Gabon

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

republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)

Gabon as the 2001 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 114 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

Area267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km

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

Populationas each edition published it

1.22 million July 2001 est. · 1.07m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.02% 2001 est. · 1.45% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

49.59 years 2001 est. · 54.19 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.69 children per woman 2001 est. · 4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

94.91 deaths per 1,000 live births 2001 est. · 106 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$6,300 2000 est. · $4,200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

1.2% 2000 est. · 13% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

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.

Geography

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

17 fields

Coastline

885km

contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Irrigated land

40sq km

(1993 est.)

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

1 00 S, 11 45 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km

Land boundaries

total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain

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

Elevation extremes

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 18% forests and woodland: 77% other: 3% (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

Environment - current issues

deforestation; poaching

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

18 fields

Per 1,000 population(2001 est.)

Birth

27.42Death

17.22Net migration

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

4.16%

(1999 est.)

Population

1,221,175 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS;
this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 33.29% (male 203,677; female 202,833) 15-64 years: 60.77% (male 373,828; female 368,282) 65 years and over: 5.94% (male 35,867; female 36,688) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

1.02% (2001 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 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate

94.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49.59 years male: 48.47 years female: 50.75 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.69 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

23,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

2,000 (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 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

Religions

Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%

Languages

French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3% (1995 est.)

Government

Republic

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

66.6%

El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%

Legislature, 91 seatsone dot, one seat

PDG 53RNB 20PGP 4ADERE 3RDP 1CLR 1independents 9

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 in 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

Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)

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;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

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

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 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

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

African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI];
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 [Serge MBA BEKALE];
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 [Pierre EMBONI];
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, 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, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, 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 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

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.

32 fields

Real growth rate

1.2%

(2000 est.)industrial production growth: 2.3% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

21%

(1997 est.)

Labor force

600,000

Electricity

Electricity production

1.02 billion (1999)Electricity consumption

948.6 million (1999)

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, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000.

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.

The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. An expected decline in oil output may lead to contraction in GDP in 2001-02.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.7 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 10% industry: 60% services: 30% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 60%, services and government 25%, industry and commerce 15%

Budget

revenues: $1.5 billion expenditures: $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $302 million (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 29.9% hydro: 70.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$3.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil 75%, timber, manganese, uranium (1998)

Exports - partners

US 47%, France 19%, China 8%, Japan 1.3% (1999)

Imports

$1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

France 64%, US 4%, UK 2%, Netherlands 2%, (1999)

Debt - external

$3.9 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$331 million (1995)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code

XAF

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996);
note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

10 fields

Mobile cellular

9,500

(1997)

Internet users

(2000)

Fixed lines

37,000

(1997) · country code .ga

Telephone system

general assessment: NA 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)