Geography & environment — Benin
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Benin: Africa
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Africa
- Geographic Coordinates
9 30 N, 2 15 E
- Total Area
43,483 Square Miles 112,622 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
42,711 Square Miles 110,622 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
772 Square Miles 2,000 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,236 Miles 1,989 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
- Coastline
75 Miles 121 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
- Highest Point
658 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Mont Sokbaro 658 m
- Lowest Point Location
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Natural Resources
Small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
- Irrigated Land
89 Square Miles 230 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Climate
- Climate
Benin's climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 36 centimeters (14 inches), not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons. The principal rainy season is from April to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late September to November. The main dry season is from December to April with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September. Temperatures and humidity are high along the tropical coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is 31°C (89°F); the minimum is 24°C (75°F). Variations in temperature increase when moving north through a savanna and plateau toward the Sahel. A dry wind from the Sahara called the harmattan blows from December to March. Grass dries up, the vegetation turns reddish-brown, and a veil of fine dust hangs over the country, causing the skies to be overcast.
- Terrain
Mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
- Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
- Total Area
43,483 Square Miles 112,622 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
- Environment - International Agreements
Party To: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements