Benin (formerly Dahomey) Economy - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

GNP: $974.2 million (1984 est.), $270 per capita (1983); 1.6% growth during 1984

Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits; no other known minerals in commercial quantity

Agriculture: major cash crop is oil palms; peanuts, cotton, coffee, sheanuts, and tobacco also produced commercially; main food crops—corn, cassava, yams, rice, sorghum, millet; livestock, fish

Fishing: catch 21,000 metric tons(1983)

Major industries: palm oil and palm kernel oil processing, textiles, beverages

Electric power: 21,000 kW capacity (1985);

27 million kWh produced (1985), 7 kWh per capita

Exports: $172.5 million (f.o.b., 1984 est.); palm products, cotton, other agricultural products

Imports: $225.4 million (f.o.b. 1984 est.); thread, cloth, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials, iron, steel, fuels, foodstuffs, machinery, and transport equipment

Major trade partners: France, EC, franc zone; preferential tariffs to EC and franc zone countries

Budget: (1985 est.) revenues $119 million;

expenditures, $119 million

Monetary conversion rate: 475 Commu-naute Financiere Africaine (CFA) francs=US$l (1985)

Fiscal year: calendar year

NOTE: The information regarding Benin (formerly Dahomey) on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Benin (formerly Dahomey) 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Benin (formerly Dahomey) 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.