Colors and the Meaning of the Benin Flag
Benin flag consists of red, yellow and green colors with Pan-African colors. The raised side of the flag is a rectangle created with a green backdrop. The remaining part of the flag is yellow in the upper part of the flag and red in the lower part.
The green color on the flag symbolizes the prospect and fertile land in the southern part of the country, while the yellow color represents the prosperity and the savanna region in the north of the country, and the red color represents the country and the blood flowing for it.
©️ Mr. Yankittaphak Phoyalo/ShutterstockHistory of the Benin Flag
Benin was called Dahomey from 1600 to 1900. Benin should not be confused with the Benin Empire, which is in Nigeria today. Although each king of Dahomey had his own flag, the most well-known flag of this time was the flag of King Ghezo, which lasted from 1818 to 1858. This flag had a white background and the edges of the flag were surrounded by a thick red stripe. In the middle of the flag was an elephant symbol with a crown on his head.
At the end of the 19th century, the French colonized Dahomey and in 1904 the name was changed to the Frenchman Dahomey. At the end of the region French became part of West Africa. During this period, the country began to use the French flag.
On 11 December 1958, France granted autonomy to Benin. In 1959 a new flag was created for the Republic of Dahomey, which was the same as the flag currently used. On the left side of the flag is a green vertical stripe and on the right side there are two horizontal yellow and red strips. With Benin gaining complete independence in 1960, this flag began to fluctuate in Benin’s territory.
In 1972, a Marxist-Leninist administration was established in Benin, and in 1975 the country was renamed People’s Republic of Benin. The flag of the new country remained in use from 1975 to 1990. This flag had a green backdrop and a red star on the upper left side of the flag. People’s Revolutionary Party, which was founded in 1975 during this period, managed the country until the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1990. After this collapse, a multi-party system was established in Benin. The country was renamed as the Republic of Benin with the flag of the Republic of Dahomey (Today’s Benin Flag). This flag continued to fluctuate unchanged over the territory of Benin since 1990.
Neighboring Countries of Benin
It is located to the west of the African continent. It is neighbor with Togo in the west, Burkina Faso in the northwest, Niger in the northeast and Nigeria in the east.
Main Characteristics of Benin
In 1960, the country, which was a French colony, declared its independence and was renamed as the Dahomey Republic in 1960. Later on, the name of the country was replaced in 1975 with the present name of Benin. The capital of Benin is Porto Novo, the second-largest city.
They use the CFA franc as currency. Africans constitute the general population. The official language is French. In addition to the official language, local languages are also spoken throughout the country.
The Ecuadorian climate is dominant. The months outside the rainy season are dry. February-April is the hottest period of the year. When you go to Benin, you can often see dishes made with beans, rice, chicken, and goat in street vendors. Local beers and Palm wine are among the tastes that should be tried as drinks.
| Country | Benin |
| Code | BJ (BEN) |
| Calling code | 229 |
| Capital city | Porto-Novo |
| Currency | west african cfa franc (XOF) |
| Emoji symbol | 🇧🇯 |
| Highest point | Mont Sokbaro (658 m) |
| Internet TLD | .bj |
| Population(2017) | 11,175,692 |
| Total area | 112,622 km2 |