BENIN is situated in West Africa, and has a short Atlantic coastline in the South. The country has coastal lagoons, rising to a central plateau, and the Northern Atakora Mountains.

The capital, Port Novo, lies in the South, and houses the Ethnological Museum. To the West of the capital is Cotonou, which has a good museum, a market, and also the nearby village of Ganvie, which has houses built on stilts.

To the North of Cotonou is the town of Abomey, which also houses a good museum.

Benin has two National Parks, the Pendjari and the ‘W’.

An equatorial climate in the South, with more extreme temperatures in the North. A rainy season from March to July.