Gabon

Gabonese RepublicRepublique Gabonaise

republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)

Gabon as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 104 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

1.23 million July 1999 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.48% 1999 est. · 1.45% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

56.98 years 1999 est. · 54.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.77 children per woman 1999 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

83.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 106 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,400 1998 est. · $4,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.7% 1998 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

1,225,853

(July 1999 est.)growth rate: 1.48% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth

27.89Death

13.07Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)56.98

53.98 · 60.08

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 205,076; female 205,198)
15-64 years:: 61% (male 376,181; female 370,479)
65 years and over:: 6% (male 34,078; female 34,841) (1999 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:: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

83.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 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 Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999)

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

66%

-El Hadj Omar BONGO 66%Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 17%Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13%election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005)

Legislature, 91 seatsone dot, one seat

-PDG 51RNB 17PGP 4ADERE 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 Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999)
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;
election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results:: President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote--El Hadj Omar BONGO 66%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 17%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13%

Legislative branch

bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats) and the 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 NA 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, ADERE 3, RDP 1, others 15

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

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MINURCA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, 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
consulate(s):: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador James V. LEDESMA
embassy:: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville
mailing address:: B. P. 4000, Libreville

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.

31 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$6,400

purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)

Real growth rate

1.7%

(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 2.3% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1998 est.)

Unemployment rate

21%

(1997 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 8%industry 67%services 25% (1997 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.5 billionExpenditures

$1.3 billion (1996 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $302 million

Electricity

fossil fuel 22.04%hydro 77.96%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

930 million (1996)Electricity consumption

930 million (1996)

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; yet 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, 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 criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. Growth in 1999 will depend mainly on how world oil prices move.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$7.7 billion (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force

Labor force--by occupation

agriculture 65%, industry and commerce, services

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber;
cattle;
okoume (a tropical softwood);
fish

Exports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Exports--commodities

crude oil 81%, timber 12%, manganese 5%, uranium (1996)

Exports--partners

US 67%, China 9%, France 8%, Japan 3% (1997)

Imports

$890 million (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports--commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials

Imports--partners

France 38%, US 8%, Cameroon 5%, Netherlands 4%, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan (1997)

Debt--external

$4.1 billion (1997)

Economic aid--recipient

$331 million (1995)

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--577.61 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

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)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

250,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

4 (in addition, there are five low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

40,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 2 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

bulk 1cargo 1

Airports by runway lengthunpaved only

under 914 m

total: 52 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 16

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)