Gabon

Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous black African countries.

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

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

0-14 years:

33% (male 201,737; female 200,764)

15-64 years:

61% (male 371,359; female 364,982)

65 years and over:

6% (male 34,478; female 35,116) (2000 est.)

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 (2000 est.)

noun:

Gabonese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Gabonese

conventional long form:

Gabonese Republic

conventional short form:

Gabon

local long form:

Republique Gabonaise

local short form:

Gabon

• 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)

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 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%

• 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 15 and 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2001);
• Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2002)

election results:

• National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - PDG 89, PGP 9, RNB 6, CLR 3, UPG 2, USG 2, independents 4, others 5;
• Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
• seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9

• Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts;
• Constitutional Court;
• Courts of Appeal;
• Court of State Security;
• County Courts

• African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR [leader NA];
• Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE];
• Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB];
• Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet 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 [leader NA];
• National Rally of Woodcutters (Bucherons) or RNB [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE];
• People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA];
• Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [leader NA];
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador James V. LEDESMA

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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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

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

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)

total:

649 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA)

standard gauge:

649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

total:

7,670 km

paved:

629 km (including 30 km of expressways)

unpaved:

7,041 km (1996 est.)

total:

1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,419 GRT/3,205 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 1 (1999 est.)