2000 Edition

Background

Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous black African countries.

Area

land

257,667 sq km

total

267,667 sq km

water

10,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Colorado

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline

885 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

1 00 S, 11 45 E

Irrigated land

40 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

total

2,551 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forests and woodland

77%

other

3% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

18%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

NA

Natural resources

petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Age structure

0-14 years: 33% (male 201,737; female 200,764) 15-64 years: 61% (male 371,359; female 364,982) 65 years and over: 6% (male 34,478; female 35,116) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

27.6 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

16.83 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 6,000 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

Infant mortality rate

96.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.26 years (2000 est.)

male

48.94 years

total population

50.08 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

53.3% (1995 est.)

male

73.7%

total population

63.2%

Nationality

adjective

Gabonese

noun

Gabonese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

1,208,436

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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.08% (2000 est.)

Religions

Christian 55%-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.73 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Capital

Libreville

Constitution

adopted 14 March 1991

Country name

conventional long form

Gabonese Republic

conventional short form

Gabon

local long form

Republique Gabonaise

local short form

Gabon

Data code

GB

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador James V. LEDESMA

embassy

Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville

mailing address

B. P. 4000, Libreville

telephone

76 20 03 through 76 20 04, 74 34 92

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA

telephone

(202) 797-1000

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

chief of state

President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967)

election results

President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999)

FAX

(202) 332-0668

74 55 07

consulate(s)

New York

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

Government type

republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)

Independence

17 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

Legislative branch

bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms

election results

National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 89, PGP 9, RNB 6, CLR 3, UPG 2, USG 2, independents 4, others 5; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9

elections

National Assembly - last held 15 and 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA December 2001); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2002)

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 August (1960) (Gabon granted full independence from France)

Political parties and leaders

African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR ; Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE ; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party ; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP ; Gabonese People's Union or UPG ; Gabonese Socialist Union or USG ; National Rally of Woodcutters (Bucherons) or RNB ; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP ; Social Democratic Party or PSD

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish

Budget

expenditures

$1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $302 million (1996 est.)

revenues

$1.5 billion

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$4.6 billion (1999 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$331 million (1995)

Economy - overview

Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. 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, manganese, and uranium exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 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 and a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995. Those agreements mandate 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 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. With support from higher oil prices, growth will move up in 2000-01.

Electricity - consumption

953 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1.025 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

27.8%

hydro

72.2%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)

note

since 1 January 1999, the CFAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro

Exports

$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil 75%, timber, manganese, uranium (1998)

Exports - partners

US 68%, China 9%, France 8%, Japan 3% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.9 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

10%

industry

60%

services

30% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $6,500 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.7% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials

Imports - partners

France 39%, US 6%, Cameroon 5%, Netherlands 5%, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

2.3% (1995)

Industries

food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, uranium, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.9% (1999 est.)

Labor force

600,000

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 60%, services and government 25%, industry and commerce 15%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

21% (1997 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 7, shortwave 6 (1998)

Radios

208,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations

international

satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

32,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4,000 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

4 (plus five low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

63,000 (1997)

Airports

61 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

11 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

50 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 25 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

629 km (including 30 km of expressways)

total

7,670 km

unpaved

7,041 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 1 (1999 est.)

total

1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,419 GRT/3,205 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Ports and harbors

Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil

Railways

standard gauge

649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

total

649 km (Gabon State Railways or OCTRA)

Waterways

1,600 km perennially navigable

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Republican Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$91 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.6% (FY96)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 278,251 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 143,278 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

20 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

11,291 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

GAMBIA

GAZA STRIP