| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| Benin |
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| SYLLABICATION: | Be·nin |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  b -n n , b -n n |
| 1. A former kingdom of western Africa, now part of Nigeria. It flourished from the 14th to the 17th century. 2. Formerly Da·ho·mey( d-h m, dä-ô-m ) A country of western Africa. Originally made up of several ancient kingdoms colonized by France in the 19th century, it became independent in 1960 and was renamed Benin in 1975. Porto-Novo is the capital and Cotonou the largest city. Population: 5,387,000. 3. also Benin City A city of southern Nigeria on the Benin River, about 161 km (100 mi) long. The city is known for its bronze works of art. Population: 136,000.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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