Republic of Benin vs African nation

Republic of Benin and African nation both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
Republic of Benin	Yes	No	No	No
African nation	Yes	No	No	No

Republic of Benin (noun)	African nation (noun)
a country on western coast of Africa; formerly under French control	any one of the countries occupying the African continent