Republic of Dahomey
1958–1975 state in West Africa, now known as Benin / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Republic of Dahomey (French: République du Dahomey; pronounced [daɔmɛ]), simply known as Dahomey (Fon: Danhomè), was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy, it had been French Dahomey, part of the French Union. On 1 August 1960, it attained full independence from France.
Republic of Dahomey | |||||||||||
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1958–1975 | |||||||||||
Motto:
Fraternity, Justice, Labour | |||||||||||
Anthem: L'Aube nouvelle (French) "The Dawn of a New Day" | |||||||||||
Capital | Porto-Novo | ||||||||||
Common languages | French, Yoruba, Fon | ||||||||||
Government | Unitary one-party presidential republic (1960–1963, 1964–1965, 1968–1970) Unitary military dictatorship (1963–1964, 1965–1968, 1972–1975)
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Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||||
4 December 1958 | |||||||||||
1 August 1960 | |||||||||||
• Renamed | 30 November 1975 | ||||||||||
Currency | CFA franc | ||||||||||
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Today part of | Benin |
In 1975, the country was renamed Benin after the Bight of Benin (which was in turn named after the Benin Empire which had its seat of power in Benin City, modern-day Nigeria), since "Benin" was deemed politically neutral for all ethnic groups in the state, whereas "Dahomey" recalled the Fon-dominated Kingdom of Dahomey.