal surrender or treaty. He lived out the remainder of his life in exile in Martinique and Algeria. After his death, his remains were returned to Abomey. 1863. It became a colony in 1872, becoming part of French West Africa in 1904. In 1960 it became an independent republic outside the French community. A number of military coups followed, and the country eventually adopted Marxist- Leninism in 1974, after which it became Benin, though it should not be confused with the former African kingdom of that name. Amulti-party democracy was established in 1991. President Mathieu Kerekou, the head of state since 1996, stepped down at the end of his second term in 2006, and was

succeeded by Thomas Yayi Boni, a political outsider and independent. Yayi began a high-profile fight against corruption and strongly promoted Benin’s economic growth. He was re-elected in 2011 for a second term. The current president, Patrice Talon was elected in March 2016. Known as the “King of Cotton” for his involvement in the cotton industry, he ran as an independent candidate. Nowadays, there is little industry in Benin, but it is hoped that the architectural remnants of its glorious past as the Kingdom of Dahomey, as well as its wildlife parks, will continue to attract visitors to its shores.

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