Gabon
Gabonese RepublicRepublique Gabonaise
republicIndependence 17 August 1960 (from France)
Gabon as the 2013 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 161 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009) following independence from France in 1960. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon.
Following President BONGO's death in 2009, new elections brought Ali BONGO Ondimba, son of the former president, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.
Geography
Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
20 fieldsLand useshare of 267,667 sq km
Location
Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 0.14 cu km/yr (61%/10%/29%)
- per capita:
- 97.68 cu m/yr (2005)
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
- a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries;
- in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
People and Society
35 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2013 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2013 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups
- Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba);
- other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.96 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.73 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne disease:
- malaria and dengue fever
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies (2013)
Government
Republic; President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA (since 16 October 2009); Prime Minister Raymond NDONG SIMA (since 27 February 2012)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Senate, 120 seats, elected 18 January 2009one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Gabonese Republic
- conventional short form:
- Gabon
- local long form:
- Republique Gabonaise
- local short form:
- Gabon
Capital
- name:
- Libreville
- geographic coordinates:
- 0 23 N, 9 27 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Constitution
- previous 1961;
- latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991;
- amended several times, last in 2003 (2011)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA (since 16 October 2009)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Raymond NDONG SIMA (since 27 February 2012)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits);
- election last held on 30 August 2009 (next to be held in 2016);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA elected; percent of vote - Ali BONGO ONDIMBA 41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO 3.9%, other 3.3%
note: President BONGO died on 8 June 2009 after serving as president for 32 years; in accordance with the constitution he was replaced on an interim basis by the president of the Senate, Rose Francine ROGOMBE on 10 June 2009;
new elections were held on 30 August 2009 and the son of the former president, Ali BONGO Ondimba, was elected president
Legislative branch
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (102 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- Senate - last held on 18 January 2009 (next to be held in January 2015); National Assembly - last held on 17 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2016)
- election results:
- Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PDG 75, RPG 6, UGDD 3, CLR 2, PGCI 2, PSD 2, UPG 2, ADERE 1, independents 9;
- National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
- seats by party - PDG 114, RPG 3, others 3
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court (organized into Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts chambers and consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Supreme Court judges appointment and tenure NA;
- Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly;
- judges serve 7-year, single renewable terms
- subordinate courts:
- Courts of Appeal;
- Court of State Security;
- county courts;
- military courts
Political parties and leaders
- Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]
- Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]
- Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]
- Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Omar BONGO]
- Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Benoit Mouity NZAMBA]
- Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD [Zacharie MYBOTO]
- Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI
- National Rally of Woodcutters or RNB
- National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]
- Party of Development and Social Solidarity or PDS [Seraphin Ndoat REMBOGO]
- Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]
- Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS
- Union for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA]
- Union of Gabonese Patriots or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Michael MOUSSA-ADAMO (since 2 September 2011)
- 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 (vacant);
- Charge d'Affaires Dante PARADISO;
- note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe
- embassy:
- Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
- mailing address:
- Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch:2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270
- telephone:
- [241] 01-45-71-00, after hours - 07380171
- FAX:
- [241] 74 55 07
Flag description
- three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue;
- green represents the country's forests and natural resources, gold represents the equator (which transects Gabon) as well as the sun, blue represents the sea
Economy
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor.
38 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, 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 economy was reliant on oil for about 50% of its GDP, about 70% of revenues, and 87% of goods exports for 2010, although some fields have passed their peak production.
A rebound of oil prices from 1999 to 2008 helped growth, but declining production has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2007, and later that year issued a $1 billion sovereign bond to buy back a sizable portion of its Paris Club debt.
Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management has stifled the economy. However, President BONGO ONDIMBA has made efforts to increase transparency and is taking steps to make Gabon a more attractive investment destination to diversify the economy.
BONGO ONDIMBA has attempted to boost growth by increasing government investment in human resources and infrastructure. GDP grew more than 6% per year over the 2010-12 period.
Gross national saving
47.1% of GDP (2012 est.) · 44.9% of GDP (2011 est.) · 51.9% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 6
Agriculture - products
- cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber;
- cattle;
- okoume (a tropical softwood);
- fish
Industries
- petroleum extraction and refining;
- manganese, gold;
- chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
Central bank discount rate
3% (31 December 2010 est.) · 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Commercial bank prime lending rate
15% (31 December 2012 est.) · 15% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 43
Stock of narrow money
$2.552 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $2.47 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Stock of broad money
$3.918 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $3.534 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Stock of domestic credit
$1.672 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $1.817 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 135
Current account balance
$2.687 billion (2012 est.) · $3.053 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 35
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.373 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $2.177 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Debt - external
$3.196 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $2.879 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 133
Exchange rates
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 510.53 (2012 est.) · 471.87 (2011 est.) · 495.28 (2010 est.) · 472.19 (2009) · 447.81 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 415,000 kW(2010 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 70
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
4.758 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
- domestic:
- a growing mobile-cellular network with multiple providers is making telephone service more widely available with mobile-cellular teledensity exceeding 100 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 241;
- landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia;
- satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)
Broadcast media
- state owns and operates 2 TV stations and 2 radio broadcast stations;
- a few private radio and TV stations;
- transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible;
- satellite service subscriptions are available (2007)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Merchant marine
registered in other countries: 2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2010) country comparison to the world: 145
Ports and terminals
- major seaport(s):
- Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil
- oil/gas terminal(s):
- Gamba, Lucina
Military
Gabonese Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Gabonaise): Land Force (Force Terrestre), Gabonese Navy (Marine Gabonaise), Gabonese Air Forces (Forces Aerienne Gabonaises, FAG) (2012)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
Gabonese Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Gabonaise): Land Force (Force Terrestre), Gabonese Navy (Marine Gabonaise), Gabonese Air Forces (Forces Aerienne Gabonaises, FAG) (2012)
Military service age and obligation
20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and lesser islands and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Gabon.” The World Factbook 2013. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/gabon/2013.