Gabon

This Page was last updated on the 29th. December, 2006.

Country News	Parliamentary elections on 17th December resulted in the PDG governing party retaining power and the opposition 16 seats. In addition, parties allied to the ruling party won 13 seats and Independent candidates four seats. Seven constituencies have yet to hold polls. Thus the election has produced no substantial change in Gabon's balence of power.
Official Name	Gabonese Republic (Republique Gabonaise)
Former Name	Gabon (Portuguese visited and named the country after the Portuguese word 'gabao' [a coat shapes like the Komo River estuary] in 15th century; Dutch, British, and French traders in 16th century; French signed treaties with coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841; American missionaries established mission at Baraka [now Libreville - 'free town' named by freed slaves in 1849] in 1842; French explorers between 1862 and 1887; French occupied Gabon in 1885; French began to administer in 1903; part of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa [A.E.F.] with Oubangui-Chari [CAR] Chad, and Congo [Brazzaville] in 1910; French disolved the A.E.F. in September 1958.)
Capital	Libreville (Free Town)
Main Towns	Franceville, Lambarene, Libreville (45,000), Port-Gentil
Subdivisions	9 provinces, 36 prefectures, and 8 subprefectures. 9 provinces: Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem.
Independence	17 August 1960
Constitution	February 21, 1961 (revised April 15, 1975; adopted 14 March 1991; rewritten March 26, 1991; revised July 29, 2003)
National Holiday	Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)
UN Membership	20 September 1960
OAU Membership	25 May 1963 – now African Union (AU)
Commonwealth	n/a
Other Organisations	In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC), Central African States Economic Community (CEAC), Central African Economic and Monetary Community (or Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States, CEMAC), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Franc Zone (FZ), Intergovernmental Group of 24 (G-24), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt - signatory), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Development Association (IDA), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Confederation of Labour (WCL), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO).
Population	World Bank Figures: 1,229,630 (1999), 1,258,000 (2000), 1,286,602 (2001), 1,315,418 (2002), 1,344,433 (2003) Other Sources: 1,155,749 (July 1995), 1,221,175 (July 2001 est.), 1.5 million (2003 census), 1,321,560 (July 2003 est.)
Area	103,347 sq. mls. (267,667 sq. kms.)
Density	5 per sq.km. (1995)
Highest Point	unnamed 3,360 ft. (1,024 m.)
Lowest Point	Gulf of Guinea - sea level
Neighbours	Congo (S & W), Equatorial Guinea (NW)
Life Expectancy	55 years (1995) total population: 49.59 years, male: 48.47 years, female: 50.75 years (2001 est.) total population: 57.12 years, male: 55.45 years, female: 58.84 years (2003 est.) total population: 55.75 years male: 54.21 years female: 57.34 years (2005 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate	total: 55.05 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 44.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 65.12 deaths/1,000 live births total: 53.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 63.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 43.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS	adult prevalence rate: 9% (2001 est.) 8.1% (2003 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: 23,000 (1999 est.) 48,000 (2003 est.) deaths: 3,000 (2001 est.) 3,000 (2003 est.) IRIN Plus News - HIV/AIDS Treatment Map: Gabon - Updated: Sept 2004 Population: 1.2 million HIV Prevalence Rate (%) 2003 End: 8.1 No. Of People living with HIV/AIDS: 48,000 No. Of People in need of ART: 7,200 No. Of People Currently On ART (Sep 04): -- No. Of People on ART Public Sector: Not Defined No. Of People on ART in Non Govt Programmes: Not Defined No. Of People Exptd to be on ART (2005 End): 3,600 Front Line Drug Regimen: N/D HIV/AIDS Treatment Sites: -- Global Fund 2 Year Approved Funding (Round 3: Approved 09-Jul-04): US$3,154,500.00 Total Funds Disbursed By The Global Fund: US$995,505.00 Total Funds Disbursed By The World Bank Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Programme (MAP): Nil Total Funds Disbursed By PEPFAR: Nil Source: USAID, WHO, Ministry of Health, USAID
Adult Literacy Rate	total population: 63.2%, male: 73.7%, female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba), other Europeans (including 10,700 French and 11,000 people with dual nationality)
Languages	Bandjabi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bateke, French (official), Fang (widely spoken), Myene, Nzebi.
Religions	The majority are Christian (55%-75%) but a large minority follow traditional beliefs. There is a small Muslim community (1%).
Type of Government	Republic, multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
President	El Hadj Omar Bongo (since 2 December 1967, reelected for seven years in November 2005)
Prime Minister	Jean Eyeghe Ndong
Political Parties	Circle of Liberal Reformers (CLR); Democratic and Republican Alliance (ADERE); Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party); Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP); National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon (RNB-RPG [Bucherons]); People's Unity Party (PUP); Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Ruling Party	Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG)
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA, XAF) Franc (100 centimes) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
GDP	US$5,973 (1992) US$4,691m (1995) GDP: US$5bn (2002) US$4.8 billion (2003) purchasing power parity - US$7.966 billion (2004 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$5,700 (2002 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$5,900 (2004 est.)
GNP	US$5,040 (1992) US$3,520 (1994) US$3,490 (1995)
Per Capita Income	Per capita income US$4,579 (2004 est.) GDP per head: US$3934 (2002)
Population Below Poverty Line	NA%
Land Use	arable land: 1.26% permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (2001) Irrigated land: 150 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources	petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Oil and Natural Gas	Oil discovered offshore in the early 1970s. Oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. In 1975 Gabon joined the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Oil revenues comprise 65% of the Government of Gabon budget, 43% of gross domestic product (GDP), and 81% of exports. Oil production is now declining rapidly from its high point of 370,000 barrels per day in 1997. (October 2005) Oil production: 301,300 bbl/day (2001 est.) 264,900 bbl/day (2004 est.) consumption: 13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports: NA (2001) proved reserves: 2.45 billion bbl (January 2002 est.) 2.022 billion bbl (2004 est.) Natural gas - production: 80 million cu m (2001 est.) consumption: 80 million cu m (2001 est.) proved reserves: 66.47 billion cu m (January 2002 est.) 66.47 billion cu m (2004) Pipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km gas 210 km; oil 1,385 km (2004)
Military	Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential (Republican) Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 305,603 (2003 est.) males age 18-49: 276,310 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: US$81.9 million, 2% of GDP (FY02) US$184.8 million, 2% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received	US$331 million (1995) Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$39 (1999), US$9 (2000), US$7 (2001), US$55 (2002), US$-8 (2003)
Debt	Severely indebted World Bank Figures: US$3,878,899,968 (2000), US$3,335,300,096 (2001), US$3,522,200,064 (2002), US$3,884,000,000 (2003) Other Sources: US$4,492m (1995) US$3.9 billion (2000 est.) US$3.8 billion (2002 est.) US$3.804 billion (2004 est.)
Major Imports	machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials construction equipment, machinery, food, automobiles, manufactured goods (2003)
Imports from	France 64.8%, US 5.1%, Belgium 4.2%, Netherlands 2.5% (2000) U.S., France, China (2003) US$0.7 billion (2003) France 46.1%, US 6.8%, UK 6% (2004) US$1.225 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Major Exports	crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001) petroleum, wood, manganese (2003)
Exports to	US 50.2%, France 17.1%, China 7.7%, Netherlands Antilles 4.3% (2000) U.S., EU, Asia (2003) US$2.6 billion (2003) US 51.9%, China 9.1%, France 7.7% (2004) US$3.71 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 29 December, 2006

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