Which African country was officially named Dahomey until 1975? Benin was officially named Dahomey until 30 November 1975.
The name Dahomey came from the Kingdom of Dahomey, a powerful Fon state centered in southern West Africa. After gaining independence from France on 1 August 1960, the modern country continued to use the name Republic of Dahomey.
The government of Mathieu Kérékou renamed the country the People’s Republic of Benin in 1975. Benin referred to the Bight of Benin, whose name ultimately derives from the historic Kingdom of Benin, based in present-day Nigeria. The change was intended to provide a more politically neutral national name, since Dahomey was strongly associated with the Fon and the southern part of the country.
A common mix-up is confusing the country’s former name with the Kingdom of Benin. They were separate historical states: Dahomey was centered in today’s Benin, while the Kingdom of Benin was centered around Benin City in Nigeria.