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Background: Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous black African countries.
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Common Name: Gabon
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Local Official Name: Gabon
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Abbreviated Name: Gabonese Republic
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Official Name: Republique Gabonaise
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Official Script Name: Gabon
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Local Common Name: Gabon
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Former Name: Gabon
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President El Hadj Omar BONGO
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Government Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
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Independence: 1960 August 17 (from France)
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Constitution: adopted 1991 March 14
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National Holiday: Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March
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International Organization Participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Administrative Divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: 21 years of age years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%
Legislative Branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in NA 2002)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts
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Party Leaders: African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI]; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA, secretary general]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE, president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]
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International Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
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Illicit Drugs: NA
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Location of Gabon: Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
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Continent: Africa
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Land Area Total: 267,667 sq km
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Region: Eastern African |
Land Area Land: 257,667 sq km
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Capitol City: Libreville
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Land Area Water: 10,000 sq km
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Current:
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Latitude: 001 00 S
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Border Boundary Land: 2,551 km
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Longitude: 011 45 E
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Border Boundary Coastline: 885 km
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Arable Land: 1.00 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 1.00 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 1,575 m
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Location: Mont Iboundji
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Atlantic Ocean
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Largest City in Gabon: Libreville
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Libreville Largest City Population: 523,000
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Threatened Species: 95
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Environmental Issues: deforestation; poaching
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Irrigated Land: 150
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Bordering Countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
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Natural Resources: petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
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Geographical Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
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Comparative Area of Gabon: slightly smaller than Colorado
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Gabon's Geography: a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Gabon.
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General Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
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Natural Hazards: NA
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Economic Overview: Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001.
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GDP: $6,700,000,000 USD
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Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
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GDP per Capita: $5,500 USD
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Currency Code: XAF
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GDP Growth Rate: 2.50 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% XAF
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Currency Exchange Rate History: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro
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GDP of Agriculture: 10.00 %
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GDP of Industry: 60.00 %
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GDP of Services: 30.00 % |
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Inflation Rate: 1.50 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 21.00 %
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Tourism: 175,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $1,800,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $1,800,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 850,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 790,500,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 29.41%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 70.59%
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Other Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $3,600,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $331,000,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
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Primary Industries: food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair
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Industrial Growth Rate: -6.40 %
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Import Amount in USD: $921,000,000 USD - machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
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Import Partners: France 62%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, US 5%, Belgium 3%
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Export Amount in USD: $2,500,000,000 USD - crude oil 81%, timber, manganese, uranium
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Export Partners: US 51%, France 17%, China 8%, Netherlands Antilles 4%
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GINI Index: 0.00%
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Labor Force Number of People: 600,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 60%, services and government 25%, industry and commerce 15%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 16 |
Number of People with Radios: 208,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 3 |
Number of People with Televisions: 63,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 39,000 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 120,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 4 |
Internet Users: 15,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .ga |
Newspapers: 30 |
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Two Letter Country Code: GA |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: +241 |
Electricity Voltage: Volts |
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Telephone Systems: general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
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Highways: 629 km |
Railways: 649 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 284 km |
Waterways: 1,600 km
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Airports: 10 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 31 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 3,331,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 2.90 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: NA
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Ports and Harbors: Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil
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Population: 1,233,353 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 27.24 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 5.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 17.59 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 0.97% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 3.65 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 205,559 |
Population Female 0-14: 204,796 |
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Population Male 15-64: 376,103 |
Population Female 15-64: 371,422 |
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Population Male 65+: 37,220 |
Population Female 65+: 38,253 |
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Population 0-14: 33.30% |
Literacy Rate: 63.20% |
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Population 15-64: 60.60% |
Literacy rate of Males: 73.70% |
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Population 65+: 6.10% |
Literacy rate of Females: 53.30% |
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Population that is Male: 50.50
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Population that is Female: 49.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 49.11 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 93.50 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 48.01 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 50.25 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 9.00%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 23,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 2,000 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: 0.00
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Nationality: GABONESE
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Ethnic Groups: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
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Primary Language: Fang
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Other Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
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Primary Religion: Christian
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Other Religions: Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential (Republican) Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 20 years of age years
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Manpower Available: 284,358 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 146,908 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 11,304 People per year
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Expenditures: $70,800,000 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 2.00
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Gabon Spa and Resort Directory
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Gabon City Information Game Earn Real Money
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