KNOW ABOUT AFRICA

Benin

2010-04-05T13:11:00.001+01:00

Benin (pronounced /bɨˈnɪn/), officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West 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 size is just over 110000 km2 with a population of almost 8,500,000. Its capital is the Yoruba founded city of Porto-Novo but the seat of government is the Fon city of Cotonou.

A democratic government between 1960 and 1972 was followed by a self-proclaimed "Marxist-Leninist" dictatorship between 1972 and 1991, which was highly repressive and led to economic collapse. Multiparty elections have taken place since 1991. About a third of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.25 per day.[3] Main income sources are subsistence agriculture and cotton.

Contents [hide]
1 Name
2 History
3 Politics
4 Departments and communes
5 Geography
6 Economy
7 Demographics
8 Health
9 Culture
9.1 Arts
9.2 Customary names
9.3 Language
9.4 Religion
9.5 Education
10 See also
11 References
12 External links

[edit] Name
During the colonial period and at independence, the country was known as Dahomey. It was renamed on November 30, 1975, to Benin after the body of water on which the country lies, the Bight of Benin, which had in turn been named after the Benin Empire. The country of Benin has no direct connection to Benin City in modern Nigeria, nor to the Benin bronzes.

The new name, Benin, was chosen for its neutrality. Dahomey was the name of the former Kingdom of Dahomey, which covered only the southern third of the present country and therefore did not represent the northwestern sector Atakora nor the kingdom of Borgu, which covered the northeastern third.

[edit] History
Main article: History of Benin
The Kingdom of Dahomey formed from a mixture of ethnic groups on the Abomey plain. Historians theorized that the insecurity caused by slave trading may have contributed to mass migrations of groups to modern day Abomey, including some Aja, a Gbe people who are believed to have founded the city. Those Aja living in Abomey mingled with the local Fon people, also a Gbe people, creating a new ethnic group known as "Dahomey".

The Gbe peoples are said to be descendents of a number of migrants from Wyo. Gangnihessou, (a member of an Aja dynasty that in the 16th century along with the Aja populace had come from Tado before settling and ruling separately in what is now Abomey, Allada, and Porto Novo), became the first ruler of the Dahomey Kingdom. Dahomey had a military culture aimed at securing and eventually expanding the borders of the small kingdom with its capital at modern day Abomey.

The Dahomey Kingdom was known for its culture and traditions. Young boys were often apprenticed to older soldiers, and taught the kingdom's military customs until they were old enough to join the navy. Dahomey was also famous for instituting an elite female soldier corps, called Ahosi or "our mothers" in the Fongbe language, and known by many Europeans as the Dahomean Amazons. This emphasis on military preparation and achievement earned Dahomey the nickname of "black Sparta" from European observers and 19th century explorers like Sir Richard Burton.

Though the leaders of Dahomey appeared initially to resist the slave trade, it flourished in the region of Dahomey for almost three hundred years (beginning in 1472 with a trade agreement with Portuguese merchants), leading to the area being named "the Slave Coast". Court protocols, which demanded that a portion of war captives from the kingdom's many battles be decapitated, decreased the number of enslaved people exported from the area. The number went from 20,000 per year at the beginning of the seventeenth century to 12000 at the beginning of the 1800s. The decline was partly due to the banning of the trans-Atlantic trade by Britain and other countries. This decline continued until 1885, when the last Portuguese slave ship departed from the coast of the present-day Benin Republic.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Dahomey started to lose its status as the regional power. This enabled the French to take over the area in 1892. In 1899, the French included the land called Dahomey within the French West Africa colony. In 1958, France granted autonomy to the Republic of Dahomey, and full independence as of August 1, 1960. The president who led them to independence was Hubert Maga.

For the next twelve years, ethnic strife contributed to a period of turbulence. There were several coups and regime changes, with four figures dominating — Hubert Maga, Sourou Apithy, Justin Ahomadegbé and Emile Derlin Zinsou — the first three of them representing a different area and ethnicity of the country. These three agreed to form a presidential council after violence marred the 1970 elections.

On May 7, 1972, Maga turned over power to Ahomadegbe. On October 26, 1972, Lt. Col. Mathieu Kérékou overthrew the ruling triumvirate, becoming president, and stating that the country will not "burden itself by copying foreign ideology, and wants neither Capitalism, Communism, nor Socialism", then on November 30 announcing that the country was officially Marxist, under the control of the Military Council of the Revolution (CNR), which nationalized the petroleum industry and banks. On November 30, 1975, he renamed the country to People's Republic of Benin.

In 1979, the CNR was dissolved, and Kérékou arranged show elections where he was the only allowed candidate. Establishing relations with the People's Republic of China, North Korea, and Libya, he put nearly all businesses and economic activities under state control, causing foreign investment in Benin to dry up.[4] Kérékou attempted to reorganize education, pushing his own aphorisms such as "Poverty is not a fatality", resulting in a mass exodus of teachers, along with a large number of other professionals.[4] The regime financed itself by contracting to take nuclear waste from France.[4]

In 1980, Kérékou converted to Islam and changed his first name to Ahmed, then changed his name back after claiming to be a born-again Christian.

In 1989, riots broke out after the regime did not have money to pay its army. The banking system collapsed. Eventually Kérékou renounced Marxism. A convention forced Kérékou to release political prisoners and arrange elections.[4]

The name of the country was changed to the Republic of Benin on March 1, 1990, once the newly formed country's constitution was complete, after the abolition of Marxism-Leninism in the nation in 1989.[5][6]

In 1991, Kérékou was defeated by Nicéphore Soglo, and became the first black African president to step down after an election. Kérékou returned to power after winning the 1996 vote. In 2001, a closely fought election resulted in Kérékou winning another term, after which his opponents claimed election irregularities.

Kérékou and former president Soglo did not run in the 2006 elections, as both were barred by the constitution's restrictions on age and total terms of candidates. Kérékou is widely praised[citation needed] for making no effort to change the constitution so that he could remain in office or run again, unlike many African leaders.

On March 5, 2006, an election was held that was considered free and fair. It resulted in a runoff between Yayi Boni and Adrien Houngbédji. The runoff election was held on March 19, and was won by Boni, who assumed office on April 6. The success of the fair multi-party elections in Benin won praise internationally. Benin is considered by a few to be a model democracy in Africa, but with such a short track record that only time will tell.

[edit] Politics
Main article: Politics of Benin
Benin's politics take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, where the President of Benin is both head of state and head of government, within a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the legislature. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The political system is derived from the 1990 Constitution of Benin and the subsequent transition to democracy in 1991.

In its 2007 Worldwide Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Benin 53rd out of 169 countries.

Benin scored highly in the 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which comprehensively measures the state of governance across the continent. Benin was ranked 13th out of 48 sub-Saharan African countries, and scored particularly well in the categories of Safety & Security and Participation & Human Rights.[7]

[edit] Departments and communes

Departments of BeninMain articles: Departments of Benin and Communes of Benin
Benin is divided into 12 departments (French: départements), and subdivided into 77 communes. In 1999, the previous six departments were each split into two halves, forming the current 12. The six new departments have not been assigned an official capital yet.[verification needed]

Alibori
Atakora
Atlantique
Borgou
Collines
Donga
Kouffo
Littoral
Mono
Ouémé
Plateau
Zou
[edit] Geography

Map of BeninMain article: Geography of Benin

Atakora.Benin, a narrow, north-south strip of land in west Africa, lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Benin's latitude ranges from 6°30′N to 12°30′N and its longitude from 1°E to 3°40′E. Benin is bounded by Togo to the west, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, Nigeria to the east, and the Bight of Benin to the south.

With an area of 112622 km2, Benin extends from the Niger River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the south, a distance of 650 km (400 mi). Although the coastline measures 121 km (75 mi) the country measures about 325 km (200 mi) at its widest point.

It is one of the smaller countries in West Africa: eight times smaller than Nigeria, its neighbor to the east. It is, however, twice as large as Togo, its neighbor to the west. A relief map of Benin shows that it has little variation in elevation (average elevation 200 m).[8]

The country can be divided into four areas from the south to the north. The low-lying, sandy, coastal plain (highest elevation 10 m) is, at most, 10 km wide. It is marshy and dotted with lakes and lagoons communicating with the ocean. Behind the coast lies the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic covered plateaus of southern Benin (altitude between 20 m and 200 m) are split by valleys running north to south along the Couffo, Zou, and Oueme Rivers.

Then an area of flat lands dotted with rocky hills whose altitude seldom reaches 400 m extends around Nikki and Save. Finally, a range of mountains extends along the northwest border and into Togo; this is the Atacora, with the highest point, Mont Sokbaro, at 658 m.

Benin has fields of lying fallow, mangroves, and remnants of large sacred forests. In the rest of the country, the savanna is covered with thorny scrubs and dotted with huge baobab trees. Some forests line the banks of rivers. In the north and the northwest of Benin the Reserve du W du Niger and Pendjari National Park attract tourists eager to see elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos, and monkeys.[8]

Benin's climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 36 cm (14 in)—not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons per year. 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).[8]

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. It also is the season when farmers burn brush in the fields.[8]

[edit] Economy
Main article: Economy of Benin
The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Cotton accounts for 40% of GDP and roughly 80% of official export receipts.[9] Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past seven years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. Benin uses the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro.

In order to raise growth still further, Benin 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. Projects to improve the business climate by reforms to the land tenure system, the commercial justice system, and the financial sector were included in Benin's US$307 million Millennium Challenge Account grant signed in February 2006.[10]

The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. An insufficient electrical supply continues to adversely affect Benin's economic growth though the government recently has taken steps to increase domestic power production.[1]

Although trade unions in Benin represent up to 75% of the formal workforce, the large informal economy has been noted by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITCU) to contain ongoing problems, including a lack of women's wage equality, the use of child labour, and the continuing issue of forced labour.[11]

Benin is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).[12]

Cotonou harbors the country's only seaport and international airport. A new port is currently under construction between Cotonou and Porto Novo. Benin is connected by 2 lane asphalted roads to its neighboring countries (Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria). Mobile telephone service is available across the country through various operators. ADSL connections are available in some areas. Benin is connected to the Internet by way of satellite connections (since 1998) and a single submarine cable SAT-3/WASC (since 2001), keeping the price of data extremely high. Relief is expected with initiation of the Africa Coast to Europe cable in 2011.

[edit] Demographics
Main article: Demography of Benin
The majority of Benin's population lives in the south. The population is young, with a life expectancy of 59 years. About 42 African ethnic groups live in this country; these various groups settled in Benin at different times and also migrated within the country. Ethnic groups include the Yoruba in the southeast (migrated from Nigeria in the 12th century); the Dendi in the north-central area (they came from Mali in the 16th century); the Bariba and the Fulbe (Peul) in the northeast; the Betammaribe and the Somba in the Atacora Range; the Fon in the area around Abomey in the South Central and the Mina, Xueda, and Aja (who came from Togo) on the coast.[8]

Recent migrations have brought other African nationals to Benin that include Nigerians, Togolese, and Malians. The foreign community also includes many Lebanese and Indians involved in trade and commerce. The personnel of the many European embassies and foreign aid missions and of nongovernmental organizations and various missionary groups account for a large part of the 5500 European population.[8] A small part of the European population consists of Beninese citizens of French ancestry, whose ancestors ruled Benin and left after independence.

[edit] Health
Main article: Health in Benin
See also: HIV/AIDS in Benin
During the 1980s, less than 30% of the population had access to primary health care services. Benin had one of the highest death rates for children under the age of five in the world. Its infant mortality rate stood at 203 deaths for every 1000 live births. Only one in three mothers had access to child healthcare services. The Bamako Initiative changed that dramatically by introducing community-based healthcare reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services.[13] A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.[14]

[edit] Culture
[edit] Arts
See also: Literature of Benin and Music of Benin
Beninese literature had a strong oral tradition long before French became the dominant language.[15] Felix Couchoro wrote the first Beninese novel, L'Esclave in 1929.

Post-independence, the country was home to a vibrant and innovative music scene, where native folk music combined with Ghanaian highlife, French cabaret, American rock, funk and soul, and Congolese rumba.

Singer Angélique Kidjo and actor Djimon Hounsou were both born in Cotonou, Benin. Composer Wally Badarou is also of Beninese descent.

[edit] Customary names
This section does not cite any references or sources.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

Many Beninois in the south of the country have Akan-based names indicating the day of the week on which they were born.

[edit] Language
Local languages are used as the languages of instruction in elementary schools, with French only introduced after several years. Beninese languages are generally transcribed with a separate letter for each speech sound (phoneme), rather than using diacritics as in French or digraphs as in English. This includes Beninese Yoruba, which in Nigeria is written with both diacritics and digraphs. For instance, the mid vowels written é è, ô, o in French are written e, ɛ, o, ɔ in Beninese languages, whereas the consonants written ng and sh or ch in English are written ŋ and c. However, digraphs are used for nasal vowels and the labial-velar consonants kp and gb, as in the name of the Fon language Fon gbe /fõ ɡ͡be/, and diacritics are used as tone marks. In French-language publications, a mixture of French and Beninese orthographies may be seen.

[edit] Religion
Main article: Religion in Benin

Celestial Church of Christ baptism in Cotonou. Five percent of Benin's population belongs to the Celestial Church of Christ, an African Initiated Church.In the 2002 census, 42.8% of the population of Benin were Christian (27.1% Roman Catholic, 5% Celestial Church of Christ, 3.2% Methodist, 7.5% other Christian denominations), 24.4% were Muslim, 17.3% practices Vodun, 6% other traditional local religious groups, 1.9% other religious groups, and 6.5% claim no religious affiliation.[16]

Indigenous religions include local animistic religions in the Atakora (Atakora and Donga provinces) and Vodun and Orisha or Orisa veneration among the Yoruba and Tado peoples in the center and south of the country. The town of Ouidah on the central coast is the spiritual center of Beninese Vodun.

The major introduced religions are Islam, introduced by the Songhai Empire and Hausa merchants, and now followed throughout Alibori, Borgou, and Donga provinces, as well as among the Yoruba (who also follow Christianity), and Christianity, followed throughout the south and center of Benin and in Otammari country in the Atakora. Many, however, continue to hold Vodun and Orisha beliefs and have incorporated into Christianity the pantheon of Vodun and Orisha. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a sect originating in the 19th century is also present, in significant minority.

[edit] Education
Main article: Education in Benin
Education is neither free nor mandatory. Literacy is below 40 %, particularly women are subject to illiteracy.

Crazy language, crazy world

2009-08-08T15:07:00.003+01:00

By Sunday Afolayan

Language is no doubt a unique and potent means of communication. Whether spoken or written, it remains a binding cord that holds the world in unity. All over the world, different languages are used by members of various communities to express their varied achievements, aspirations, successes and failures in an attempt to proffer better solutions to the challenges of life. Right from time immemorial, language has remained the only human invention that cuts across races and barriers.
Of all the contemporary ones, the English language remains the most widely spoken in political, business and official quarters today. Statistics reveal that about half of the world’s published books and three-quarters of international mails are in English, which has largest vocabulary – perhaps as many as two million words.
Yet, this language, as rich as it may be and like other languages, is very crazy indeed. For example, people talk of a boxing ring when, after all, it is a square, not a sphere and not a circle. What can one say of an egg-plant that contains no egg, a pineapple that has neither pine nor apple, a hamburger that is made of beef and not ham? Or a cocktail party with no cock or its tail?
Sometimes we take language for granted when we claim to explore its paradox. Some words or expressions, though, seem to be correct or contain a truth which actually offends common sense. In an ordinary sense, how can a dead person kick the bucket, or why should it be said of two persons not on good terms that no love lost between them? What happens if love is then lost between the two?
Why is quicksand not called slow sand when quick-sand does not permit quick movement; or how can one explain why to bootleg is to deal in illicit alcoholic drinks when there is no logical link between boot, leg and alcohol? English is surely a crazy language. Consider a public bathroom neither with a bath tub, and a guinea pig that is neither a pig nor from Guinea.
Come to think of it, even as I would want you to think, it is certainly an interesting language that sometimes arouses our sense of humor. He who sings, English says, is a singer. He who teaches is a teacher. But what do we call one who prays or another who laughs? Prayer? Laughter? No! The language is crazy.
Why do writers write and speakers speak, but fingers don’t fing and hammers don’t ham? When the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? And if teacher taught, why is it wrong to say the preacher praught? There’s more. The English language permits one to make amends, not just one amend, irrespective of the situation; and allows one to comb through the annals of history and not just an annal of history. Now if a vegetarian eats vegetables, tell me what a humanitarian should eat Humans?
English people must be really crazy. If not, what concerns a newly married couple with honeymoon when in actual fact they do not eat any honey on the moon?
Why do English people drive on a parkway and park in a driveway? They recite at a play and play at a recital. Imagine, when they ship their goods by trucks, they also send their cargoes by ship. If they have noses that run (running noses), they ought to have feet that smell (smelling feet). Their slim chance and fat chance are the same; but to overlook and to oversee are opposites whereas “to see” and “to look” are virtual synonyms.
The instances are endless. One only needs to ponder and wonder about the unique lunacy of a language in which the weather may be as hot as hell today but becomes as cold as hell the next day.
What other consolation do we have in the creative and semantic prowess of man in his invention of language, all in his effort to advance the lot of the human race (which, of course, does not engage in any race), than to accept that when the stars are out , they have been extinguished or put off and, therefore, become invisible. After all, we have mankind but no womankind, though the bible says “… male and female, created he (God) them.” (Gen. 1:27).
Remember also, when one winds up his watch, he definitely starts it up, but when he winds up his write-up, as I am going to do now, he ends it up; pronto. No more, no less.
Suffice it then to say that English, like other languages of the world, is a crazy instrument invented by crazy man for crazy exploits in a crazy world inhabited by crazy people.

* Mr. Sunday Afolayan is presently a lecturer at the Mass Communication Department in Rufus Giwa poly, Owo. Ondo State. Nigeria.

Mauritania

2009-05-25T14:29:00.015+01:00

Country profile: Mauritania

One of Africa's newest oil producers, Mauritania bridges the Arab Maghreb and western sub-Saharan Africa.

The largely-desert country presents a cultural contrast, with an Arab-Berber population to the north and black Africans to the south. Many of its people are nomads.

Overview
Overview Facts Leaders Media

In the Middle Ages Mauritania was the cradle of the Almoravid movement, which spread Islam throughout the region and for a while controlled the Islamic part of Spain.

European traders began to show interest in Mauritania in the 15th century. France gained control of the coastal region in 1817, and in 1904 a formal French protectorate was extended over the territory.

AT-A-GLANCE

Politics: A coup in 2005 ended President Taya's two decades of authoritarian rule; presidential polls in March 2007 marked a major step in the transition towards democracy
Economy: Mauritania depends heavily on drought-prone agriculture; its rich coastal fishing grounds are threatened by over-exploitation; offshore oil exploitation began in 2006
International: Mauritania is an ally of the US in its "war on terror" and has ties with Israel

Timeline
Morocco opposed the country's independence in 1960 and for a time tried to absorb it. But Morocco's King Hassan II later improved ties as part of his plan to divide Western Sahara.

The eventual deal in 1976 brought more problems, though, with Mauritania coming under attack by Polisario Front guerrillas, who opposed Moroccan control of Western Sahara, and the subsequent downfall of the leader since independence - Moktar Ould Daddah - in a military coup.

Peace was agreed with the Polisario in 1979, but this in turn worsened relations with Morocco, until a detente in 1985. More recently, ties with Senegal have been strained over the use of the Senegal River, which forms the border between the two countries.

Mauritania officially banned slavery in 1981. The government has denied accusations that it is still being practised.

One of the world's poorest countries, Mauritania has pinned hopes for future prosperity on the exploitation of its offshore reserves of oil and natural gas. The Chinguetti and Tiof fields are expected to yield millions of barrels of oil.

The country forged diplomatic ties with Israel in 1999, one of three Arab nations to have done so, but suspended them in January 2009 in protest at Israel's military operation in Gaza. It closed the Israeli embassy in March.

Under former President Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, Mauritania was an ally of the US in its "war on terror". American special forces were despatched to train Mauritanian troops.
Facts
OverviewFactsLeadersMedia

•Full name: The Islamic Republic of Mauritania
•Population: 3.2 million (UN, 2008)
•Capital: Nouakchott
•Area: 1.04 million sq km (398,000 sq miles)
•Major languages: Arabic (official), French, others
•Major religion: Islam
•Life expectancy: 62 years (men), 66 years (women) (UN)
•Monetary unit: 1 ouguiya = 5 khoums
•Main exports: Fish and fish products, iron ore, gold
•GNI per capita: US $840 (World Bank, 2007)
•Internet domain: .mr
•International dialling code: +222
Leaders
OverviewFactsLeadersMedia
President of the Higher State Council: Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz

General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz declared himself president of the Higher State Council on 6 August 2008 after ousting President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in a military coup.

Gen Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz
Gen Abdelaziz had been instrumental in the 2005 coup that overthrew former President Maaouiya Ould Taya and installed the coup leader Ely Ould Mohamed Vall as president.
He served President Abdallahi as chief of the presidential staff until the latter tried to dismiss him in August 2008 amid reports of a political rift between the two men. Gen Abdelaziz asked government ministers to remain at their posts in the transition to elections, which he has promised by June 2009.

Ousted president: Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi

Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi won run-off elections in March 2007 to become Mauritania's first democratically elected president since the country gained independence from France in 1960.

Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi
The elections were the final stage of a democratic handover to civilian rule by a military junta which took power in a 2005 coup.

The polls were given a clean bill of health by the European Union and US observers. Mauritania has experienced 10 coups or attempted coups since independence. Previous elections were widely viewed as rigged.

Mr Abdallahi was minister of finance in one previous administration and minister of fishing under Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, who was ousted in 2005.

Observers suggested that among his challenges as president would be to ensure that the military keep out of politics.

The danger posed by the army to the president became clear in August 2008, coup leader General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz took control in a coup and declared Mr Abdallahi deposed. Mr Abdallahi remained under house arrest until December 2008.
Media
OverviewFactsLeadersMedia
Although Mauritania's TV and radio stations are state-owned, privately-owned publications are permitted.

Reporters Without Borders, in its review of 2007, said press freedom was "alive and well", and "much better" than under the Taya regime.

In the same year, rights body Freedom House described the Mauritanian press as being "partly free" and noted that a June 2006 law had eliminated the need for newspapers to seek pre-publication approval from officials.

However, journals may be banned for publishing material that "undermines" Islam or is perceived to threaten national security.

The BBC is available on FM in the capital (106.9) and in the second city, Nouadhibou (102.4). Radio France Internationale is also relayed.

The press

•Chaab - state-run daily, in Arabic
•Horizons - state-run daily, in French
•Journal Officiel - government journal of record
•Le Calame - private weekly
•L'Eveil-Hebdo - private weekly
•Rajoul Echaree - private
•Akhbar Nouakchott - private, Arabic daily
•Nouakchott Info - private, French-language daily
Television

•Television de Mauritanie (TVM) - state-run, programmes in Arabic and French
Radio
•Radio Mauritanie - state-run, programmes in Arabic and French

News agency

•Mauritanian News Agency (AMI) - state-run

Sights and sounds of Idanre Hill, Nigeria

2009-05-09T04:42:00.000+01:00

AN EMIRS PALACE

2009-03-11T16:47:00.000+01:00

Exploring Ghana

2009-02-03T11:22:00.002+01:00

Location, Geography & Climate

Much of the attraction of Ghana is based upon its legacy as the center of the gold, ivory, and slave trade during the 17th and 18th centuries, when the mighty Ashanti empire held sway here. However, Ghana also possesses one of the best game reserves in West Africa, a multitude of good beaches, and plenty of hospitality.

Ghana is one of the five African nations along the northern coastline of the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered on the west by Cote d'Ivoire, on the north by Burkina Faso, and on the east by Togo. The country consists mostly of low-lying savannah regions, with a central belt of forest.

Ghana's distinguishing geographic feature is the Volta River, on which was built the Akosombo dam in 1964. The damming of the Volta created the enormous Lake Volta, which occupies a sizeable portion of Ghana's southeastern territory.

Lake Volta is also the site of Kujani National Park, though Ghana's best-known park is Mole, located in the north. Unfortunately, neither Lake Volta nor the river itself have yet been developed for touring--although lake cruises are offered, the great majority of water traffic consists of cargo ships.

Rainfall is fairly heavy, particularly from April through September.

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History & People

Ghana's rich history centers on the once-great Ashanti empire, which rose to power during the late 17th century and continued to prosper as a center of the 18th century slave trade. The Ashanti capital, Kumasi, was during this period one of the finest and most advanced cities in Africa, and the Ashanti state even employed significant numbers of Europeans as advisors and administrators. The European presence in Ghana is also marked by the multitude of colonial forts that dot its coastline--strongholds that anchored the European trade in gold, ivory, and slaves. Although Ghana, then known as the Gold Coast, was largely considered a British territory by the latter half of the 19th century, it wasn't until 1900 that the British succeeded in defeating the Ashanti and the area's other strong kingdoms.

More on the Ashanti

If Ghana was late in coming under European control, it was also the first African nation to win back its independence, in 1957. However, corruption and internal military strife proved to be apparently intractable problems, and Ghana went through an extended period of instability in the 1960s and 1970s marked by military rule. The country has been since then been moving steadily toward political stability and economic prosperity, and seems today to possess one of the most promising futures of any of the West African nations.

Most of Ghana's 17 million people practice either Christianity or Islam, which are prevalent depending on the region. Christianity prospers in the south, while Islam dominates the rural north. Local religions also endure in Ghana, and are often practiced syncreticaly with the mainstream religions. The country's main holiday, Akwasidee, comes from the Ashanti religious calendar, and features an ornate ceremony involving the Ashanti king, known as the Asantehene.

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SIGHT AND SOUNDS OF ABUJA

2009-01-30T18:28:00.003+01:00

These are the Sights and Sound of Abuja the Capital City of Nigeria

LIFE IN ABUJA

2009-01-29T17:53:00.001+01:00

IT'S A SHAME SARAH PALIN DIDN'T KNOW AFRICA IT'S A CONTINENT

2009-01-25T18:02:00.002+01:00

Now that the 2008 election is over, reporters are spilling all the juciest, and previously off the record, gossip from the campaign trail. Much of it is about the infighting between Palin and McCain's staff, as Newsweek's treasure trove of post-election gossip reveals.

However, perhaps one of the most astounding and previously unknown tidbits about Sarah Palin has to do with her already dubious grasp of geography. According to Fox News Chief Political Correspondent Carl Cameron, there was great concern within the McCain campaign that Palin lacked "a degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency," in part because she didn't know which countries were in NAFTA, and she "didn't understand that Africa was a continent, rather than a series, a country just in itself."

Palin was apparently a nightmare for her campaign staff to deal with. She refused preparation help for her interview with Katie Couric and then blamed her staff, specifically Nicole Wallace, when the interview was panned as a disaster. After the Couric interview, Fox News reported, Palin turned nasty with her staff and began to accuse them of mishandling her. Palin would view press clippings of herself in the morning and throw "tantrums" over the negative coverage. There were times when she would be so nasty and angry that her staff was reduced to tears.

ARGUNGU FESTIVAL IN NIGERIA

2009-01-25T17:36:00.003+01:00

ARGUNGU

Argungu festival is celebrated in Argungu town of the Kabawas in Kebbi State . It is celebrated last week of febuary or early March just after Ramadam (Muslim) fasting . It is the biggest fishing festival in Africa with about 5,000 men grouping in the muddy water to catch fish.Other actitvities like wrestling , Swimming and dances also feature during the festival

click for more images from argungu festival

IMAGES FROM NIGERIA

2009-01-24T15:15:00.010+01:00

president yar'adua on his inaguration as president of nigeria.

mosque, abuja.

church, abuja

niger delta boys

little boy

click here to view more images from nigeria.

AN OVERVIEW OF NIGERIA

2009-01-24T11:40:00.005+01:00

This is my first post and i have decided to choose nigeria as the starting point.

hope you will agree with me on this choice.

Background: British influence and control over what would become Nigeria grew through the 19th century. A series of constitutions after World War II granted Nigeria greater autonomy; independence came in 1960. Following nearly 16 years of military rule, a new constitution was adopted in 1999, and a peaceful transition to civilian government was completed.
The government faces the daunting task of reforming a petroleum-based economy, whose revenues have been squandered through corruption and mismanagement, and institutionalizing democracy. In addition, the defusing longstanding ethnic and religious tensions are a priority if Nigeria is to build a sound foundation for economic growth and political stability.

Although the April 2003 elections were marred by some irregularities, Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest period of civilian rule since independence. General elections in April 2007 were considered significantly flawed by Nigerian and international observers but they marked the first civilian-to-civilian transfer of power in the country's history. President Umaru Musa YAR'ADUA took office on 29 May 2007.

Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Geographic coordinates: 10 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 923,768 sq km

land: 910,768 sq km

water: 13,000 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries: total: 4,047 km

border countries: Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km, Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km

Coastline: 853 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land

Land use: arable land: 33.02%

permanent crops: 3.14%

other: 63.84% (2005)

Irrigated land: 2,820 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; flooding

Environment - current issues: soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the Niger enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea