Map of Gabon | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Colorado

Land boundaries

Coastline: 885 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; always hot humid

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

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum manganese uranium gold timber iron ore hydropower

Land use

Irrigated land: 40 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography


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Population: 1,208,436
Growth rate: 1.08% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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

Languages: French (official) Fang Myene Bateke Bapounou/Eschira Bandjabi

Religions: Christian 55%-75% Muslim less than 1% animist

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.08% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 27.6 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 16.83 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; poaching

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 96.3 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 3.73 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 17 August (1960) (Gabon granted full independence from France)

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; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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

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 [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]

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 NAM OAU OIC OPCW UDEAC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top) yellow and blue

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. The rebound of oil prices in 1999 helped growth but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. With support from higher oil prices growth will move up in 2000-01.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 1.7% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cocoa coffee sugar palm oil rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.3% (1995)

Labor force: 600,000
By occupation agriculture: 60%
By occupation services and government: 25%
By occupation industry and commerce: 15%

Unemployment rate: 21% (1997 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: crude oil 75% timber manganese uranium (1998)
Partners: US 68% China 9% France 8% Japan 3% (1998)

Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment foodstuffs chemicals petroleum products construction materials
Partners: France 39% US 6% Cameroon 5% Netherlands 5% Cote d'Ivoire Japan (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.6 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000) 615.70 (1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996) 499.15 (1995)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 1.025 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 953 million kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: 4,000 (1995)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $91 million (FY96)
Percent of gdp: 1.6% (FY96)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 61 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 1600 km perennially navigable

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs