2021 Edition

Background

Gabon, a sparsely populated country known for its dense rainforests and vast petroleum reserves, is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in central Africa. Approximately 40 ethnic groups are represented, the largest of which is the Fang, a group that covers the northern third of Gabon and expands north into Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. From about the early 1300s, various kingdoms emerged in and surrounding present-day Gabon, including the Kingdoms of Loango and Orungu. Because most early Bantu languages spoken in these kingdoms did not have a written form, historical traditions were passed on orally, resulting in much of Gabon's early history being lost over time. Portuguese traders who arrived in the mid-1400s gave the area its name of Gabon. At that time, indigenous trade networks began to engage with European traders, exchanging goods such as ivory and wood. For a century beginning in the 1760s, trade came to focus mostly on enslaved people. While many groups in Gabon participated in the slave trade, the Fang were a notable exception. As the slave trade declined in the late 1800s, France colonized the country and directed a widespread extraction of Gabonese resources. Anti-colonial rhetoric by Gabon’s educated elites increased significantly in the early 1900s, but no widespread rebellion materialized. French decolonization following World War II led to the country’s independence in 1960. Within a year of independence, the government changed from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and Leon M’BA won the first presidential election in 1961. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest ruling heads of state in history - was M’BA’s vice president and assumed the presidency after M’BA’s death in 1967. BONGO went on to dominate the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). In 1968, he declared Gabon a single-party state and created the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG), which remains the predominant party in Gabonese politics today. In the early 1990s, he reintroduced a multiparty system under a new constitution after he was confronted with growing political opposition. He was reelected by wide margins in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2005 against a divided opposition and amidst allegations of fraud. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, to power. President Ali BONGO Ondimba was reelected in 2016 in a close election against a united opposition. Gabon’s Constitutional Court reviewed the contested election results and ruled in his favor.

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

highest point

Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

377 m

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

Irrigated land

40 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 km

total

3,261 km

Land use

agricultural land

19% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.)

forest

81% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

none

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Population distribution

the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

36.45% (male 413,883/female 399,374)

15-24 years

21.9% (male 254,749/female 233,770)

25-54 years

32.48% (male 386,903/female 337,776)

55-64 years

5.19% (male 58,861/female 56,843)

65 years and over

3.98% (male 44,368/female 44,381) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

26.14 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.4% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

31.1% (2012)

Current Health Expenditure

2.8% (2018)

Death rate

5.76 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Demographic profile

Gabon’s oil revenues have given it one of the highest per capita income levels in Sub-Saharan Africa, but the wealth is not evenly distributed and poverty is widespread. Unemployment is especially prevalent among the large youth population; more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25. With a fertility rate still averaging more than 4 children per woman, the youth population will continue to grow and further strain the mismatch between Gabon’s supply of jobs and the skills of its labor force.Gabon has been a magnet to migrants from neighboring countries since the 1960s because of the discovery of oil, as well as the country’s political stability and timber, mineral, and natural gas resources. Nonetheless, income inequality and high unemployment have created slums in Libreville full of migrant workers from Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, and elsewhere in West Africa. In 2011, Gabon declared an end to refugee status for 9,500 remaining Congolese nationals to whom it had granted asylum during the Republic of the Congo’s civil war between 1997 and 2003. About 5,400 of these refugees received permits to reside in Gabon.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

6

potential support ratio

16.8 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

68.9

youth dependency ratio

62.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 68% of population

improved: total

total: 93.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 32% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6.2% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population

Education expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2019)

Ethnic groups

Gabonese-born 80.1% (includes Fang 23.2%, Shira-Punu/Vili 18.9%, Nzabi-Duma 11.3%, Mbede-Teke 6.9%, Myene 5%, Kota-Kele 4.9%, Okande-Tsogo 2.1%, Pygmy .3%, other 7.5%), Cameroonian 4.6%, Malian 2.4%, Beninese 2.1%, acquired Gabonese nationality 1.6%, Togolese 1.6%, Senegalese 1.1%, Congolese (Brazzaville) 1%, other 5.5% (includes Congolese (Kinshasa), Equatorial Guinean, Nigerian) (2012)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

46,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

6.3 beds/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

female

26.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

32.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

29.45 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

71.14 years (2021 est.)

male

67.66 years

total population

69.37 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

83.4% (2018)

male

85.9%

total population

84.7%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

845,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

252 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

20.6 years (2020 est.)

male

21.4 years

total

21 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 years (2012 est.)

note

note: median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

adjective

Gabonese

noun

Gabonese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

3.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15% (2016)

Physicians density

0.68 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

2,284,912 (July 2021 est.)

note

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

Population distribution

the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.41% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 42.3%, Protestant 12.3%, other Christian 27.4%, Muslim 9.8%, animist 0.6%, other 0.5%, none/no answer 7.1% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 51.9% of population

improved: total

total: 74.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 77.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 48.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 25.2% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 22.3% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.09 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.15 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over

1 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.08 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.36 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

90.4% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

original site settled by freed slaves and the name means "free town" in French; named in imitation of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone

geographic coordinates

0 23 N, 9 27 E

name

Libreville

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Gabon

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic, by the Council of Ministers, or by one third of either house of Parliament; passage requires Constitutional Court evaluation, at least two-thirds majority vote of two thirds of the Parliament membership convened in joint session, and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on Gabon’s democratic form of government cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2020

history

previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991

Country name

conventional long form

Gabonese Republic

conventional short form

Gabon

etymology

name originates from the Portuguese word "gabao" meaning "cloak," which is roughly the shape that the early explorers gave to the estuary of the Komo River by the capital of Libreville

local long form

Republique Gabonaise

local short form

Gabon

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Samuel R. WATSON; note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe

email address and website

ACSLibreville@state.govhttps://ga.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville

FAX

[241] 011-45-71-05

mailing address

2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270

telephone

[241] 011-45-71-00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Charge D'Affaires Rod Ciangillan REMBENDAMBYA, Counselor (17 March 2021)

email address and website

info@gaboneembassyusa.orghttps://gabonembassyusa.org/en/

FAX

[1] (301) 332-0668

telephone

[1] (202) 797-1000

Executive branch

cabinet

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

chief of state

President Ali BONGO Ondimba (since 16 October 2009)

election results

Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 August 2016 (next to be held in August 2023); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka RAPONDA (since 16 July 2020)

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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

17 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

Supreme Court (consists of 4 permanent specialized supreme courts - Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation, Administrative Supreme Court or Conseil d'Etat, Accounting Supreme Court or Cour des Comptes, Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, and the non-permanent Court of State Security, initiated only for cases of high treason by the president and criminal activity by executive branch officials)

judge selection and term of office

appointment and tenure of Supreme, Administrative, Accounting, and State Security courts NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly; judges serve single renewable 7-year terms

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Senat (102 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal councils and departmental assemblies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms)National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (143 seats; members elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 81, CLR 7, PSD 2, ADERE-UPG 1, UPG 1, PGCI 1, independent 7; composition - men 84, women 18, percent of women 17.6%National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 98, The Democrats or LD 11, RV 8, Social Democrats of Gabon 5, RH&M 4, other 9, independent 8; composition - men 123, women 20, percent of women 14%; note - total Parliament percent of women 15.5%

elections

Senate - last held on 13 December 2014 (next to be held on 31 December 2020)National Assembly - held in 2 rounds on 6 and 27 October 2018 (next to be held in 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Georges Aleka DAMAS

name

"La Concorde" (The Concorde)

note

note: adopted 1960

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue

Political parties and leaders

Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [Gen. Jean-Boniface ASSELE]Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [DIDJOB Divungui di Ndinge]Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO Ondimba]Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI [Luccheri GAHILA]Legacy and Modernity Party or RH&MRally for Gabon or RPGRestoration of Republican Values or RVSocial Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]Social Democrats of GabonThe Democrats or LDUnion for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA]Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Richard MOULOMBA]Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Jean PING]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

plantains, cassava, sugar cane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat, rubber

Budget

expenditures

2.914 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

2.634 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating

Caa1 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating

N/A (2016)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$1.389 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$725 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$5.321 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$6.49 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic 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 relied on timber and manganese exports until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. From 2010 to 2016, oil accounted for approximately 80% of Gabon’s exports, 45% of its GDP, and 60% of its state budget revenues.Gabon faces fluctuating international prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. A rebound of oil prices from 2001 to 2013 helped growth, but declining production, as some fields passed their peak production, has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. GDP grew nearly 6% per year over the 2010-14 period, but slowed significantly from 2014 to just 1% in 2017 as oil prices declined. Low oil prices also weakened government revenue and negatively affected the trade and current account balances. In the wake of lower revenue, Gabon signed a 3-year agreement with the IMF in June 2017.Despite an abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management and over-reliance on oil has stifled the economy. Power cuts and water shortages are frequent. Gabon is reliant on imports and the government heavily subsidizes commodities, including food, but will be hard pressed to tamp down public frustration with unemployment and corruption.

Exchange rates

currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

591.45 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

593.01 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

593.01 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

605.3 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2017

$9.145 billion (2017 est.)

Exports 2018

$9.533 billion (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$10.8 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, manganese, lumber, veneer sheeting, refined petroleum (2019)

Exports - partners

China 63%, Singapore 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

46.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption

14.1% (2017 est.)

household consumption

37.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-26.8% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

29% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.6% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

5% (2017 est.)

industry

44.7% (2017 est.)

services

50.4% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.064 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

38 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.7% (2005)

lowest 10%

2.5%

Imports

Imports 2017

$4.749 billion (2017 est.)

Imports 2018

$4.722 billion (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$5.02 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

poultry meats, excavation machinery, packaged medicines, cars, rice (2019)

Imports - partners

France 22%, China 17%, Belgium 6%, United States 6%, United Arab Emirates 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

2.6% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

4.7% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

2.4% (2019 est.)

Labor force

557,800 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

64%

industry

12%

services

24% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line

33.4% (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

64.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

62.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$31.25 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$32.48 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$32.05 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.9% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

2.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

0.5% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$14,700 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$15,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$14,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$804.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$981.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2014

20.4% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate 2015

28% (2015 est.)

Crude oil - exports

214,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

196,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

2 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

2.071 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

51% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

49% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

344 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

671,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

2.244 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

39% (2019)

electrification - total population

92% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

99% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

401 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

401 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,662 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

10,680 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

16,580 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2020 est.)

total

44,607 (2020)

Broadcast media

state owns and operates 2 TV stations and 2 radio broadcast stations; a few private radio and TV stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible; satellite service subscriptions are available

Internet country code

.ga

Internet users

percent of population

62% (2019 est.)

total

1.4 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 1 per 100 subscriptions; a growing mobile cellular network with multiple providers is making telephone service more widely available with mobile cellular teledensity at 138 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

politically stable and oil laden, Gabon is one of wealthiest nations in Africa; liberalized and competitive market led development of mobile broadband, data service, and tests of 5G; fixed-line sector underdeveloped due to the lack of competition and high prices; South Korean investment in fiber segments as part of Central African backbone; sufficient international bandwidth through submarine cable systems; government committed to backbone infrastructure and e-health services; efforts towards new legal and regulatory improvements (2020)

international

country code - 241; landing points for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE and Libreville-Port Gentil Cable fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1.14 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

25,428 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

138.8 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

3,088,742 (2020)

Airports

total

44 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

9

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

1

over 3,047 m

1

total

14

under 914 m

1 (2019)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

9 (2013)

total

30

under 914 m

14 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TR

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 17, oil tanker 17, other 27 (2021)

total

62

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

8

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

807 km gas, 1639 km oil, 3 km water (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil

oil terminal(s)

Gamba, Lucina

Railways

standard gauge

649 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)

total

649 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

900 km (2001)

total

14,300 km (2001)

unpaved

13,400 km (2001)

Waterways

1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2010)

Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; in 2020, there were 98 reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea region; although a 24% decrease from the total number of incidents in 2019, it included all three hijackings and 9 of 11 ships fired upon worldwide; while boarding and attempted boarding to steal valuables from ships and crews are the most common types of incidents, almost a third of all incidents involve a hijacking and/or kidnapping; in 2020, a record 130 crew members were kidnapped in 22 separate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, representing 95% of kidnappings worldwide; approximately 51% of all incidents of piracy and armed robbery are taking place off Nigeria, which is a decrease from the 71% in 2019 and an indication pirates are traveling further to target vessels; Nigerian pirates are well armed and very aggressive, operating as far as 200 nm offshore; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2021-002 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 9 January 2021, which states in part, "Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea.”

Military - note

members of the Gabonese Defense Forces attempted a failed coup in January 2019

Military and security forces

Gabonese Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Gabonaise): Land Forces (Army), Navy, Air Forces, National Gendarmerie; Republican Guard (land forces under direct presidential control) (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Gabonese Defense Forces (FDG) are comprised of approximately 6,500 active duty troops including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2021)

Military deployments

450 Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (Sep 2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FDG is lightly armed with an inventory comprised mostly of Brazilian, French, and South African equipment; since 2010, it has received limited amounts of equipment with France and South Africa as the leading suppliers (2020)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1.5% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.8% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.5% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.6% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2021)

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

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

5.32 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

1.13 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

38.51 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Environment - current issues

deforestation (the forests that cover three-quarters of the country are threatened by excessive logging); burgeoning population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

19% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.)

forest

81% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Congo Basin

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

2.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

166 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

40.3 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

14.1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

84.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

90.4% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

238,102 tons (1995 est.)