Benin is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. A majority of the population live on its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean.[1] The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country's largest city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of 114,763 square kilometers[2] and its population in 2015 was estimated to be approximately 10.88 million.[3] Benin is a tropical, sub-Saharan nation, highly dependent on agriculture, with substantial employment and income arising from subsistence farming.[4]
Notable firms
This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.
| Name | Industry | Sector | Headquarters | Founded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afric'Air Charter | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2002 | Airline, defunct 2004 |
| Afrique Airlines | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2002 | Airline, defunct 2006 |
| Banque Internationale du Bénin | Financials | Banks | Cotonou | 1990[5] | National bank |
| Benin Golf Air | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2002 | Airline, defunct 2012 |
| Communauté Électrique du Bénin | Utilities | Conventional electricity | Cotonou | 1968 | Electricity |
| Compagnie Béninoise de Négoce et de Distribution (CBND) | Consumer services | Broadline retailers | Cotonou | 1973 | Trading and retail |
| COTAIR | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2008 | Airline, defunct 2009 |
| Financial Bank Benin | Financials | Banks | Cotonou[6] | 1996[6] | Bank |
| La Poste du Bénin | Industrials | Delivery services | Cotonou | 2004 | Postal services |
| Royal Air | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2009 | Charter airline, defunct 2012 |
| Société Nationale de Commercialisation des Produits Pétroliers | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Cotonou | 1974 | Petroleum |
| Trans Air Benin | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2000 | Airline |
| Zircon Airways Benin | Consumer services | Airlines | Cotonou | 2001 | Airline, defunct 2002 |
Cotton field in northern Benin.
Benin Golf Air Boeing 737-200.
