World Facts Index
 Only
two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in
1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the
longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated the country's
political scene for four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal
multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However,
allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the
presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political
structures in Gabon. Gabon's political 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.
Geography of Gabon
|
Location:
|
Western Africa, bordering
the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and
Equatorial Guinea |
|
Coordinates:
|
1 00 S, 11 45 E |
|
Area:
|
total: 267,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than
Colorado |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 2,551 km
border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903
km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km |
|
Coastline:
|
885 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone: 24
NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
Climate:
|
tropical; always hot, humid |
|
Terrain:
|
narrow coastal plain; hilly
interior; savanna in east and south |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, manganese,
uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
|
Environment current issues:
|
deforestation; poaching |
|
Geography - note:
|
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
|
Population of Gabon
|
Population:
|
1,485,832 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 42.1% (male 300,914/female 299,141)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 383,137/female 384,876)
65 years and over: 4% (male 23,576/female 33,262) |
|
Median age:
|
18.6 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
2.13% |
|
Infant mortality:
|
54.51 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 54.49 years
male: 53.21 years
female: 55.81 years |
|
Fertility rate:
|
4.74 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese |
|
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 |
|
Religions:
|
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less
than 1% |
|
Languages:
|
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi,
Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 63.2%
male: 73.7%
female: 53.3%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Gabonese
Republic
local long form: Republique Gabonaise |
|
Government type:
|
republic; multiparty presidential regime
(opposition parties legalized in 1990) |
|
Capital:
|
Libreville |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue,
Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem |
|
Independence:
|
17 August 1960 (from France) |
|
National holiday:
|
Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party
(PDG), 12 March (1968) |
|
Constitution:
|
adopted 14 March 1991 |
|
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 |
|
Suffrage:
|
21 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO
Ondimba (since 2 December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20 January 2006)
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 (no term
limits); election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in 2012); prime
minister appointed by the president. |
|
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). |
|
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 |
Economy
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan
African nations. but 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, poor fiscal
management hobbles the economy. The devaluation of the CFA franc - its
currency - by 50% in 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 mandated progress in privatization and
fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January
1997 after Gabon 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 since 1999
have helped growth, but drops in production have hampered Gabon from fully
realizing potential gains, and will continue to temper the gains for most of
this decade. 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. Gabon signed a 14-month
Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris Club debt
rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world
economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies.
|
GDP:
|
$20.44 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
2.1% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$6,800 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 6.1%
industry: 59.2%
services: 34.8% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
2.3% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
640,000 |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 60%
industry: 15%
services: 25% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $2.463 billion
expenditures: $1.618 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 34.5%
hydro: 65.5%
other: 0%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
|
petroleum extraction and refining;
manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering
and plywood; cement |
|
Agriculture:
|
cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber;
cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish |
|
Exports:
|
crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium |
|
Export partners:
|
US 53.3%, France 6.4%, China 6.3%, Trinidad and Tobago
4.2% |
|
Imports:
|
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
chemicals, construction materials |
|
Import partners:
|
France 40.6%, US 6.4%, Cameroon 4.4%, Netherlands 4.3% |
|
Currency:
|
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |