Gabon

republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)

Gabon as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 119 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalLibreville

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator between

Populationas each edition published it

1.14 million July 1994 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.46% 1994 est. · 1.45% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 54.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.97 children per woman 1994 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

94.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 106 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,800 1993 est. · $4,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

0.5% 1992 est. · 13% in 1993

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator between | the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

23 fields

Coastline

885km

Land boundaries

2,551km

total · Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator between the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

267,670 sq km

land area

257,670 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Colorado

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

International disputes

maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

Terrain

narrow coastal plain;
hilly interior;
savanna in east and south

Natural resources

petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore

arable land

permanent crops

meadows and pastures

18%

forest and woodland

78%

other

current issues

deforestation; poaching

natural hazards

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

People

22 fields

Population

1,139,006

(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 1.46% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth

28.46Death

13.9Net migration

Labor force

120,000salaried

Literacy

15and over can read and write

age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

94.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

54.67 years

male

51.88 years

female

57.53 years (1994 est.)

noun

Gabonese (singular and plural)

adjective

Gabonese

Ethnic divisions

Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), Africans and Europeans 100,000, including 27,000 French

Religions

Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist

Languages

French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

total population

61%

male

74%

female

48%

by occupation

agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%

note

58% of population of working age (1983)

Government

Republic

30 fields

Legislature, 120 seatsone dot, one seat

PDG 62Morena-Bucherons/RNB 19PGP 18APSG 6USG 4CRP 1independents 3

conventional long form

Gabonese Republic

conventional short form

Gabon

local long form

Republique Gabonaise

local short form

Gabon

Type

republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

National holiday

Renovation Day, 12 March (1968) (Gabonese Democratic Party established)

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law;
judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court;
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

chief of state

President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967);
election last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA 1998);
results - President Omar BONGO was reelected with 51% of the vote

head of government

Prime Minister Casimir OYE-MBA (since 3 May 1990)

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held on 21 and 28 October and 4 November 1990 (next to be held by NA);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (120 total) PDG 62, Morena-Bucherons/RNB 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 7, APSG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independents 3

Political parties and leaders

Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), Jaques ADIAHENOT, Secretary General;
National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB), Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE, leader;
Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre-Louis AGONDHO-OKAWE, President;
National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original), Pierre ZONGUE-NGUEMA, Chairman;
Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG), leader NA;
Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), leader NA;
Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP), leader NA;
Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), leader NA;
Rally of Democrats (RD), leader NA;
Forces of Change for Democratic Union, leader NA

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA

chancery

2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone

(202) 797-1000

chief of mission

Ambassador Joseph C. WILSON IV

embassy

Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville

mailing address

B. P. 4000, Libreville

telephone

(241) 762003/4, or 743492

FAX

[241] 745-507

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

Economy

Notwithstanding its serious ongoing economic problems, Gabon enjoys a | per capita income more than twice that of most nations of sub-Saharan | Africa.

26 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$4,800

(1993 est.)

Real growth rate

0.5%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -10% (1988 est.); accounts for 8% of GDP, including petroleum

Inflation, consumer prices

0.7%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$4.4billion

(1991)

Overview

Notwithstanding its serious ongoing economic problems, Gabon enjoys a per capita income more than twice that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GNP. Real growth was feeble in 1992 and Gabon continues to face weak prices for its timber, manganese, and uranium exports.

Despite an abundance of natural wealth, and a manageable rate of population growth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settled arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors.

Devaluation of the local currency by 50% in January 1994 could set off an inflationary spiral if the government fails to reign in spending and grants large wage increases to an already overpaid public sector workforce.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $5.4 billion (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

revenues

$1.3 billion

expenditures

$1.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $272 million (1992 est.)

Exports

$2.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est)

commodities

crude oil 80%, timber 9%, manganese 7%, uranium 2%

partners

France 48%, US 15%, Germany 2%, Japan 2%

Imports

$702 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

commodities

foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery

partners

France 64%, African countries 7%, US 5%, Japan 3%

capacity

315,000 kW

production

995 million kWh

consumption per capita

920 kWh (1991)

Industries

petroleum, food and beverages, lumbering and plywood, textiles, mining - manganese, uranium, gold, cement

Agriculture

accounts for 9% of GDP (including fishing and forestry);
cash crops - cocoa, coffee, palm oil;
livestock not developed;
importer of food;
small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons;
okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important timber product

recipient

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $68 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $2.342 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)

note

beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

Railroads

649 km 1.437-meter standard-gauge single track (Transgabonese Railroad)

total

7,500 km

paved

560 km

unpaved

crushed stone 960 km; earth 5,980 km

total

usable

with permanent-surface runways

with runways over 3,659 m

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Telecommunications

adequate system of cable, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links and radiocommunication stations;
15,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6 FM, 3 (5 repeaters) TV;
satellite earth stations - 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 12 domestic satellite

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, | National Police

3 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, National Police

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 270,501;
fit for military service 136,995;
reach military age (20) annually 10,107 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $102 million, 3.2% of GDP (1990 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Gabon.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gabon/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →

Geography

total area

land area

comparative area

contiguous zone

exclusive economic zone

territorial sea

arable land

permanent crops

meadows and pastures

forest and woodland

other

current issues

natural hazards

international agreements

People

total population

male

female

noun

adjective

total population

male

female

by occupation

note

Government

conventional long form

conventional short form

local long form

local short form

chief of state

head of government

cabinet

chief of mission

chancery

chief of mission

embassy

mailing address

Economy

revenues

expenditures

commodities

partners

commodities

partners

capacity

production

consumption per capita

recipient

note

Communications

total

paved

unpaved

total

usable

with permanent-surface runways

with runways over 3,659 m

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Defense Forces

Cite this entry