Lake City of Ganie Benin

Established in July, 1995, The Atlanta-Cotonou Sister City Committee is a cumulative effort between the United States and The Republic of Benin to improve international relations and to strengthen the economic and educational broadbase across both continents. It is proposed that the relationship will undertake cooperation in the following areas:

Education and Cultural Cooperation

• Educational linkages, training and exchanges
• Atlanta Biennial Black Arts Festival
• Other areas in consultation with the Ministries of Education and Culture

Democratization

• Exchanges of Elected Officials, Judges, Journalists and other citizens
• NGO Cooperation
• Expanding women's participation in the electoral process

Urban Development

• Housing
• Urban Sanitation
• Community Development Programs
• Trade and Entrepreneurship

Health Care

• Maternal and Childcare
• Care for the Disabled
• Immunization

• Pen Pal Program
• Host Family and Visitations

FOUNDING MEMBERS
Dr. Herschelle Challenor
Dean of the School of International Affairs and Development, Clark Atlanta University

Dr. Earl Picard
Director of the Office of International Training, Clark Atlanta University

Ms. Georgianne Thomas
Attachée to the Republic of Benin

Some members of the Atlanta-Contonou Sister City
with Beninese hosts on a tour of Cotonou

ELECTED OFFICERS

President - Nony E. Mbaezue
Vice President - Guggisberg Krow
Recording Secretary - Martin Okafor
French Corresponding Secretary - Jeannine Pedonti
Treasurer - Dr. Earle D. Clowney
Parliamentarian - Dr. Charleise T. Young
Public Relations Officer - Victor E. Mbaba

Current financial members (excluding the above-named officers):

Adegboyega Kadree
Margaret Kadree
Victor E. Mbaba
Lisa K. Morrison
Emma Nwankwo
Martin O. Okafor
Charles E. Pedonti
Albert L. Thurman
Alma Vinyard

The Atlanta-Cotonou Sister City Committee has the following standing committees:

• Trade and Economic Development Committee, Chairperson: Dr. Lela Lewis

• Health Committee, Chairperson: Dr. Margaret Kadree

• Cultural Exchange Committee, Chairperson: TBA

• Education and Training Committee, Chairperson: Mrs. Jeanine Pedonti

Current Projects:

• Pen Pal Program with 101 correspondents assigned (59 to be assigned)

• Strategic alliance with Echoppe, an organization of partnerships whose goal is the creation of a process which provides for total development, thereby ensuring the self-sufficiency and liberation of people. This goal is primarily accomplished through small business loan programs, artisan promotion and marketing programs, etc.

Membership Dues are $25.00 yearly. Meetings are held the first Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall.

For additional information or to receive a membership package contact:
The Atlanta Cotonou Sister City Committee
P. O. Box 4450
Atlanta, Georgia 30302

Cotonou is a major port city, the chief town of the Atlantic Department. With a population of approximately 400,000, the port of Cotonou is very important, serving both Benin and neighboring countries.

Name of Country: BENIN

Conventional long form: Republic of Benin

Conventional short form: Benin

Local long form: République du Bénin

Local short form: Bénin

Former name: Dahomey

Flag

The National Flag of Benin
being presented for hoisting
during a flag installation ceremony
at City Hall, Atlanta

Description: Two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side. As explained in the second stanza of the National Anthem, the green denotes hope for renewal, the red evokes the ancestors' courage while the yellow calls to mind the country's richest features.

Country Description: Benin is a developing West African country bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Nigeria and Togo. Its capital is Porto Novo; however, the city of Cotonou is the main port and largest city; the site of the international airport and most government, commercial, and tourist activity. Tourist facilities in Cotonou are available, but are not fully developed. With a population of 5,709,529 (July 1996 est.), Benin has a tropical climate (hot, humid in the south; semiarid in the north). The terrain is mostly flat to undulating plain with some hills and low mountains. The country has the following natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber. Benin is slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania.

Nationality:
noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese

Ethnic Divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important bein Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans, 5,500

Type of Government: Republic under multiparty democratic rule dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991.

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch:
Chief of state and head of government: President Mathieu Kerekou (since 4 April 1996) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote; election last held 18 March 1996.

Cabinet: Executive Council, appointed by the President

Legislative Branch: Unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale): elections last held 28 March 1995

Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (Cour Suprême)

Administrative Divisions: 6 provinces: Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou

Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)

National Holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)

Legal System: Based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Religions: Indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%

Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in the south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in the north).

Literacy: Age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.); total population 37%, male: 48%, female 25%.

Entry Requirements: A visa is required. Travelers should obtain the latest information from the Embassy of the Republic of Benin, 2737 Cathedral Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 232-6656. Overseas, inquiries should be made at the nearest Beninese embassy or consulate.

Medical Facilities: Medical facilities in Benin are limited. Not all medicines are available, and doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash payment for health services. U.S. medical insurance is not always valid or accepted outside the United States. The Medicare/Medicaid program does not provide for payment of medical services outside the United States. Travelers have found supplemental medical insurance with specific overseas and medical evacuation coverage to be useful. For additional health information, travelers can contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's international travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559. Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/.

Road Safety and In-Country Travel Conditions: Travelers should exercise caution when traveling in Benin as the roads range from fair to very poor. Travel at night, outside of population centers, poses a risk principally because of poor road conditions. There are paved roads in Cotonou, along the coast and one paved road north to Niger. Other roads are hard-packed sand. All roads, paved or not, are pot-holed and narrow. Motorcycle traffic is very heavy, and trucks are usually overloaded.

Embassy Location/Registration: U.S. citizens are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy in Cotonou at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard, and to obtain updated information on travel and security in Benin. The U.S. Embassy's mailing address is B.P. 2012, Cotonou, Benin. The telephone numbers are (229) 30-06-50, 30-05-13, and 30-17-92. The fax numbers are (229) 30-14-39 and 30-19-74.

Places of Interest:

Ouidah:
Spelled "Whydah" in history books written in English, it is the "Museum City." It is evocative of European penetration with its ancient Portuguese, English, Danish and French trading posts or strongholds. There can be seen the remains of the ancient port from which slaves were boarded and shipped to the Americas.

Abomey:
Referred to as the "Royal City," it is the capital of Dan-Home, the ancient kingdom. It has one of the most impressive museums of Africa. Its artists and craftsmen, be they weavers, jewelers, woodcarvers, iron and brass workers, are famous far beyond the boundaries of the Republic of Benin.

Allada:
It is the cradle of "voodoos" in vogue in the Americas, namely in Brazil, West Indies, the Caribbean countries.

Porto Novo:
The "City with Three Names" (Porto Novo, Hogbonou, Adjatche). It is Benin's administrative capital, right in the middle of Yoruba land.

Nikki:
The historic capital of the Baatonu people.

Natitingou:
Its castle-type "TATA-Sombas" and the traditional huts of the Tanekas and other tribes in the North where there are the richly varied fauna of the National Parks of Pendjari and "W."

Ganvie:
Africa's unique floating villages built on stilts. A population of several thousand. Motorboats or dugouts are available for the trips across the lake to the Ganvie. During the trip, there are Akadjas made of stakes and bushes in the shape of open circles or triangles driven into the bed of the plantless Lake. Seeking shelter among the foliage, the fish can thus be easily caught or kept for breeding.