Benin is a French-speaking West African nation that is the birthplace of the Vodun (or “Voodoo”) religion. Moreover, Benin is home to the former Dahomey Kingdom from circa 1600-1900. This kingdom was the largest supplier of human for the slave trade. In Abomey, Dahomey’s former capital, the historical museum occupies two royal palaces with bas-reliefs recounting the kingdom’s past and a throne mounted on human skulls. To the north, Pendjari National Park offers safaris with elephants, hippos, and lions. Today, it stands as a commercial center with various museums, temples, and monuments to the past.