Statistical information Gabon 1993

Gabon in the World
Gabon - Introduction 1993
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator between the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 267,670 km²
Land: 257,670 km²
Land boundaries:
total 2,551 km, Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km,
Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Coastline: 885 km
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
ElevationNatural resources: petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore
Land usePermanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 18%
Forest and woodland: 78%
Other: 2%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 1,122,550 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.45% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Gabonese
Ethnic groups: Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), Africans and Europeans 100,000, including 27,000 French
Languages:
French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira,
Bandjabi
Religions: Christian 55-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.45% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 28.63 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 14.08 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: deforestation
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 97.3 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 54.19 years
Male: 51.46 years
Female: 57.01 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.02 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 61%
Male: 74%
Female: 48%
By occupation:agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%
58% of population of working age (1983)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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)
Capital: Libreville
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue,
Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime,
Woleu-Ntem
Dependent areasIndependence: 17 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Renovation Day, 12 March (1968) (Gabonese Democratic
Party established)
Constitution: 21 February 1961, revised 15 April 1975
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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branchLegislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS (associate), NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: (vacant)
In the us chancery: 2,034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: (202) 797-1000
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John C. WILSON IV
From the us embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville
From the us mailing address: B. P. 4,000, Libreville
From the us telephone: (241) 762,003/4, or 743,492
From the us fax: 241 745-507
Flag description
: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The economy, dependent on timber and manganese until the early 1970s, is now dominated by the oil sector. In 1981-85, oil accounted for about 45% of GDP, 80% of export earnings, and 65% of government revenues on average. The high oil prices of the early 1980s contributed to a substantial increase in per capita national income, stimulated domestic demand, reinforced migration from rural to urban areas, and raised the level of real wages to among the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. The subsequent slide of Gabon's economy, which began with falling oil prices in 1985, was reversed in 1989-90, but debt servicing obligations continue to limit prospects for further domestic development. Real growth in 1991-92 was weak because of a combination of an overstaffed bureaucracy, a large budget deficit, and the continued underdevelopment of the whole economy outside the petroleum sector.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 13% (1990 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $4,200 (1991 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry; cash crops - cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not developed; importer of food; small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important timber product
Industries: petroleum, food and beverages, lumbering and plywood, textiles, mining - manganese, uranium, gold, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
growth rate - 10% (1988 est.); accounts for 45% of
GDP, including petroleum
Labor forceUnemployment rateYouth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $247 million (1990 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: crude oil 80%, manganese 7%, wood 7%, uranium 2%
Partners: France 48%, US 15%, Germany 2%, Japan 2%
Imports: $702 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery
Partners: France 64%, African countries 7%, US 5%, Japan 3%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January 1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 315,000 kW capacity; 995 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1991)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaGabon - Communication 1993
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $102 million, 3.2% of GDP (1990 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsGabon - Transportation 1993
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 68
Usable: 56
With permanentsurface runways: 10
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 22
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,563
Ports and terminalsGabon - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs