Benin

American  

[be-neen] / bɛˌnin /

noun

1. Formerly Dahomey.  a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa; gained independence in 1960. 44,290 sq. mi. (114,711 sq. km). Porto Novo.

2. Bight of, a bay in N Gulf of Guinea in W Africa.

3. a former native kingdom in W Africa: now incorporated into Nigeria.

4. a river in S Nigeria, flowing into the Bight of Benin.

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Benin British  

/ bɛˈniːn /

noun

1. Former name (until 1975): Dahomey.  a republic in W Africa, on the Bight of Benin , a section of the Gulf of Guinea: in the early 19th century a powerful kingdom, famed for its women warriors; became a French colony in 1893, gaining independence in 1960. It consists chiefly of coastal lagoons and swamps in the south, a fertile plain and marshes in the centre, and the Atakora Mountains in the northwest. Official language: French. Religion: animist majority. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 9 877 292 (2013 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)

2. a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes

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Example Sentences

By contrast, other west African countries, notably Benin, have sought to attract tourists, especially from the diaspora, by honouring and commemorating the continent's history and traditions.

From Barron's

On the 'Lover's Canal' in Ganvie, a lake village in Benin, love can flow in unusual ways.

From Barron's

For decades a narrow waterway in Ganvie, Benin has been a discreet rendezvous point for young couples to meet -- safe under cover of darkness, far away from strict families and prying eyes.

From Barron's

Formal demands for the return of some of Africa's best-known artefacts - the Benin Bronzes - were made as early as the 1930s by the Nigerian kingdom's then monarch, Oba Akenzua II.

From BBC

Ghana has long promoted its pan-African credentials - for a decade anyone whose ancestors came from Africa have been entitled to Ghanaian nationality, a policy that arguably inspired Benin to launch a similar scheme.

From BBC