Gabon

Gabonese RepublicRepublique Gabonaise

republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)

Gabon as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 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

Area267,670 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator,

Populationas each edition published it

1.16 million July 1995 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.46% 1995 est. · 1.45% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

55.14 years 1995 est. · 54.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.93 children per woman 1995 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

92.4 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 106 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$4,900 1994 est. · $4,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.9% 1994 est. · 13% in 1993

Geography

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

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Land useshare of 267,670 sq km

permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 18%forest and woodland 78%other 2%arable land 1% in all

Area

267,670sq km

land area: 257,670 sq kmcomparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado

Coastline

885km

contiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

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 Congo and Equatorial Guinea

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

Environment

current issues:: deforestation; poaching
natural hazards:: NA
international agreements:: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands;
signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

People

15 fields

Population

1,155,749

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 1.46% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

28.34Death

13.72Net migration

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years55.14

52.31 · 58.06

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy61%

74% · 48%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force

120,000salaried

by occupation: agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 34% (female 193,859; male 194,761)
15-64 years:: 61% (female 347,839; male 359,997)
65 years and over:: 5% (female 30,218; male 29,075) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

92.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective:: Gabonese

Ethnic divisions

Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other 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

Government

Republic; President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967); Prime Minister Paulin OBAME Nguema (since 9 December 1994)

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Legislature, 120 seatsone dot, one seat

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

Names

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967);
election last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held 1998);
results - President Omar BONGO was reelected with 51% of the vote
head of government:: Prime Minister Paulin OBAME Nguema (since 9 December 1994)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held by 1998);
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, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA
chancery:: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007, Suite 200
telephone:: [1] (202) 797-1000

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Joseph C. WILSON IV
embassy:: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville
mailing address:: B. P. 4000, Libreville
telephone:: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, 74 34 92

FAX

[241] 74 55 07

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.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$4,900

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

1.9%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -3% (1991)

Inflation, consumer prices

35%

(1994 est.)

External debt

$3.3billion

(1993 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.3 billionExpenditures

$1.6 billion (1993 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $311 million

Installed generating capacity, 315,000 kW

Electricity production

910 millionElectricity consumption per capita

757 (1993)

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 GDP. Real growth was feeble in 1992 and Gabon continues to face the problem of fluctuating prices for its oil, 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 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% in January 1994 did not set off an expected inflationary spiral but the government must continue to keep a tight reign on spending and wage increases.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (1994 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est)

commodities:: crude oil 80%, timber 10%, manganese 6%, uranium 2%
partners:: US 38%, France 26%, Japan, Germany

Imports

$832 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

commodities:: foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery
partners:: France 42%, African countries 23%, US, Japan

Industries

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

Agriculture

cash crops - cocoa, coffee, palm oil;
livestock raising 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

Economic aid

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 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) 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

Transportation

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Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 69 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

7,500Railroads

649Inland waterways

1,600

Highways: paved: 560 km · unpaved: crushed stone 960 km; earth 5,980 km · Railroads: (Transgabonese Railroad) · standard gauge: 649 km 1.437-m gauge

Railroads

total:: 649 km single track (Transgabonese Railroad)
standard gauge:: 649 km 1.437-m gauge

Highways

total:: 7,500 km
paved:: 560 km
unpaved:: crushed stone 960 km; earth 5,980 km

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

15,000 telephones; telephone density - 13/1,000 persons

local:: NA
intercity:: adequate system, comprising cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiocommunication stations, and 12 domestic satellite links
international:: 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations