World Facts

conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
Capital: Libreville
Type of Government: republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)-
Administrative Divisions: 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 42.1% (male 293,668/female 291,816)
Agriculture: cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
Airports: 56 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 11
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 267,667 sq km. slightly smaller than Colorado
Background: Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated Gabon's political scene for almost four decades. 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 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.
Birth rate: 36.24 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.463 billion
Coastline: 885 km-
Climate: tropical; always hot, humid
Communications:
Constitution: adopted 14 March 1991
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
Current account balance: $1.11 billion (2005 est.)
Death rate: 11.72 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $3.857 billion (2005 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
Disputes - international: UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only a few hundred out of the 20,000 Republic of the Congo refugees who fled militia fighting in 2000 remain in Gabon-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: $331 million (1995)
Economy - overview: Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan African nations. 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, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in 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, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandated 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 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Gabon signed a 14 month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Environment - current issues: deforestation; poaching-
Environment - International Agreements:
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
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 521.74 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2 December 1967)
Exports: $5.813 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: US 52.9%, China 8.5%, France 7.3% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
GDP (official exchange rate): $7.332 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.031 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 2.1% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 S, 11 45 E
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-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 8.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 3,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 48,000 (2003 est.)-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $1.533 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: France 43.8%, US 6.3%, UK 5.9%, Netherlands 4% (2004)
Independence: 17 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate: 1.6% (2002 est.)
Industries: petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement
Infant mortality rate: total: 53.64 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet country code: .ga
Internet hosts: 93 (2004)
Internet users: 35,000 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed): 24.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 150 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Labor force: 640,000 (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: total: 2,551 km
Land use: arable land: 1.26%
Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.02 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 276,310 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 156,632 (2005 est.)-
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Map references: Africa
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 18.57 years-
Merchant marine: -
Military - note:
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $184.8 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2% (2004)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
National holiday: Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)
Nationality: noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
Natural gas - consumption: 80 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: 80 million cu m (2001 est.)-
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Natural hazards: NA
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 12,250 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 268,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
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, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS [leader NA]; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
Population: 1,389,201
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 2.45% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil-
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $525 million (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 32,333 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
Telephones - main lines in use: 38,400 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 300,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)
Terrain: narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Total fertility rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 21% (1997 est.)
Waterways: 1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2003)