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Benin in British English
(bɛˈniːn)
noun
1.
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: Christianity, Islam, and animist. Currency: franc. Capital: Porto-Novo (the government is based in Cotonou). Pop: 11 175 692 (2017 est). Area: 112 622 sq km (43 474 sq miles)
Former name (until 1975): Dahomey2.
a former kingdom of W Africa, powerful from the 14th to the 17th centuries: now a province of S Nigeria: noted for its bronzes
Benin in American English
(bɛˈnin; bɛˈnɪn)
1.
former native kingdom (fl. 14th-17th cent.) in W Africa, including what came to be known as the Slave Coast
2.
country in WC Africa, on the Bight of Benin: formerly a French territory, it became independent in 1960: 43,484 sq mi (112,622 sq km); pop. 4,855,000; cap. Porto Novo
3.
Bight ofN part of the Gulf of Guinea, just west of the Niger delta
Derived forms
Beninese (Beˈninese) (bɛˈnɪniz) adjective, nounWord forms: plural Beˈninese
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