Topography

The coastline of Benin consists of a sandy barrier beach without any natural ports. A large commercial port has been constructed in Cotonou
A network of shallow interconnecting lagoons borders the beach, these provide a natural, safe, waterway for the local canoes and small boats.

Moving into the interior of the country, one comes across low-lying fertile land, which is ideal for intensive agriculture. The rest of the country consists of a crystalline plateau of less productive soil and is dominated in the northwest by the Atakora range, height 530 meters.

Principal lakes and rivers

The principal river in northern Benin is the River Niger, which flows in part along the Benin/Niger border. Its tributaries are the Sota, the Mekrou and the Alibori. The Ouémé and the Couffo rivers drain, for the most part, into the south of Benin, whilst the Mono, located on the Togo border, flows through the southwest of the country.

The climate

The south of the country has an equatorial, tropical climate, which becomes progressively drier, the further north you go. The south receives about 1300mm of rainfall each year, mainly from March to July and from September to November. The average monthly temperature ranges between 20-34 C. The temperatures are higher in the north and the annual rainfall of around 890mm falls mainly during the months of May to September.

Environment

Since 1980 there has been considerable development work to make drinking water available and at the very least, this has been achieved in the urban areas.
About 31% of the country’s total surface area remains forested in spite of massive deforestation. The protected national parks represent about 7 % of the area of the country, but poaching has not yet been entirely eliminated