Gabon

Gabonese RepublicRepublique Gabonaise

republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)

Gabon as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 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 Equator,

Populationas each edition published it

1.21 million July 1998 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.48% 1998 est. · 1.45% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

56.51 years 1998 est. · 54.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.81 children per woman 1998 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

85.43 deaths per 1,000 live births 1998 est. · 106 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$5,000 1996 est. · $4,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1996 est. · 13% in 1993

Geography

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 267,670 sq km

permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 18%forests and woodland 77%other 3% (1993 est.)arable land 1% in all · irrigated 40 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

267,670sq km

land: 257,670 sq kmwater: 10,000 sq kmslightly smaller than Colorado

Coastline

885km

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

Highest point

1,575m

Mont Iboundjilowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

2,551km

border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Location

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

Terrain

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

Natural resources

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

Environment-international agreements

party to:: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements

People

15 fields

Population

1,207,844

(July 1998 est.)growth rate: 1.48% (1998 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1998 est.)

Birth

28Death

13.23Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1998 est.)56.51

53.55 · 59.56

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)63.2%

73.7% · 53.3%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Age structure

0-14 years:: 33% (male 202,364; female 202,249)
15-64 years:: 61% (male 372,157; female 364,806)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 32,718; female 33,550) (July 1998 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.97 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate

85.43 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Nationality

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

Ethnic groups

Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 6,000 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

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)

20 fields

Legislature, 91 seatsone dot, one seat

PDG 51RNB 17PGP 4ADERA 3RDP 1others 15

Country name

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

Government 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

Independence Day, 17 August (1960) (Gabon granted full independence from France)

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)
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
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held NA 1998);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: President Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote-Omar BONGO 51%

Legislative branch

bicameral legislature consists of a Senate (91 seats) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats);
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms

elections:: National Assembly-last held in December 1996 (next to be held in December 2001); Senate-last held 12 January 1997 (next to be held in January 2002)
election results:: National Assembly-percent of vote by party-NA;
seats by party - PDG 100, Morena-Bucherons/RNB 8, PUP 3, CLR 3, FAR 1, UPG 1, USG 2, PGP 2;
Senate-percent of vote by party-NA;
seats by party-PDG 51, RNB 17, PGP 4, ADERA 3, RDP 1, others 15

note: the provision of the constitution for the establishment of a senate was implemented in the 12 January 1997 elections

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

Political parties and leaders

Action Forum for Renewal or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI, secretary general];
Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE];
Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Guedet MANZELA, secretary general];
Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE, president];
Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU];
Gabonese Socialist Union or USG [Dr. Serge Mba BEKALE];
National Recovery Movement-Lumberjacks or Morena-Bucherons/RNB [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE];
People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA];
ADERA;
Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Akexandre SAMBAT, president]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the 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; consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

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 description

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

Economy

Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of | most nations of sub-Saharan Africa.

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GDP, purchasing power parity

-$6billion

purchasing power parity · (1996 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

-$5,000

purchasing power parity · (1996 est.)

Real growth rate

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 2.3% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

6.2%

(1996 est.)

GDP-composition by sector(1996)

agriculture 7.1%industry 54.6%services 38.3% (1996)

Budget

Revenues

$1.5 billionExpenditures

$1.3 billion (1996 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $302 million

Fixed lines

22,000

(1991 est.)

Economy-overview

Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty 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, manganese, and uranium exports. Despite the 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 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95 and a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995.

Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon chastened the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform (such as reduced public sector employment and salary growth).

Labor force

NA; by occupation: agriculture 65%, industry and commerce, services

Unemployment rate

10%-14% (1993 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity-capacity

310,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-production

925 million kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

800 kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products

cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil;
rubber;
okoume (a tropical softwood);
cattle;
small fishing operations (provide a catch of about 30,000 metric tons)

Exports

total value:: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:: crude oil 81%, timber 12%, manganese 5%, uranium (1996)
partners:: US 50%, France 16%, Japan 8%, China, Spain, Germany (1996)

Imports

total value:: $969 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:: machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials
partners:: France 39%, Cote d'Ivoire 13%, US 6%, Netherlands 5%, Japan

Debt-external

$3.9 billion (1996)

Economic aid

$NA

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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

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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

250,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

3 (repeaters 5)

Televisions

40,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 54 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 18

Networkskm

Highways

7,670Railways

649Waterways

1,600

Highways: paved: 629 km (including 30 km of expressways) · unpaved: 7,041 km (1996 est.) · Railways: (OCTRA) · standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)