groups Culture

Who are the Fon? The people, the language, and the Kingdom of Abomey

The Fon are the largest ethnolinguistic group in Benin. Who are they, where do they live, what language do they speak, and what role did their kingdom play? The key facts, with figures and their dates.

schedule 6 min
signal_cellular_alt All levels
groups 33.2% of Benin
1

The people

The largest group in Benin

According to Wikipedia, the Fon (also called Dahomeans) are the largest ethnolinguistic group in the Republic of Benin: 33.2% of the population in the 2002 census, or about 4.8 million people in 2013.
33,2 %
of Benin’s population (2002)
≈ 4.8 M
people (2013)
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Sources

The facts in this article come from Wikipedia (French version), checked in September 2026. When two sources contradict each other, we say so.

2

Where they live

Abomey, Ouidah, Cotonou… and beyond

The main Fon cities cited are Abomey, Ouidah, Cotonou, Allada, Bohicon, and Calavi. Fon people also live in Togo, in the Atakpamé region, and in a diaspora settled in Europe and the United States, partly as a result of the Atlantic slave trade.

Understand this culture in its own language: Parlons Fongbe Academy — 79 video lessons with a native speaker.Discover

3

The language

Fon, a Gbe language

Their language is Fon (fɔ̀ngbè), a Gbe language. Wikipedia cites more than 5 million speakers including the related dialects; other sources give 4 million. Estimates vary from source to source.
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More about the language

Find its classification, its tones, and its writing system in Fon (fɔ̀ngbè): the language of Benin.

4

Kingdom and religion

The Kingdom of Abomey and Vodun

The Kingdom of Dahomey (Danhome), founded in Abomey, is described as the second military power of the coastal region, after the Oyo Empire. See who founded it and the list of its kings.
The traditional religion is Vodun, which deported Fon people brought to the Americas: South Carolina, Louisiana, Brazil, the Caribbean, Haiti, Cuba. In Benin, the national Vodun festival is held every year on January 10.

One people, one language

Understanding the Fon means understanding southern Benin. Their culture is expressed first in their language, and that is what the Parlons Fongbe Academy course teaches, with a native speaker from Cotonou.

Danxomɛ
Language before translation
Parlons Fongbe Academy
The full course

Fon culture is understood in the Fon language.

Proverbs, Vodun, the history of Danxomɛ: all of it is said first in Fon. 79 video lessons with a native speaker, from the first greeting to conversation — so you can listen to this culture without having it translated for you.

79 video lessons Native speaker from Cotonou Lifetime access, one payment
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