This Sunday is the National Day of Benin.

Benin is situated in Western Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north; its short coastline to the south leads to the Bight of Benin. Its capital is Porto Novo, but the seat of government is Cotonou. Benin was known as Dahomey until 1975.

From the 17th century to the 20th century, the land of current-day Benin was ruled by the Kingdom of Dahomey. The region became known as the Slave Coast during the early 17th century due to the prevalence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In 1892, with the slave trade banned and regional power diminishing, France took over the area and renamed it French Dahomey. On August 1, 1960, Dahomey gained full independence from France, bringing in a democratic government in the next 12 years.

The economy of Benin is dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Cotton accounts for 40 percent of Gross Domestic Product and roughly 80 percent of official export receipts. In order to raise growth still further, Benin has plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology.

We congratulate the people and government of Benin led by H.E., President Yayi Boni, and its Consulate in the Philippines headed by Consul Richard Sy, on the occasion of their National Day. We wish them all the best and success in all their endeavors.