world
factbook
Gabon
Following, independence from France in 1960, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-ruling heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential election in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, 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 stable African countries. President Ali BONGO Ondimba’s controversial August 2016 reelection sparked unprecedented opposition protests that resulted in the burning of the parliament building. The election was contested by the opposition after fraudulent results were flagged by international election observers. Gabon’s Constitutional Court reviewed the election results but ruled in favor of President BONGO, upholding his win and extending his mandate to 2023.

geography

location

Africa
1.0° S, 11. 45° E
Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

area

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

land boundaries

3,261 km

coastline

885 km

climate

tropical; always hot, humid

terrain

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

elevation

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

natural resources

  • petroleum
  • natural gas
  • diamond
  • niobium
  • manganese
  • uranium
  • gold
  • timber
  • iron ore
  • hydropower

land use

arable land
1.2 %
permanent crops
0.6 %
permanent pasture
17.2 %
forest
81 %
other
0 %

population distribution

the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest

people

population

  • 2,230,908
  • 145
    global rank

nationality

  • Gabonese (singular and plural)
    noun
  • Gabonese
    adjective

ethnic groups

Gabonese-born
80.1 %
Cameroonian
4.6 %
Malian
2.4 %
Beninese
2.1 %
acquired Gabonese nationality
1.6 %
Togolese
1.6 %
Senegalese
1.1 %
Congolese
1 %
other , Equatorial Guinean, Nigerian
2,012 %

languages

  • French
    official
  • Fang
  • Myene
  • Nzebi
  • Bapounou/Eschira
  • Bandjabi

religions

Roman Catholic
42.3 %
Protestant
12.3 %
other Christian
27.4 %
Muslim
9.8 %
animist
0.6 %
other
0.5 %
none/no answer
7.1 %

birth rate

  • 26.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 45
    global rank

death rate

  • 5.9
    per 1,000 population
  • 172
    global rank

urban population

90.1 %

major urban areas

  • Libreville
    pop. 834,000

life expectancy

  • 69
    total population
  • 172
    global rank
67.3
male
70.8
female

adult obesity rate

  • 15%
    percent of adults
  • 127
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Gabonese Republic
    long form
  • Gabon
    short form

    local

  • Republique Gabonaise
    long form
  • Gabon
    short form

government type

presidential republic

capital

Libreville
0.23 N, 9.27 E

independence

national holidays

  • Independence Day
    17 August

legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

age of suffrage

18

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

national colors

  • green
  • yellow
  • blue

national anthem

"La Concorde" (The Concorde)

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 relied on timber and manganese exports until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. From 2010 to 2016, oil accounted for approximately 80% of Gabon’s exports, 45% of its GDP, and 60% of its state budget revenues. Gabon faces fluctuating international prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. A rebound of oil prices from 2001 to 2013 helped growth, but declining production, as some fields passed their peak production, has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. GDP grew nearly 6% per year over the 2010-14 period, but slowed significantly from 2014 to just 1% in 2017 as oil prices declined. Low oil prices also weakened government revenue and negatively affected the trade and current account balances. In the wake of lower revenue, Gabon signed a 3-year agreement with the IMF in June 2017. Despite an abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management and over-reliance on oil has stifled the economy. Power cuts and water shortages are frequent. Gabon is reliant on imports and the government heavily subsidizes commodities, including food, but will be hard pressed to tamp down public frustration with unemployment and corruption.

GDP

36,660,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • cocoa
  • coffee
  • sugar
  • palm oil
  • rubber
  • cattle
  • okoume
  • fish

poverty level

34.3%
2015

budget

  • 2,634,000,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 2,914,000,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 21,818
    total subscriptions
  • 175
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 2,930,554
    total subscriptions
  • 143
    global rank

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

internet

.ga
country code

    users

  • 1,313,802
    total
  • 62
    % of population
  • 133
    global rank

energy

electricity access

91.4%
2017

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 5
    registered air carriers
  • 137,331
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 44
    total
  • 14
    paved

railways

649 km
total length

roadways

14,300 km
total length

waterways

1,600 km
total length

military

expenditures

expenditures here

service age

20