Benin profile =>
Benin, formerly known as Dahomey, is one of Africa's most stable democracies. It boasts a proliferation of political parties and a strong civil society. On the economic side, however, the picture is less bright - Benin is severely underdeveloped, and corruption is rife. Benin's shore includes what used to be known as the Slave Coast, from where captives were shipped across the Atlantic. Elements of the culture and religion brought by slaves from the area are still present in the Americas, including voodoo. Once banned in Benin, the religion is celebrated at the country's annual Voodoo Day, which draws thousands of celebrants. At a glance *.Politics: President Yayi won elections in 2006, replacing Mathieu Kerekou, who was in office for most of the time since he seized power in 1972 *.Economy: Benin to benefit from G8 commitment to write off debt. It is pressing Western cotton producing countries to compete more fairly by cutting subsidies to their farmers *.Internati...