Gabon

Gabon

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name République Gabonaise/Gabonese Republic Area 267,667 sq km/103,346 sq mi Capital Libreville Language French (official), Fang (in the north), Bantu languages, and other local dialects Religion Christian 60% (mostly Roman Catholic), animist about 4%, Muslim 1% Time difference GMT +1 Major holidays 1 January, 12 March, 1 May, 17 August, 1 November, 25 December; variable: Eid-ul-Adha, Easter Monday, end of Ramadan, Whit Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Port-Gentil, Franceville (or Masuku), Lambaréné, Mouanda, Oyem, Mouila Major ports Port-Gentil and Owendo Physical features virtually the whole country is tropical rainforest; narrow coastal plain rising to hilly interior with savannah in east and south; Ogooué River flows north–west Airports three international airports, 65 other public airfields, and 50 private airfields; total passengers carried: 386,000 (2003 est) Railways total length: 814 km/505 mi; total passenger journeys: 276,000 (2001) Roads total road network: 32,333 km/20,090 mi, of which 3.7% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 23 per 1,000 people (2000 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Omar Bongo Odimba from 1967 Head of government Jean Eyeghe Ndong from 2006 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions nine provinces Political parties Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), nationalist; Gabone Progress Party (PGP), left of centre; National Lumberjacks Rally (RNB), left of centre Death penalty retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes but can be considered abolitionist in practice Armed forces 4,700; plus paramilitary forces of 2,000 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 1.5 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.6 (2001 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.9 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency franc CFA GDP (US$) 8.1 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 2.2 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 6.9 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 5,890 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 1.8% (2006 est) Unemployment 21% (2000) Labour force 60% agriculture, 10% industry, 30% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 3.9 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners France, USA, China, the Netherlands, Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago Resources petroleum, natural gas, manganese (one of world's foremost producers and exporters), iron ore, uranium, gold, niobium, talc, phosphates Industries mining, food processing (particularly sugar), petroleum refining, processing of other minerals, timber preparation, chemicals Exports petroleum and petroleum products, manganese, timber and wood products, uranium. Principal market: USA 53.3% (2005) Imports machinery and apparatus, transport equipment, food products, consumer goods, metals and metal products. Principal source: France 40.6% (2005) Arable land 1.2% (2006 est) Agricultural products cassava, sugar cane, cocoa, coffee, plantains, maize, groundnuts, bananas, palm oil; forestry (forests cover approximately 75% of the land)


POPULATION

Population 1,406,100 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.6% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 5 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 85 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 40%, 15–59 54%, 60+ 6% (2005 est) Ethnic groups 40 Bantu peoples in four main groupings: the Fang, Eshira, Mbede, and Okande; there are also Pygmies and about 10% Europeans (mainly French) Life expectancy 53 (men); 54 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 91 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 11 Literacy rate 80% (men); 62% (women) (2000 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 2.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 3.2 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 7.9 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 4,700 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 95 (urban); 47 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 2.8 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 47 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 501 (2000 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 163 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 3.3 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 4.8 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

12th century Immigration of Bantu speakers into an area previously peopled by Pygmies. 1472 Gabon Estuary first visited by Portuguese navigators, who named it Gabao (‘hooded cloak’), after the shape of the coastal area. 17th–18th centuries Fang, from Cameroon in the north, and Omiene peoples colonized the area, attracted by the presence in coastal areas of European traders, who developed the ivory and slave trades, which lasted until the mid-19th century. 1839–42 Mpongwe coastal chiefs agreed to transfer sovereignty to France; Catholic and Protestant missionaries attracted to the area. 1849 Libreville (‘Free Town’) formed by slaves from a slave ship liberated by the French. 1889 Became part of French Congo, with Congo. 1910 Became part of French Equatorial Africa, which also comprised Congo, Chad, and Central African Republic. 1890s–1920s Human and natural resources exploited by private concessionary companies. 1940–44 Supported ‘Free French’ anti-Nazi cause during World War II. 1946 Became overseas territory within the French Community, with its own assembly. 1960 Independence achieved; Léon M'ba, a Fang of the pro-French Gabonese Democratic Block (BDG), became first president. 1967 M'ba died; succeeded by his protégé Albert Bernard Bongo, drawn from Teke community. 1968 One-party state established; BDG dissolved and replaced by Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). 1973 Bongo converted to Islam and changed first name to Omar; continued to follow pro-Western policy course and exploit rich mineral resources to increase prosperity. 1989 Coup attempt against Bongo defeated; economy deteriorated. 1990 PDG won first multiparty elections since 1964; French troops deployed to maintain order following antigovernment riots. 2003 Constitution amended to allow president to be re-elected indefinitely. 2005 Bongo re-elected. 2006 PDG retained parliamentary majority in elections; opposition claims of fraud.


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