18 | The Lion King
Country Focus
French, which is the official language, is
spoken in most cities. Fon, Yoruba and
Goun languages are the most spoken in
the South while Adja, Mina, Tori Bariba,
Dendi, Ditamari or Kotokoli are more in
the north.
A total of 23 languages are spoken in
Benin in addition to French. Some of the
languages share some ethnic similarities
with countries like Nigeria, Togo, Burkina
Faso and Niger, which facilitates trade
within the corridor and the hinterland.
People and Culture
Benin’s rich cultural diversity is one of
its biggest attractions. The country
boasts of more than 40 ethnic groups.
However, they all have in common a
high level of tolerance, a strong sense
of hospitality, openness and warmth
with which they welcome foreigners
into their midst.
Some peculiar things you will find in
Benin include:
The Zémidjans (also called Zem or
Okada)
Zémidjan which literally means “take
me fast” or “take me abruptly” in Fon
(one of the language of southern Benin)
refers to commercial motorcyclists. They
are well appreciated by the people
Located outside
Cotonou, Benin,
Ganvie has devel-
oped an intricate
and prosperous
culture within the
constraints of life
on the lake
because they fill gaps in public trans-
portation, created by the lack of taxis
in Benin. For a few hundred CFA Franc
(a few tens of cents), they take their
customers, regardless of road condi-
tions and time of day or night to any
corner of the city, where traditional taxis
cannot always get.
Gari
Benin can be called “The Land of
gari”. Gari is a finely granular semolina
obtained from fermented cassava pulp,
crushed, sieved and then dried in a fire.
It is a much desired local delicacy.
Lake Doukon,
Benin
is a small
lake outside of
Lokossa where a
family of Hippo-
potami reside.
Photo: flickr/jbdodane
