Until recently, only two autocratic
presidents had ruled Gabon since its independence from France in 1960.
The recent president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the
longest-serving heads of state in the world - had dominated the
country's political scene for 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 exposed the weaknesses of
formal political structures in Gabon. President BONGO died in June
2009. New elections in August 2009 brought Ali Ben BONGO, son of the
former president, to power. 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. In January 2010, Gabon assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN
Security Council for the 2010-11 term.
Geography ::Gabon
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 references:
Africa
Area:
total: 267,667 sq km
land:
257,667 sq km
water:
10,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 2,551 km
border countries:
Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Coastline:
885 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Climate:
Current Weather
tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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
People ::Gabon
Population:
1,545,255
51
note:estimates
for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.2% (male 326,998/female 324,409)
15-64 years:
53.9% (male 415,691/female 417,911)
65 years and over:
3.9% (male 25,234/female 35,012) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.6 years
male:
18.4 years
female:
18.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.025% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Birth rate:
35.39 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
Death rate:
12.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
6
Net migration rate:
-2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
38
Urbanization:
urban population: 85% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
2.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.72 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 50.88 deaths/1,000 live births
male:
59 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
42.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.75 years
06
male:
51.96 years
female:
53.58 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.62 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.9% (2007 est.)
3
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
49,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,300 (2007 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease:
malaria and chikungunya
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis
animal contact disease:
rabies (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Gabonese
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
Religions:
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
Languages:
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
63.2%
male:
73.7%
female:
53.3% (1995 est.)
Education expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2000)
20
Government ::Gabon
Country name:
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form:
Gabon
local long form:
Republique Gabonaise
local short form:
Gabon
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Capital:
name: Libreville
geographic coordinates:
0 23 N, 9 27 E
time difference:
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ali Ben BONGO Ondimba (since 16 October 2009)
head of government:
Prime Minister Paul BIYOGHE MBA (since 15 July 2009)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections:
president
elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits);
election last held on 30 August 2009 (next to be held in 2016); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results:
President
Ali Ben BONGO Ondimba elected; percent of vote - Ali Ben BONGO Ondimba
41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO
3.9%, other 3.3%
note:President
BONGO died on 8 June 2009 after serving as president for 32 years; in
accordance with the constitution he was replaced on an interim basis by
the president of the Senate, Rose Francine ROGOMBE on 10 June 2009; new
elections where held on 30 August 2009 and the son of the former
president, Ali Ben BONGO Ondimba, was elected president
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature
consists of the Senate (102 seats; members elected by members of
municipal councils and departmental assemblies to serve six-year terms)
and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are
elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
Senate
- last held on 18 January 2009 (next to be held in January 2015);
National Assembly - last held on 17 and 24 December 2006 (next to be
held in December 2011)
election results:
Senate
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 75, RPG 6, UGDD
3, CLR 2, PGCI 2, PSD 2, UPG 2, ADERE 1, independents 9; National
Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 82, RPG
8, UPG 8, UGDD 4, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PGP-Ndaot 2, PSD 2, independents 4,
others 5
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:
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 [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA] (former sole party);
Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Benoit Mouity NZAMBA]; Gabonese
Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD [Zacherie MYBOTO]; National
Rally of Woodcutters or RNB; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for
Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; Party of
Development and Social Solidarity or PDS [Seraphin Ndoat REMBOGO];
People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and
Social Integration or UDIS; Union of Gabonese Patriots or UPG [Pierre
MAMBOUNDOU]
chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Victor BOUNGOU
chancery:
Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 797-1000
FAX:
[1] (202) 332-0668
consulate(s):
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eunice S. REDDICK
embassy:
Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
mailing address:
Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch:2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270
telephone:
[241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 07380171
FAX:
[241] 74 55 07
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
Economy ::Gabon
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 depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore
in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for more than 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. 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 from
1999 to 2008 helped growth, but drops in production have hampered Gabon
from fully realizing potential gains. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By
Arrangement with the IMF in May 2007, and received Paris Club debt
rescheduling later that year.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$20.99 billion (2009 est.)
20
$21.2 billion (2008 est.)
$20.97 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$11.06 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1% (2009 est.)
28
1.1% (2008 est.)
5.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,900 (2009 est.)
$14,300 (2008 est.)
$14,400 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 98%
industry:
1.3%
services:
0.7% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
626,000 (2009 est.)
54
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 60%
industry:
15%
services:
25% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
21% (2006 est.)
0
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%:
32.7%
Investment (gross fixed):
27% of GDP (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
Budget:
revenues: $2.65 billion
expenditures:
$2.544 billion (2009 est.)
Public debt:
29.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
21.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
5.3% (2008 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.75% (31 December 2008)
5.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
15% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$1.643 billion (31 December 2008)
$1.547 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$777.8 million (31 December 2008)
26
$799.3 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$359.8 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
Industries:
petroleum extraction and
refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages,
textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
-2% (2009 est.)
Electricity - production:
1.774 billion kWh (2007 est.)
35
Electricity - consumption:
1.446 billion kWh (2007 est.)
41
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
239,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41
Oil - consumption:
14,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
39
Oil - exports:
227,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Oil - imports:
4,185 bbl/day (2007 est.)
65
Oil - proved reserves:
1.575 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Natural gas - production:
90 million cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
90 million cu m (2008 est.)
04
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
8
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
9
Natural gas - proved reserves:
28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Current account balance:
$321 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
$2.501 billion (2008 est.)
Exports:
$5.876 billion (2009 est.)
$9.26 billion (2008 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil 70%, timber, manganese, uranium
Exports - partners:
US 28.2%, China 21.2%, Japan 11.3%, France 6.2%, Spain 4.5%, Trinidad and Tobago 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$2.347 billion (2009 est.)
48
$2.678 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
Imports - partners:
France 32.2%, US 11.1%, China 5.4%, Belgium 4.7%, Cameroon 4.4%, Netherlands 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.995 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
16
$1.925 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.065 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
22
$2.986 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
Cooperation Financiere en
Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.35 (2009), 447.81
(2008), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005)
note:since
1 January 1999, the Central African CFA franc (XAF) has been pegged to
the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; Central African CFA
franc (XAF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using West
African CFA francs (XOF), and vice versa, even though the two
currencies trade at par
Communications ::Gabon
Telephones - main lines in use:
26,500 (2008)
82
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.3 million (2008)
39
Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate
system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter,
radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system
with 12 earth stations
domestic:
a
growing mobile-cellular network with multiple providers is making
telephone service more widely available; subscribership reached nearly
90 per 100 persons in 2008
international:
country
code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine
cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 7 (plus 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (plus 4 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
.ga
Internet hosts:
91 (2009)
99
Internet users:
90,000 (2008)
58
Transportation ::Gabon
Airports:
44 (2009)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
over 3,047 m:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
9
914 to 1,523 m:
1
under 914 m:
1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m:
6
914 to 1,523 m:
11
under 914 m:
14 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 240 km; oil 858 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 814 km
00
standard gauge:
814 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 9,170 km
36
paved:
937 km
unpaved:
8,233 km (2004)
Waterways:
1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2008)
43
Ports and terminals:
Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Port-Gentil
Military ::Gabon
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
Military service age and obligation:
20 years of age for voluntary military service; there is no conscription (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 344,147
females age 16-49:
345,292 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 198,970
females age 16-49:
192,807 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 17,283
female:
17,276 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.9% of GDP (2009)
45
Transnational Issues ::Gabon
Disputes - international:
UN urges Equatorial Guinea and
Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane
Island and lesser islands and to establish a maritime boundary in
hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 7,178 (Republic of Congo) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Gabon
is predominantly a destination country for children trafficked from
other African countries for the purpose of forced labor; girls are
primarily trafficked for domestic servitude, forced market vending,
forced restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation, while boys are
trafficked for forced street hawking and forced labor in small workshops
tier rating:
Tier
2 Watch List - Gabon is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to
provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in
2007, particularly in terms of efforts to convict and punish trafficking
offenders; the government has not reported the convictions or sentences
of any trafficking offenders; the government did not take steps to
reduce demand for commercial sex acts (2008)
