Homework this week 24/5/17

Can I write a newspaper report on Benin becoming an independent country, including your targets?

How is independence celebrated in Benin?

Independence Day is nationally celebrated on August 1st in Benin. Celebrations on this day take place and national leaders deliver speeches reflecting on past and present glories. The national flag is raised and the national anthem sung all across the country. The flag has a green band and to the other side it has a yellow band on top of a red  band. These yellow and red stripes are equal in size. Green represents hope and revival, red represents the strength displayed by ancestors , and yellow represents the prosperity (wealth and success) of the country.

What is the history of Benin’s independence?

Benin was founded in 1625 and was ruled as the Kingdom of Dahomey untill the 19th century, when it came under French control and became French Dahomey. With access to Europe, the Kingdom of Dahomey began expanding. Soon the Portuguese, French, and Dutch made new trading posts along the coast and traded in slaves and weapons. Around the time when slave trading ended in 1848, the French had gained dominance over most of the kingdom through the treaties signed with the King of Abomey. This lead to French settlements in the main cities and ports. But in 1960 the country gained complete indepencence from France.