Geography
Area: 267,667 sq. km. (103,347 sq. mi.); about the size of Colorado.
Cities: Capital--Libreville (pop. 673,995). Other cities--Port-Gentil
(118,940), Franceville.
Terrain: Narrow coastal plain; hilly, heavily forested interior (about
80% forested); some savanna regions in east and south.
Climate: Hot and humid all year with two rainy and two dry seasons.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Gabonese (sing. and pl.).
Population (2004 est.): 1.35 million (figs. disputed).
Annual growth rate (2004 est.): 2.5%.
Ethnic groups: Fang (largest), Myene, Bapounou, Eshira, Bandjabi,
Bakota, Nzebi, Bateke/Obamba.
Christian singles note-Religions: Christian (55%-75%), Muslim, animist.
Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira,
Bandjabi.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Attendance--60%.
Literacy--63%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--54/1,000. Life expectancy--56
yrs.
Work force (500,000 est.): Agriculture--52%; industry and
commerce--16%; services and government--33%.
Government
Type: Republic.
Independence: August 17, 1960.
Constitution: February 21, 1961 (revised April 15, 1975; rewritten
March 26, 1991; revised July 29, 2003).
Branches: Executive--president (head of state); prime minister
(head of government) and appointed Council of Ministers (current
government of 40 appointed January 2002). Legislative--bicameral
legislature (National Assembly and Senate). Judicial--Supreme
Court.
Administrative subdivisions: 9 provinces, 36 prefectures, and 8
subprefectures.
Political parties (including number of seats in 120-member Assembly
elected in 2001-02): Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG--88), Rassemblement
National Des Bucherons-Rassemblement pour le Gabon (RNB-RPG--8), Parti
Gabonais Du Progres (PGP--3), Independents and other parties--24.
Suffrage: Universal, direct.
Central government budget (2001 est.): Receipts--$1.6 billion; expenses--$1.2
billion; defense (1999)--3.0% of government budget.
Economy
GDP (2003): $4.8 billion.
Annual real growth rate (2004 est.): 1.1%.
Per capita income (2004 est.): $4,579.
Avg. inflation rate (2004 est): 2.1%.
Natural resources: Petroleum (43% of GDP), timber, manganese, uranium.
Agriculture and forestry (7% of GDP): Products--cocoa, coffee,
rubber, sugar, and pineapples. Cultivated land--1%.
Industry (9% of GDP): Types--petroleum related, wood
processing, food and beverage processing.
Trade (2003): Exports--$2.6 billion: petroleum, wood,
manganese. Major markets--U.S., EU, Asia. Imports--$0.7
billion: construction equipment, machinery, food, automobiles,
manufactured goods. Major suppliers--U.S., France, China.
PEOPLE
Christian singles note-Almost all Gabonese are of Bantu origin. Gabon
has at least 40 ethnic groups, with separate languages and cultures.
The largest is the Fang (about 30%). Other ethnic groups include the
Myene, Bandjabi, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke/Obamba, Nzebi, and Bakota.
Ethnic group boundaries are less sharply drawn in Gabon than elsewhere
in Africa. French, the official language, is a unifying force. More
than 7,000 French people live in Gabon, and France dominates foreign
cultural and commercial influences. Historical and environmental
factors caused Gabon's population to decline between 1900 and 1940. It
is one of the least densely inhabited countries in Africa, and a labor
shortage is a major obstacle to development and a draw for foreign
workers. The population is generally accepted to be just over 1
million but remains in dispute.
