The history of Benin postal and postage stamps covers the development of postal services in Benin, a country in West Africa known as Dahomey from 1899 to 1975, with its capital in the city of Porto Novo. It can be roughly divided into two main periods: the colonial period, when the issue of postage stamps for this French colony began in 1892, and the period of independence from 1960. The country has been included in the Universal Postal Union since 1961.