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GABON
Also known as: The Gabonese Republic, République Gabonaise
Quick Facts
| Location |
Western Africa , bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea |
| Size |
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km |
| Capitals |
Libreville |
| Languages |
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
| 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 |
| Population |
1,389,201 |
| Religion |
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% |
| Chief of State |
President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2 December 1967) |
| Government type |
republic; multiparty presidential regime |
| GDP |
$7.966 billion (2004 est.) |
| Industries |
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement |
| Currency |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF) |
| Internet country code |
.ga |
| Time zone |
UTC/GMT +1 hour |
On this page, you will find:
- Country- Map, Flag & Coat of Arms
- Introduction
- Journey Element 1: Nature & Wildlife (Natural Environment; Plants & Wildlife)
- Journey Element 2: Life & Society (History, Society & Culture, Government & Politics)
- Journey Element 3: Trade, Travel & Economy (Transportation, Communication, Economy, Tourism)
- Journey Element 4: Highlights, Current Events & Helpful Links (Highlights & amazing statistics, Current events, Other Helpful Links)
Country- Map, Flag & Coat of Arms
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Introduction
Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated Gabon's political scene for almost four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, the low turnout and allegations of electoral fraud during the most recent local elections in 2002-03 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Presidential elections scheduled for 2005 are unlikely to bring change since the opposition remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.
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Journey Element 1: Nature & Wildlife
Natural Environment
| Climate |
- tropical; always hot, humid
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| Geographic coordinates |
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| Land boundaries |
- total: 2,551 km
border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
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| Location |
- Western Africa , bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
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| Natural resources |
- petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
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| Size |
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| Terrain |
- narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
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| Additional information |
- 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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Plants & Wildlife
| Animals |
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| Flora |
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National parks & reserves |
- Akanda National Park
Batéké Plateau National Park
Birougou National Park
Crystal Mountains National Park
Ivindo National Park
Loango National Park
Lopé National Park
Mayumba National Park
Minkébé National Park
Moukalaba-Doudau National Park
Mwangné National Park
Pongara National Park
Waka National Park
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Journey Element 2: Life & Society
History Overview
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. Gabon's first confirmed European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word "gabao," a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became center of the slave trade. Dutch, British, and French traders came in the 16th century. The authority on Germanic history, Professor Heinar Schilling, stated in his book Germanisches Leben (Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig, 1937, second imprint at pp. 189): "The high point of Nordic seafaring was reached around the year 1000, at which time the Vikings penetrated as far south as the Congo estuary." Professor Schilling made no further statement in this regard.
France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville-"free town."
French explorers penetrated Gabon's dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. France occupied Gabon in 1885 but did not administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent on August 17, 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, and Gabon. From Wikipedia.
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Significant dates & events
| year |
event |
| Pre-1400s |
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. |
| 1400s |
Gabon's first European visitors, Portuguese traders, arrive, and named the country after the Portuguese word "gabao," a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary.
The coast became a center of the slave trade. |
| 1500s |
Dutch, British, and French traders arrive. |
| 1839-1841 |
France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. |
| 1842 |
American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville). |
| 1849 |
The French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville--"free town." |
| 1850s |
An American, Paul du Chaillu, was among the first foreigners to explore the interior of the country. |
| 1860s-1880s |
French explorers penetrated Gabon's dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. |
| 1885 |
France occupied Gabon, but did not administer it until 1903 |
| 1903 |
France administers Gabon. |
| 1910 |
Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. |
| 1960 |
The territories became independent in 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.
At the time of Gabon's independence in 1960, two principal political parties existed: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Leon M'Ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame. In the first post-independence election, held under a parliamentary system, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M'Ba was named Prime Minister. Soon after concluding that Gabon had an insufficient number of people for a two-party system, the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates. |
| 1961 |
In the February election, held under the new presidential system, M'Ba became President and Aubame became Foreign Minister. |
| 1963 |
This one-party system appeared to work until February, when the larger BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties or resignation. |
| 1964 |
The UDSG cabinet ministers resigned, and M'Ba called an election for February 1964 and a reduced number of National Assembly deputies (from 67 to 47). The UDSG failed to muster a list of candidates able to meet the requirements of the electoral decrees.
When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M'Ba in a bloodless coup on February 18. French troops re-established his government the next day.
Elections were held in April with many opposition participants. BDG-supported candidates won 31 seats and the opposition 16. |
| 1966 |
The constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the vice president should the president die in office. |
| 1967 |
In March, Leon M'Ba and Omar Bongo (then Albert Bongo) were elected President and Vice President. M'Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became President. |
| 1968 |
In March, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state by dissolving the BDG and establishing a new party--the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). He invited all Gabonese, regardless of previous political affiliation, to participate. |
| 1975 |
Bongo was elected President in February
In April, the office of vice president was abolished and replaced by the office of prime minister, who had no right to automatic succession. |
| 1979 |
Bongo was re-elected President in December. |
| 1986 |
Bongo was re-elected President in November to a 7-year term. Using the PDG as a tool to submerge the regional and tribal rivalries that divided Gabonese politics in the past, Bongo sought to forge a single national movement in support of the government's development policies. |
| 1990 |
Economic discontent and a desire for political liberalization provoked violent demonstrations and strikes by students and workers in early 1990. In response to grievances by workers, Bongo negotiated with them on a sector-by-sector basis, making significant wage concessions. In addition, he promised to open up the PDG and to organize a national political conference in March-April 1990 to discuss Gabon's future political system. The PDG and 74 political organizations attended the conference. Participants essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies, and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties, consisting of the breakaway Morena Fundamental and the Gabonese Progress Party.
The April 1990 conference approved sweeping political reforms, including creation of a national Senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, freedom of assembly and press, and cancellation of the exit visa requirement. In an attempt to guide the political system's transformation to multiparty democracy, Bongo resigned as PDG chairman and created a transitional government headed by a new Prime Minister, Casimir Oye-Mba.
The Gabonese Social Democratic Grouping (RSDG), as the resulting government was called, was smaller than the previous government and included representatives from several opposition parties in its cabinet. The RSDG drafted a provisional constitution in May that provided a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary but retained strong executive powers for the president.
Opposition to the PDG continued, however, and in September, two coup d'etat attempts were uncovered and aborted.
Despite anti-government demonstrations after the untimely death of an opposition leader, the first multiparty National Assembly elections in almost 30 years took place in September-October, with the PDG garnering a large majority. |
| 1991 |
After further review by a constitutional committee and the National Assembly, the constitution came into force in March. Under the 1991 constitution, in the event of the president's death, the prime minister, the National Assembly president, and the defense minister were to share power until a new election could be held. |
| 1993 |
Following President Bongo's re-election in December with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. |
| 1994 |
Talks between government and opposition factions led to the Paris Accords in November, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. |
| 1996-1997 |
The Paris Accords'arrangement soon broke down, however, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. The PDG won a landslide victory in the legislative election, but several major cities, including Libreville, elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election. |
| 1998 |
President Bongo coasted to an easy re-election in December with 66% of the vote against a divided opposition. While Bongo's major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, international observers characterized the result as representative even if the election suffered from serious administrative problems.
There was no serious civil disorder or protests following the election, in contrast to the 1993 election. |
| 2001-2002 |
Legislative elections held in 2001-02, which were boycotted by a number of smaller opposition parties and were widely criticized for their administrative weaknesses, produced a National Assembly almost completely dominated by the PDG and allied independents. |
| 2003 |
A constitutional revision of 2003 clears the way for Bongo to run for presidential office as often as he would like. |
| 2005 |
In late November, Gabon's veteran President Omar Bongo won another 7-year term in office. |
Society & Culture
Almost all Gabonese are of Bantu origin. Gabon has at least 40 ethnic groups, with separate languages and cultures. The largest is the Fang (about 30%). Other ethnic groups include the Myene, Bandjabi, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke/Obamba, Nzebi, and Bakota. Ethnic group boundaries are less sharply drawn in Gabon than elsewhere in Africa. French, the official language, is a unifying force. More than 7,000 French people live in Gabon, and France dominates foreign cultural and commercial influences. Historical and environmental factors caused Gabon's population to decline between 1900 and 1940. It is one of the least densely inhabited countries in Africa, and a labor shortage is a major obstacle to development and a draw for foreign workers. The population is generally accepted to be just over 1 million but remains in dispute.
| Arts and crafts |
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| Dance |
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| Dress |
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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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| HIV/AIDS |
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| Infant mortality rate |
- total: 53.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
- (Compare to other countries)
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| Languages |
- French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
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| Life expectancy at birth |
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| Literacy (age 15 and over can read & write) |
- total population: 63.2%
male: 73.7%
female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
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| Music |
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| Myths and legends |
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| Nationality |
- noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese
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| Population |
- 1,389,201
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)
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| Population growth rate |
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| Religion |
- Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
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School enrollment
(% relevant age group) From UNESCO. |
- Net primary enrollment: 78.3% (2000)
- Net secondary enrollment:
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| Sports |
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| Total fertility rate |
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| Typical dishes |
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Government & Politics
Under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003), Gabon is a republic with a presidential form of government. The National Assembly has 120 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The president is elected by universal suffrage for a 7-year term. The president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court. The president also has other strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, and conduct referenda. A 2003 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits and facilitated a presidency for life.
In 1990 the government made major changes to Gabon's political system. A transitional constitution was drafted in May 1990 as an outgrowth of the national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee. Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights; creation of a National Council of Democracy to oversee the guarantee of those rights; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues; and an independent judiciary. After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee, and the President, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991. Multiparty legislative elections were held in 1990-91, despite the fact that opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
The elections produced the first representative, multiparty National Assembly. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law governing the legalization of opposition parties. After President Bongo was re-elected in a disputed election in 1993 with 51% of votes cast, social and political disturbances led to the 1994 Paris Conference and Accords, which provided a framework for the next elections. Local and legislative elections were delayed until 1996-97. In 1997, constitutional amendments were adopted to create an appointed Senate and the position of vice president, and to extend the president's term to 7 years.
Facing a divided opposition, President Bongo was re-elected in December 1998. Although the main opposition parties claimed the elections had been manipulated, there was none of the civil disturbance that followed the 1993 election. Peaceful though flawed legislative elections in 2001-02 produced a new National Assembly dominated by the President's party and its allies.
For administrative purposes, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are further divided into 36 prefectures and 8 separate subprefectures. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the subprefects.
| Administrative Divisions |
- 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
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| Capitals |
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| Executive branch |
- chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (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
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| Government type |
- republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
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| Holidays and special events |
- Jan 1 New Year’s Day
- Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) (changes)
- Easter Monday (changes)
- May 1 Labour Day
- May 6 Martyrs’ Day
- Whit Monday (changes)
- Aug 15 Assumption
- Aug 16 Independence Day
- Nov 1 All Saints’ Day
- Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) (changes)
- Dec 25 Christmas Day
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| Independence |
- 17 August 1960 (from France )
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| 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)
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| Major cities |
- Libreville,
Port-Gentil,
Franceville,
Oyem,
Moanda
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| National anthem |
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Journey Element 3: Trade, Travel & Economy
Gabon's economy is dominated by oil. Oil revenues comprise 65% of the Government of Gabon budget, 43% of gross domestic product (GDP), and 81% of exports. Oil production is now declining rapidly from its high point of 370,000 barrels per day in 1997. In spite of the decreasing oil revenues, little planning has been done for an after-oil scenario. Gabon public expenditures from the years of significant oil revenues were not spent efficiently. Overspending on the Transgabonais railroad, the oil price shock of 1986, the CFA franc devaluation of 1994, and low oil prices in the late 1990s caused serious debt problems. Gabon has earned a poor reputation with the Paris Club and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the management of its debt and revenues. Successive IMF missions have criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items (in good years and bad), over-borrowing from the Central Bank, and slipping on the schedule for privatization and administrative reform. In September 2005, Gabon successfully concluded a 15-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. Gabon seeks a multi-year successor arrangement.
Gabon's oil revenues have given it a strong per capita GDP of more than $4,500, extremely high for the region. On the other hand, a skewed income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. Approximately 5% of the population receives over 90% of the income/wealth. The economy is highly dependent on extraction of abundant primary materials. After oil, logging and manganese mining are the other major sectors. Foreign and Gabonese observers have consistently lamented the lack of transformation of primary materials in the Gabonese economy. Various factors have so far stymied more diversification--small market of 1 million people, dependence on French imports, inability to capitalize on regional markets, lack of entrepreneurial zeal among the Gabonese, and the fairly regular stream of oil "rent". The small processing and service sectors are largely dominated by just a few prominent local investors. At World Bank and IMF insistence, the government embarked on a program of privatization of its state-owned companies and administrative reform, including reducing public sector employment and salary growth, but progress has been slow.
Transportation
| Airports |
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| Highways |
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| Ports and Harbors |
- Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil
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Communication
Fixed lines
& mobile telephones
(per 1,000 people)
(From ITU) |
- 129.7 m (2000)
- 253.1 m (2003)
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| International dialing code |
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| Internet country code |
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| Internet users |
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| Media |
Press
- La Lowe
- Le Journal
- Le Temoin
- Le Temps
- La Relance
- L'Union
Television
- Radiodiffusion-Television Gabonaise
- TeleAfrica
- TV Sat
Radio
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Personal computers
(per 1,000 people)
(From ITU) |
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Telephone avg cost-
local call
(US$ per 3 min)
(From ITU) |
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Telephones -
main lines in use |
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Telephones -
mobile cellular |
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Time zone |
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Economy
| Agriculture products |
- cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
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| Currency (code) |
- Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
- Currency converter
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| Exchange rates |
- Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
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| Exports commodities |
- crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
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| Exports partners |
- US 51.9%, China 9.1%, France 7.7% (2004)
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| Fiscal year |
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| GDP |
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| GDP- real growth rate |
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| Imports commodities |
- machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
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| Imports partners |
- France 46.1%, US 6.8%, UK 6% (2004)
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| Industries |
- petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement
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| Inflation rate |
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| Population below poverty line |
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| Unemployment rate |
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Tourism
| Popular destinations |
- Cirque de Lékoni
- Libreville
- Mayumba beach
- Port-Gentil
- Réserve de la Lopé national park
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| Tourist arrivals (From WTO) |
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| Visas |
- All travelers require visas, which need to be obtained prior to arrival.
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| World Heritage sites |
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Journey Element 4: Highlights, Current Events & Helpful Links
Highlights & amazing statistics
| Animals |
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| Cities |
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| Economy |
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| Environment |
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| History |
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| Famous people |
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Current events
- La Lowe
- Le Journal
- Le Temoin
- Le Temps
- La Relance
- L'Union
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Other Helpful Links
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