Ministère Des Affaires Etrangères Et De La Coopération
Consulat Général du Bénin
Aux Etats Unis d'Amérique
845 THIRD AVENUE 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022
Benin Culture and Tourism
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Benin culture is much diversified.
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Language: Benin became officially independent on August 1st 1960 and was colonized by France making French the official language. But the country has more than 50 languages other result of so many different cultures mixed together. Fon and Yoruba are predominant.
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Religion: Christianity is the religion of most of Beninese along with Islam. Of course some people are still practicing “Vodoun” mostly in villages. Benin is the birthplace of “Vodoun”. The strong influence of the “Vodoun” religion is an important part of Benin, which tells of healing and rejuvenating talismans
Arts: Benin's nickname is "land of songs” because singing is important in daily life. Songs vary from pleasant to dramatic in order to convey the proper emotion. Each ethnic group has its own songs and dances. Benin music is highly influenced by external forms of music and is often associated with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba. Grammy Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo and Hollywood actor Djimon Hounsou were born in Cotonou, Benin. Composer Wally Badarou and singer Gnonnas Pedro are also of Beninese descent.
Textiles: As with most clothing in West Africa, the textiles are vibrant and ornately decorated.
Each cultural group, be it Fon, Yoruba, or Edo, has unique but recognizable attire, and in most
tribes, different colors and patterns are worn for different occasions. Attending a cultural
gathering in Benin, especially during a local festival, is a feast for the eyes.
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Cuisine: Beninese cuisine involves fresh meals with the most common ingredient being corn,
made in dough served with a variety of key sauces like peanut and tomato based sauces.
Beninese cuisine is mostly characterized by the use of many kinds of spices and flavors. Fish and
chicken are the most common meats used in southern Beninese cuisine, but beef, goat, and bush
rat are also consumed.
Tourism
Benin has a high concentration of tourist attraction. A trip to Benin will definitely feel a true
adventure as there is still so much to discover. Benin is a good outline to Africa because it has it
all: great wildlife, great beaches, great people and culture. The top places to visit in Benin are:
Cotonou, Ouidah, Porto-Novo, Abomey and Ganvié.
Ouidah is a city that has a mix of influence from the French and the Portuguese due to various events in history. The city is located about 40km away from Cotonou and in contrast is more relaxed. Ouidah has fantastic museums exploring slavery and voodoo. It’s known for its role in the 17th- to 19th-century Atlantic slave trade. This is located in southern Benin. Between the 17th and 19th centuries the capital of the Kingdom was Abomey. As one of the West Coast of Africa's most powerful dynasties, generations of kings built a palace here, which formed a magnificent architectural complex.
Ganvie water village
Located about 12 km north of Cotonou's Nokwe Lake, it is called the "Venice of Africa." Built in 1717, all the houses were built in a circle 23 m above the water on stakes. They have bamboo walls and floors and pointed roofs covered with a thick thatch. Each household has a ladder to the surface of the water, and every household has a wooden bridge to stay connected.
