Gabon

§1. Gabon Introduction

Background:
  Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from
  France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba
  - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated
  the contry's political scene for almost four decades. President BONGO
  introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early
  1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in
  2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses
  of formal political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition
  remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime.
  Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural
  resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of
  the more prosperous and stable African countries.

§2. Gabon Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  1 00 S, 11 45 E

Map references:
  Africa

Area:
  total: 267,667 km²
  land: 257,667 km²
  water: 10,000 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Colorado

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,551 km
  border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km,
    Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Coastline:
  885 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
  tropical; always hot, humid

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

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

Land use:
  arable land: 1.21%
  permanent crops: 0.64%
  other: 98.15% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  150 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation; poaching

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
    Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
    Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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

§3. Gabon People

Population:
  1,424,906
  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 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 42.1% (male 300,914/female 299,141)
  15-64 years: 53.9% (male 383,137/female 384,876)
  65 years and over: 4% (male 23,576/female 33,262) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.6 years
  male: 18.4 years
  female: 18.8 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.13% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  36.16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  12.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -2.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 54.51 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 63.65 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 45.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 54.49 years
  male: 53.21 years
  female: 55.81 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  8.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  48,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  3,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
  degree of risk: very high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid
    fever
  vectorborne disease: malaria (2005)

Nationality:
  noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
  adjective: Gabonese

Ethnic groups:
  Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi,
  Obamba), other Africans and Europeans 154,000, including 10,700 French and
  11,000 persons of dual nationality

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

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 63.2%
  male: 73.7%
  female: 53.3% (1995 est.)

§4. Gabon Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
  conventional short form: Gabon
  local long form: Republique Gabonaise
  local short form: Gabon

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

Capital:
  Libreville

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

Independence:
  17 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
  Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)

Constitution:
  adopted 14 March 1991

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

Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2 December
    1967)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20 January
    2006)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
    consultation with the president
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
    election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in 2012); prime
    minister appointed by the president
  election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected; percent
    of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 79.2%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 13.6%,
    Zacharie MYBOTO 6.6%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by
  members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National
  Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct,
  popular vote to serve five-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be
    held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December
    2001 (next to be held December 2006)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
    PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9; National
    Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 86,
    RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3

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

Political parties and leaders:
  Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress
  for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE];
  Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB];
  Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet
  MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre- Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE];
  National Rally of Woodcutters or RNB [leader NA]; National Rally of
  Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul
  M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally
  for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party
  or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social
  Integration or UDIS [leader NA]; Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Pierre
  MAMBOUNDOU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
  IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA
  chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000
  FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668
  consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Barrie R. WALKLEY
  embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
  mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville
  telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92
  FAX: [241] 74 55 07

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

§5. Gabon Economy

Economy - overview:
  Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan
  African nations. 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,
  and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal
  management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in
  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, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial
  rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in
  October 2000. Those agreements mandated progress in privatization and
  fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January
  1997 after Gabon 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
  1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully
  realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement
  with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral
  repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Gabon signed a
  14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris
  Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an
  upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF
  policies.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $8.047 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $7.154 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  2.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $5,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 6%
  industry: 58.8%
  services: 35.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  640,000 (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25%

Unemployment rate:
  21% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.5% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  24.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.463 billion
  expenditures: $1.618 billion; including capital expenditures of $325
    million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  29.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  1.6% (2002 est.)

Electricity - production:
  1.487 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.383 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  268,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  12,250 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  1.921 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
  90 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  90 million m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  33.98 billion m³ (2005)

Current account balance:
  $1.11 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $5.813 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)

Exports - partners:
  US 52.9%, China 8.5%, France 7.3% (2004)

Imports:
  $1.533 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials

Imports - partners:
  France 43.8%, US 6.3%, UK 5.9%, Netherlands 4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $525 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $3.857 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $331 million (1995)

Currency (code):
  Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority
  is the Bank of the Central African States

Exchange rates:
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005),
  528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Gabon Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  38,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  489,400 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving
    with the help of the growing mobile cell system
  domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric
    scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite
    system with 12 earth stations
  international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
    (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides
    connectivity to Europe and Asia

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
  4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001)

Internet country code:
  .ga

Internet hosts:
  310 (2005)

Internet users:
  40,000 (2005)

§7. Gabon Transportation

Airports:
  56 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 45
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 23 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 210 km; oil 1,385 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 814 km
  standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 32,333 km
  paved: 6,247 km
  unpaved: 26,086 km (2003)

Waterways:
  1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2005)

Merchant marine:
  registered in other countries: 1 (Cambodia 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil

§8. Gabon Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police

Military service age and obligation:
  18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 276,310 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 156,632 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 15,150 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $253.5 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  3.4% (2005 est.)

§9. Gabon Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute
  over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish a maritime boundary in
  hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay; only a few hundred out of the 20,000 Republic
  of the Congo refugees who fled militia fighting in 2000 remain in Gabon


<Factbook 2006>
