Gabon - Miscellaneous topics

Official name Gabonese Republic, Fr République Gabonaise

Local name Gabon Timezone GMT +1 Area 267 667 km²/103 349 sq mi population total (2002e) 1 300 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1960 Capital Libreville Languages French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, and other Bantu dialects spoken Ethnic groups c.40 Bantu tribes (Fang 30%, Eshira 25%, Bateke and Bapounou 10%) and c.10% expatriate Africans and Europeans Religions Christian (96%) (Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 19%, other 12%), traditional beliefs Physical features Located in W Afric; lies on the equator for 880 km/550 mi W–E; land rises towards the African central plateau, cut by several rivers, notably the Ogooué and N'Gounié; highest point, Mont Ibounoji, 980 m/3215 ft. Climate Typical equatorial climate: hot, wet, and humid; mean annual temperature 27°C; annual average rainfall 1250–2000 mm/50–80 in inland. Currency 1 CFA Franc (XAF) = 100 centimes Economy Small area of land under cultivation, but employing 65% of population; coffee, cocoa, palm oil, rubber; timber extraction; rapid economic growth since independence, largely because of offshore oil, natural gas, and minerals; manganese, uranium, iron ore. GDP (2002e) $8·354 bn, per capita $6500 Human Development Index (2002) 0·637 History Visited by Portuguese, 15th-c; under French control from mid-19th-c; slave ship captured by the French in 1849, the liberated slaves forming the settlement of Libreville; occupied by France, 1885; one of four territories of French Equatorial Africa, 1910; independence, 1960; multi-party elections held, 1990; new constitution, 1991; governed by a President, an appointed Council of Ministers, and a legislative National Assembly. text-align:center;">

Flag	Coat of arms

Anthem: La Concorde
Capital (largest city)	Libreville 0°23′N 9°27′E
Official language(s)	French
Government	Republic
- President	El Hadj Omar Bongo
- Prime Minister	Jean Eyeghe Ndong
Independence
- Water (%)	negligible
Population
- July 2005 estimate	1,384,000 (150th)
- Density	5.2/km² (216th) 13.5/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$9.621 billion (136th)
- Per capita	$7,055 (89th)
HDI  (2003)	0.635 (medium) (123rd)
Currency	CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+1)
Internet TLD	.ga
Calling code	+241

Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a country in west central Africa.

Bwiti Ethnic groups of Gabon List of writers from Gabon Music of Gabon

Miscellaneous topics

Communications in Gabon Foreign relations of Gabon List of Gabon-related topics List of Gabonese companies Military of Gabon Postage stamps and postal history of Gabon Transport in Gabon Fédération Gabonaise du Scoutisme

Government

Le Gabon : official site of the Gabonese Republic Assemblée Nationale du Gabon official site Gabonese Embassy in London government information and links Le Sénat de la République Gabonaise official site (in French)

News

AllAfrica.com - Gabon news headline links

Overviews

BBC News Country Profile - Gabon CIA World Factbook - Gabon

Culture

Gabonese literature at a glance

Ethnic groups

Baka Pygmies of Cameroon and Gabon Culture and music of the first inhabitants of Gabon

Directories

Open Directory Project - Gabon directory category Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Gabon directory category University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Gabon directory category Yahoo! background: transparent;">

Benin • Burkina Faso • Cameroon • Côte d'Ivoire • Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Liberia • Mali • Niger • Nigeria • Republic of the Congo • Senegal • Sierra Leone • Togo

v • d • e Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)

Afghanistan • Albania • Algeria • Azerbaijan • Bahrain • Bangladesh • Benin • Burkina Faso • Brunei • Cameroon • Chad • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt • Gabon • Gambia • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Guyana • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Jordan • Kuwait • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Lebanon • Libya • Maldives • Malaysia • Mali • Mauritania • Morocco • Mozambique • Niger • Nigeria • Oman • Pakistan • Palestine • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Senegal • Sierra Leone • Somalia • Sudan • Surinam • Syria • Tajikistan • Turkey • Tunisia • Togo • Turkmenistan • Uganda • Uzbekistan • United Arab Emirates • Yemen

Observer countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina • Central African Republic • Russia • Thailand • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Observer Muslim organizations and communities: Moro National Liberation Front

Observer international organizations: Economic Cooperation Organization • Organization of African Unity • League of Arab States • Non-Aligned Movement • United Nations

v • d • e Member states of the African Union

Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo • Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt • Eritrea • Ethiopia • Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger • Nigeria • Rwanda • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • Somalia • South Africa • Sudan • Swaziland • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Western Sahara (SADR) • Zambia • Zimbabwe

v • d • e Countries of Africa

Sovereign states: Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea • Ethiopia • France • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea-Bissau • Guinea • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar • Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger • Nigeria • Portugal • Rwanda • Senegal • Seychelles • Sierra Leone • Somalia • South Africa • Spain • Sudan • Swaziland • São Tomé and Príncipe • Tanzania • Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Yemen • Zambia • Zimbabwe

Dependencies: British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) • French Southern Territories (France)  • Mayotte (France)  • Réunion (France)  • Saint Helena (UK)

 Mostly in Europe. 

v • d • e Francophonie Members: Belgium • Benin • Bulgaria • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cambodia • Cameroon • Canada • New Brunswick • Quebec • Ontario • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Cyprus • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Dominica • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • France • French Guiana • Gabon • Ghana • Guadeloupe • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Haiti • Laos • Lebanon • Madagascar • Mali • Martinique • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Niger • Republic of the Congo • Romania • Rwanda • Saint Lucia • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Switzerland • Togo • Tunisia • Ukraine • Vanuatu • Vietnam

Observers: Armenia • Austria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Georgia • Hungary • Lithuania • Mozambique • Poland • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Ukraine

v • d • e Countries on the North Atlantic Ocean

Eurasia-Africa: Benin • Cameroon • Cape Verde • Côte d'Ivoire • Equatorial Guinea • France • Gabon • Gambia • Ghana • Gibraltar • Guernsey • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Ireland • Isle of Man • Jersey • Liberia • Mauritania • Morocco • Nigeria • Portugal • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Sierra Leone • Spain • Togo • United Kingdom • Western Sahara

Americas: Aruba • Bahamas • Belize • Bermuda • Brazil • Colombia • Canada • Cayman Islands • Costa Rica • Cuba • France (French Guiana • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon) • Guyana • Haiti • Honduras • Mexico • Montserrat • Netherlands Antilles • Nicaragua • Panama • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Suriname • Trinidad and Tobago • Turks and Caicos Islands • United States • Venezuela

North-west approaches: Greenland • Iceland

v • d • e Countries and territories on the South Atlantic Ocean

Africa: Angola • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo • Gabon • Namibia • South Africa

South America: Argentina • Brazil • Falkland Islands • Uruguay

On the between: Ascension Island • Saint Helena • Tristan da Cunha

v • d • e Niger-Congo-speaking nations v • d • e Kordofanian

 Sudan

v • d • e Mande

 The Gambia •  Guinea •  Guinea-Bissau •  Mali •  Mauritania •  Senegal •  Sierra Leone

v • d • e Atlantic-Congo

Atlantic

 Benin •  Burkina Faso •  Cameroon •  Central African Republic •  Chad •  Côte d'Ivoire •  The Gambia •  Guinea •  Guinea-Bissau •  Liberia •  Mali •  Mauritania •  Niger •  Senegal •  Sierra Leone •  Sudan •  Togo

Ijoid:  Nigeria - Dogon:  Mali

v • d • e Volta-Congo

Senufo:  Benin •  Côte d'Ivoire •  Mali

Gur:  Benin •  Burkina Faso •  Côte d'Ivoire •  Ghana •  Mali •  Nigeria •  Togo

Adamawa-Ubangi:  Cameroon •  Central African Republic •  Chad •  Nigeria

Kru:  Burkina Faso •  Côte d'Ivoire •  Liberia

Kwa:  Benin •  Côte d'Ivoire •  Ghana •  Nigeria •  Togo

v • d • e Benue-Congo

Bantu

 Angola •  Botswana •  Burundi •  Cameroon •  Democratic Republic of the Congo •  Republic of the Congo •  Equatorial Guinea •  Gabon •  Kenya •  Nigeria •  Malawi •  Mozambique •  Namibia •  Rwanda •  Somalia •  South Africa •  Swaziland •  Tanzania •  Uganda •  Zambia •  Zimbabwe

Yoruba and Igbo:  Nigeria