Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Africa. Porto-Novo is the capital, but

many government offices are in the city

of Cotonou.

Benin is bordered by Niger, Nigeria,

Togo, and Burkina Faso. The Gulf of

Guinea lies to the south. Benin is mostly

flat but has some hills and low mountains.

It is hot and humid in the south.

The north is drier.

Woodlands cover most of central Benin.

Grasslands cover the north. Elephants,

antelope, panthers, monkeys, crocodiles,

and tropical birds live in the south.

There are more than 40 ethnic groups in

Benin. The largest groups are the Fon,

the Yoruba, and the Adjara. Most

Beninese are Christians or follow traditional

beliefs, including voodoo. About

20 percent of the people are Muslims.

French is the official language, but most

people speak local languages.

Benin’s economy is based on agriculture.

Its main crops include cassava, yams,

corn, cotton, and oil palm fruit. The

Beninese also raise cattle, goats, sheep,

pigs, and chickens. Trade is another

important industry. Benin’s main products

are cotton yarn, food and beverages,

and crude petroleum (oil).

In the early 1600s several kingdoms,

including the large and powerful

Dahomey kingdom, ruled what is now

Benin. Dahomey became one of the

largest suppliers of slaves to Europeans.

France made Dahomey a colony in

1894.

Dahomey became independent in 1960.

After years of political troubles, army

officer Mathieu Kerekou seized power in

1972. In 1975 he changed the country’s

name to Benin. In the 1990s Benin got

a more democratic government.

..More to explore

Dahomey • Porto-Novo

A traditional village stands in the hills of

Benin.

Facts About

BENIN

Population

(2008 estimate)

8,295,000

Area

43,484 sq mi

(112,622 sq km)

Capital

Porto-Novo

Form of

government

Multiparty

republic

Major cities

Cotonou, Porto-

Novo, Parakou,

Djougou,

Abomey

60 Benin BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

Bering Sea

The Bering Sea lies between Asia and

North America in the far northern part

of the Pacific Ocean. On the west the

sea borders the part of Russia called

Siberia. To the east is the U.S. state of

Alaska. The Aleutian Islands stretch

across the sea’s southern boundary.

The Bering Sea is one of the coldest and

most dangerous seas in the world. In

winter, the temperature over northern

and eastern parts of the sea may drop to

.49° F (.45° C). Floating ice is common

in the north. Ships normally sail in

the sea only between May or June and

October.

Fishing and fish-related industries are

the main economic activities in the

region. More than 300 species of fish are

found in the Bering Sea. They include

herring, cod, flounder, halibut, and pollack.

Huge numbers of salmon from

Alaska and Russia spend their adult lives

in the sea. There are also many shellfish.

The islands in the Bering Sea are a

breeding ground for sea otters and fur

seals. A huge number of seabirds also

live in and around the sea.

..More to explore

Pacific Ocean

Berlin

Population

(2006

estimate), city,

3,395,189;

urban area,

4,200,072

Berlin is the capital of Germany, a country

in central Europe. It is Germany’s

largest city. Berlin is also a center of education

and culture. Two of Germany’s

leading universities are in the city. The

Berlin Opera and Berlin Philharmonic

Orchestra are world famous.

Economy

Trade and the development of technology

are important to Berlin’s economy.

Water flows under a natural arch on the

Bering Sea in Alaska.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Berlin 61

 

The city is also a center of industry. Factories

in Berlin make electronics,

machinery, chemicals, cloth, and many

other products.

History

Berlin was founded in the early 1200s. It

was the capital of the German kingdom

of Prussia for most of the 1700s and

1800s. The city later became the capital

of Germany.

During WorldWar II (1939–45) Berlin

was nearly destroyed. The city was the

site of heavy bombing and bloody fighting.

More than 150,000 residents of

Berlin died.

Germany lost the war to the countries

known as the Allies. The Allies divided

Germany into two countries: East Germany

and West Germany. They also

divided Berlin into two sections. East

Berlin became the capital of East Germany.

(The capital ofWest Germany

was Bonn.) Different Allied powers created

different types of government in

East andWest Germany. The Soviet

Union brought Communism into East

Germany and East Berlin. The other

Allied powers madeWest Germany and

West Berlin a democracy.

About 2.5 million people fled from East

Berlin intoWest Berlin between 1949

and 1961. To prevent more people from

leaving, East Germany built a wall

through Berlin. The BerlinWall was

heavily guarded. It separated East Berlin

fromWest Berlin for almost 30 years.

East Germany’s Communist government

collapsed in 1989. People began to

tear down the BerlinWall. In 1990 the

two parts of Germany and Berlin were

reunited. Berlin was again the capital of

all of Germany.

..More to explore

Communism • Democracy • Germany

•WorldWar II

Bermuda

Bermuda is a cluster of islands in the

North Atlantic Ocean. There are seven

main islands and about 170 small

islands. The seven main islands form a

shape that looks like a fishhook. Bermuda

is a colony of Great Britain. The

capital is Hamilton.