Benin, once a French colony, is a long thin wedge of country in West Africa which borders Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Niger. Its small southern coastline is where the majority of the population is located. Benin is the original home of Voodoo. The region became known as the Slave Coast during the early 17th century with many of its people sold into the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the largest city is Cotonou. Benin covers an area of approximately 110,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately 9 million consisting of over 50 distinct ethnic groups. Benin is highly dependent on agriculture, with most employment and income arising from subsistence farming.