Bénin

The Benin of today was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century on what was known as the Slave Coast, one of the primary supply centres of slaves to the European traders. In 1872 Dahomey became part of French West Africa and the Republic of Benin achieved independence in 1960. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the establishment of a government based on Marxist principles. Multi-party democracy was introduced in 1991. The economy of Benin is still largely based on subsistence agriculture. As in most former French colonies, the Catholic Church is the majority church. The Protestant Methodist Church is a member of the WCC. The largest Protestant denomination is the Assemblies of God, and there are several other sizeable Pentecostal and Evangelical churches. A Council of Protestant Evangelical Churches has been in existence, but was no longer functioning in 2005. The Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions, another grouping, is affiliated with the WEA.