Gabon

Gabonese RepublicRepublique Gabonaise

republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)

Gabon as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 86 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

Position1 00 S, 11 45 E

Area267,670 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the

Populationas each edition published it

1.17 million July 1996 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.47% 1996 est. · 1.45% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

55.59 years 1996 est. · 54.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.89 children per woman 1996 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

90.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 106 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$5,200 1995 est. · $4,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2% 1995 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

border countries: 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

lowest point:: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

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

1,172,798

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.47% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

28.22Death

13.56Net migration

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years55.59

52.72 · 58.56

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy63.2%

73.7% · 53.3%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 34% (male 197,188; female 196,562)
15-64 years:: 61% (male 364,033; female 353,451)
65 years and over:: 5% (male 30,270; female 31,294) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.97 male(s)/female
all ages:: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

90.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 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) was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage on 5 December 1993 (next election to be held 1998); Prime Minister Paulin OBAME Nguema (since 9 December 1994) was appointed by the president

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Legislature, 120 seatsone dot, one seat

PDG 64PGP 12PUP 4CLR 1FAR 4UPG 1independents 15

Name of country

conventional long form:: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form:: Gabon
local long form:: Republique Gabonaise
local short form:: Gabon

Data code

Type of government

republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 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

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

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;
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

unicameral; note - the provision of the constitution for the establishment of a senate has not been implemented

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held by July 1996, according to the October 1994 Paris Accords; however, President BONGO has indicated that date might slip);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (120 total) PDG 64, National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB) 17, PGP 12, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 2, PUP 4, CLR 1, FAR 4, UPG 1, independents 15

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), Simplice Guedet MANZELA, secretary general;
Circle of Liberal Reformers (CLR), General Jean Boniface ASSELE;
People's Unity Party (PUP), Louis Gaston MAYILA;
Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), Dr. Serge Mba BEKALE;
National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB), Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE;
Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre-Louis AGONDHO-OKAWE, president;
National Recovery Movement (Morena-Origina), note - this party won 2 seats in the 5 December 1993 elections for the National Assembly but is no longer very active;
Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre Louis AGONDJO OKAWE;
African Forum for Reconstruction (FAR), Leon MBOU-YEMBI, secretary general;
Gabonese People's Union (UPG), Pierre MAMBOUNDOU

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA
chancery:: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:: [1] (202) 797-1000

FAX

[1] (202) 332-0668

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Elizabeth RASPOLIC
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 three times | that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$5,200

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: -3% (1991)

Inflation, consumer prices

15%

(1995 est.)

Unemployment rate

10%

-14% (1993 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1993 est.)

agriculture 8.2%industry 44.7%services 47.1% (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)

Economic overview

Notwithstanding its serious ongoing economic problems, Gabon enjoys a per capita income more than three times 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 GDP growth has been feeble since 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% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 15% in 1995. Nevertheless, the government must continue to keep a tight rein on spending and wage increases. The IMF and France are considering offering financial assistance in 1996 if Gabon shows progress in privatization and fiscal discipline.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $6 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

120,000 salaried; by occupation: agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%

Industries

food and beverage;
textile;
lumbering and plywood;
cement;
petroleum extraction and refining;
manganese, uranium, and gold mining;
chemicals;
ship repair

Agriculture

cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil;
rubber;
okoume (a tropical softwood);
cattle;
small fishing operations (provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons)

Exports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: crude oil 80%, timber 14%, manganese 6%, uranium
partners:: US 50%, France 16%, Japan 8%, Spain 6%, Germany NA (1994 est.)

Imports

$800 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery
partners:: France 35%, African countries, US, Japan, Netherlands (1994)

External debt

$3.8 billion (1993 )

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $75 million (1993)

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) 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 · 54 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

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

7,456Railways

649Waterways

1,600

Highways: paved: 560 km · unpaved: 6,896 km (1988 est.) · Railways: (OCTRA) · standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Railways

total:: 649 km Gabon State Railways (OCTRA)
standard gauge:: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Highways

total:: 7,456 km
paved:: 560 km
unpaved:: 6,896 km (1988 est.)

Communications

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

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Fixed lines

22,000

(1991 est.)

Telephone 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)

males age 15-49:: 273,662
males fit for military service:: 139,439
males reach military age (20) annually:: 10,966 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $154 million, 2.4% of GDP (1993)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Gabon.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gabon/1996.

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