Gabon
GABON
LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENTTOPOGRAPHY
CLIMATE
FLORA AND FAUNA
ENVIRONMENT
POPULATION
MIGRATION
ETHNIC GROUPS
LANGUAGES
RELIGIONS
TRANSPORTATION
HISTORY
GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL PARTIES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
ARMED FORCES
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
ECONOMY
INCOME
LABOR
AGRICULTURE
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
FISHING
FORESTRY
MINING
ENERGY AND POWER
INDUSTRY
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
DOMESTIC TRADE
FOREIGN TRADE
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
BANKING AND SECURITIES
INSURANCE
PUBLIC FINANCE
TAXATION
CUSTOMS AND DUTIES
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
HEALTH
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS
TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION
FAMOUS GABONESE
DEPENDENCIES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gabonese Republic
République Gabonaise
CAPITAL: Libreville
FLAG: The flag is a tricolor of green, golden yellow, and royal blue horizontal stripes.
ANTHEM: La Concorde (Harmony).
MONETARY UNIT: The Communauté Financière Africaine franc (CFA Fr), which was originally pegged to the French franc, has been pegged to the euro since January 1999 with a rate of 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro. The CFA franc is issued in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs, and notes of 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 CFA francs. CFA Fr1 = $0.00192 (or $1 = CFA Fr521.74) as of 2005.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.
HOLIDAYS: New Year's Day, 1 January; Day of Renewal, 12 March; Labor Day, 1 May; Africa Freedom Day, 25 May; Assumption, 15 August; Independence Day, 17 August; All Saints' Day, 1 November; Christmas, 25 December. Movable religious holidays include Easter Monday, Ascension, Pentecost Monday, 'Id al-Fitr, and 'Id al-'Adha'.
TIME: 1 pm = noon GMT.
LOCATION, SIZE, AND EXTENT
Situated on the west coast of Africa and straddling the equator, Gabon has an area of 267,667 sq km (103,347 sq mi), extending 717 km (446 mi) nne–ssw and 644 km (400 mi) ese–wnw. Comparatively, the area occupied by Gabon is slightly smaller than the state of Colorado. It is bordered on the n by Cameroon, on the e and s by the Republic of the Congo (ROC), on the w by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the nw by Equatorial Guinea, with a total boundary length of 3,436 km (2,135 mi), of which 885 km (550 mi) is coastline.
Gabon's capital city, Libreville, is located on the country's northwestern coast.
TOPOGRAPHY
Rising from the coastal lowlands, which range in width from 30–200 km (20–125 mi), is a band more than 96 km (60 mi) wide forming a rocky escarpment, which ranges in height from 450–600 m (1,480–1,970 ft). This plateau covers the north and east and most of the south. Rivers descending from the interior have carved deep channels in the face of the escarpment, dividing it into distinct blocks, such as the Crystal Mountains (Monts de Cristal) and the Chaillu Massif. There are mountains in various parts of Gabon, the highest peak being Mt. Iboundji (1,575 m/5,167 ft). The northern coastline is deeply indented with bays, estuaries, and deltas as far south as the mouth of the Ogooué River, forming excellent natural shelters. Farther south, the coast becomes more precipitous, but there are also coastal areas bordered by lagoons and mangrove swamps. Virtually the entire territory is contained in the basin of the Ogooué River, which is about 1,100 km (690 mi) long and navigable for about 400 km (250 mi). Its two major tributaries are the Ivindo and the Ngounié, which are navigable for 80–160 km (50–100 mi) into the interior.
CLIMATE
Gabon has the moist, hot climate typical of tropical regions. The hottest month is January, with an average high at Libreville of 31°c (88°f) and an average low of 23°c (73°f). Average July temperatures in the capital range between 20° and 28°c (68° and 82°f). From June to September there is virtually no rain but high humidity; there is occasional rain in December and January. During the remaining months, rainfall is heavy. The excessive rainfall is caused by the condensation of moist air resulting from the meeting, directly off the coast, of the cold Benguela Current from the south and the warm Guinea Current from the north. At Libreville, the average annual rainfall is more than 254 cm (100 in). Farther north on the coast, it is 381 cm (150 in).
FLORA AND FAUNA
Plant growth is rapid and dense. About 85% of the country is covered by heavy rain forest. The dense green of the vegetation never changes, since the more than 6,000 species of plants flower and lose their leaves continuously throughout the year according to species. Tree growth is especially rapid; in the more sparsely forested areas, the trees tower as high as 60 m (200 ft), and the trunks are thickly entwined with vines. There are about 300 species of trees. In the coastal regions, marine plants abound, and wide expanses are covered with tall papyrus grass.
Most tropical fauna species are found in Gabon. Wildlife includes elephants, buffalo, antelope, situtungas, lions, panthers, crocodiles, and gorillas. As of 2002, there were at least 190 species of mammals and 156 species of birds throughout the country.
ENVIRONMENT
Gabon's environmental problems include deforestation, pollution, and wildlife preservation. The forests that cover 84% of the country are threatened by excessive logging activities. Gabon's coastal forests have been depleted, but there is a reforestation program, and most of the interior remains under dense forest cover. There are two national parks and four wildlife reserves in which hunting is banned. In 2003, only about 0.7% of Gabon's total land area was protected, including three Ramsar wetland sites.
Pollution of the land is a problem in Gabon's growing urban centers due to industrial and domestic contaminants. The nation's water is affected by pollutants from the oil industry. Gabon has 164 cu km of renewable water resources. About 47% of the country's rural dwellers and 95% of its urban population have pure drinking water. As a result of population expansion accompanied by an increased demand for meat, poaching has become a significant threat to the nation's wildlife.
According to a 2006 report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the number of threatened species included 11 types of mammals, 5 species of birds, 1 type of reptile, 2 species of amphibians, 12 species of fish, 1 species of invertebrates, and 107 species of plants. Threatened species included Shelley's eagle owl, the thresher shark, the sun-tailed monkey, the clawless otter, and the black crowned crane. Gabon had the world's largest gorilla population.
POPULATION
The population of Gabon in 2005 was estimated by the United Nations (UN) at 1,384,000, which placed it at number 146 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In 2005, approximately 4% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 40% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 99 males for every 100 females in the country. According to the UN, the annual population rate of change for 2005–2010 was expected to be 2.1%. The projected population for the year 2025 was 1,809,000. The population density was 5 per sq km (13 per sq mi). Most of the people live on the coast or are concentrated along rivers and roads; large areas of the interior are sparsely inhabited.
The UN estimated that 81% of the population lived in urban areas in 2005, and that urban areas were growing at an annual rate of 2.42%. The capital city, Libreville, had a population of 611,000 in that year. Another major population center is Port-Gentil, with about 164,000 inhabitants.
MIGRATION
Because of its limited population and booming economy, Gabon has relied heavily on laborers from other African nations, including Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Senegal. About 100,000–200,000 non-Gabonese Africans were believed to be in Gabon, many of them from Equatorial Guinea or Cameroon. Foreigners made up at least 20% of the population in Gabon. However, in September 1994 Gabon enacted laws requiring foreigners to pay residence fees or leave the country. By the deadline in February 1995 some 55,000 foreign nationals left the country, and 15,000 legalized their residency.
In addition to some 1,500 urban refugees, Gabon has received two waves of refugees from the Republic of Congo. The first group, mainly government officials, arrived in 1997 following the departure of President Lissouba; the second group, comprised of several thousand refugees, arrived in 1999 as a result of continued fighting in the Congo.
In 2000 remittances to Gabon from citizens working abroad totaled $2 million or about $2 per capita. In 2004, migrants numbered 18,626, including 13,787 refugees, and 4,839 asylum seekers. In 2005, the net migration rate was estimated as zero per 1,000 population, down from 7.9 per 1,000 in 1990.
ETHNIC GROUPS
There are at least 40 distinct tribal groups in Gabon. The Pygmies are said to be the original inhabitants. Only about 3,000 of them remain, scattered in small groups in the heart of the forest. The largest tribal group, the Fang (about 30% of the population), came from the north in the 18th century and settled in northern Gabon. In the Woleu-Ntem part of Gabon, their direct descendants may be found almost unmixed with other Bantu ethnic strains. The Nzebi, Obamba, Eshira, Bapounou, and Batéké are other major groups. Smaller groups include the Omyènè, a linguistic group that includes the Mpongwe, Galoa, Nkomi, Orungu, and Enenga; these peoples live along the lower Ogooué, from Lambaréné to Port-Gentil. The Kota, or Bakota, are located mainly in the northeast, but several tribes have spread southward; they are wellknown for their carved wooden figures. Other groups include Vili and the Séké. These other African groups and Europeans number about 154,000, including about 6,000 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality.
LANGUAGES
French is the official language of the republic. The Fang language is spoken in northern Gabon, and other Bantu languages (Myene, Batéké, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi) are spoken elsewhere in the country.
RELIGIONS
About 73% of the total population are Christian, with a majority of the people being Roman Catholic. About 12% are Muslim; with a majority of these being foreigners. About 10% practice traditional indigenous religions exclusively, but it is believed that a large number of Christians and Muslims also incorporate some elements of traditional religions within their practice. About 5% of the population are atheists or claim no religious affiliation.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion and this right is generally respected in practice. While religious organizations are not required to register with the government, many do so in order to be assured of full protection of their constitutional rights. The government has banned the registration of Jehovah's Witnesses since 1970, but the government has allowed the group to assemble and practice their faith. Certain Christian and Muslim holidays are celebrated as national holidays.
TRANSPORTATION
Until the 1970s, Gabon had no railroads. A 936-km (582-mi) railroad construction program, the Trans-Gabon Railway, began in October 1974. In its first stage, completed in 1983, the project linked the port of Owendo with the interior city of Booué (332 km/206 mi). The second stage, completed in December 1986, linked Booué with Franceville (357 km/222 mi) via Moanda, thus facilitating exports of manganese from the southeast and forestry exploitation in the same region. A proposed third stage would continue the line from Booué to Belinga in the northeast, where there are iron ore deposits. As of 2004, Gabon State Railways totaled 814 km (506 mi) of standard-gauge track.
Main roads connect virtually all major communities, but maintenance work is difficult because of heavy rainfall. In 2002, the road network comprised 8,454 km (5,253 mi), of which 838 km (521 mi) were paved, including 30 km (19 mi) of expressways. A north-south road runs the length of the country, from Bitam to Ndendé. This main north-south link continues into Cameroon in the north and the Congo in the south. An east–west road connects Libreville and Mékambo. Farther south, another road runs from Mayumba to Lastoursville and Franceville. In 1995 there were about 23,000 automobiles and 10,000 commercial vehicles in use.
The busiest ports are Port-Gentil, the center for exports of petroleum products and imports of mining equipment, and Owendo, a new port that opened in 1974 on the Ogooué estuary, 10 km (6 mi) north of Libreville. Owendo's capacity, initially 300,000 tons, reached 1.5 million tons in 1979, when the port was enlarged to include timber-handling facilities. The smaller port at Mayumba also handles timber, and a deepwater port is planned for the city. In 1998, Gabon's merchant marine owned two vessels totaling 13,613 GRT. As of 2002, there was no merchant marine. As of 2003, Gabon had 1,600 km (994 mi) of perennially navigable waterways, including 310 km (193 mi) on the Ogooué River.
Gabon had an estimated 56 airports in 2004, but only 11 of which had paved runways as of 2005. There are three international airports: Libreville (Leon M'Ba), Port-Gentil, and Franceville. Air Gabon is the national airline, serving European, West and Central African, and domestic destinations. Numerous other airlines also provide international flights. Air Affaires Gabon handles scheduled domestic service. In 2003, about 386,000 passengers were carried on scheduled domestic and international airline flights.
HISTORY
Bantu peoples began to migrate to what is now Gabon from Cameroon and eastern Nigeria at least 2,000 years ago. The Portuguese, who had sighted the coast as early as 1470, gave Gabon its name because the shape of the Río de Como estuary reminded them of a "gabao," a Portuguese hooded cloak. They also founded permanent outposts, notably at the mouth of the Ogooué River, and their missionaries followed shortly. After the Portuguese, the region was visited by the English, Dutch, and French. During the 17th century, the great French trading companies entered the slave trade. French Jesuit missionaries were active along the coast during this period, and their influence eventually extended to the powerful native kingdoms inland.
The abolition of the slave trade by France in 1815 ruined many merchants; but it did not end French interest in the Gabon coast. French vessels were entrusted to prevent the illegal slave trade; the search for new products for trade also led to French occupation of the coastal ports. In 1839, the French concluded a treaty with Denis, the African king whose authority had extended over the northern Gabon coast. The treaty ceded the kingdom to France in return for French protection. A similar treaty gave France much of the southern coast below the Ogooué, and gradually other coastal chiefs accepted French control. The present capital, Libreville ("place of freedom"), was founded in 1849 by slaves who had been freed from a contraband slave runner.
French explorers gradually penetrated the interior after 1847. During 1855–59, Paul du Chaillu went up the Ogooué River, where he became the first European to see a live gorilla. He was followed by the Marquis de Compiègne, Alfred Marche, and other explorers, who mapped out its tributaries. Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza explored almost the entire course of the river during 1876–78. In 1880, he founded Franceville. In 1885, the Congress of Berlin recognized French rights over the right bank of the Congo, an area that Brazza had explored extensively. In 1890, Gabon formally became a part of French Congo. It was separated into a district administrative region in 1903 and in 1910 was organized as a separate colony, part of French Equatorial Africa. In 1940, Free French forces ousted the Vichy government from Gabon.
Léon Mba and Jean-Hilaire Aubame had led the early independence movement in Gabon, but each had distinct political inclinations. Mba led the Gabon Democratic Bloc; Aubame led the Gabonese branch of the Party of African Reunion. The latter actively sought the formation of federal, supranational groupings in Africa, whereas the former was strongly opposed to such associations. Underlying the attitude of Mba was the belief that Gabon, with the greatest economic potential in the region, would end up supporting its poorer neighbors in any federal system.
In a referendum on 28 September 1958, the territory of Gabon voted to become an autonomous republic within the French Community. On 19 February 1959, a constitution was adopted, and a provisional government headed by Mba became the first official government of Gabon. Independence was formally proclaimed on 17 August 1960.
On 12 February 1961, Mba was elected president of the republic, heading a government of national unity in which Aubame served as foreign minister. Friction continued between Mba and Aubame, however, and after several years of political maneuvering, Aubame led a successful coup d'état on 18 February 1964. Mba was reinstated on the very next day through French military intervention, as provided for by a treaty signed between the Mba government and the French in 1960.
Mba created the post of vice president in February 1967, and at his death on 28 November of that year, power was transferred peacefully to his vice president, Albert-Bernard Bongo. On 12 March 1968, Bongo announced the formal institution of a oneparty system and the creation of the Gabon Democratic Party (PDG) as the country's sole legal political organization. He was reelected without opposition in 1973, 1979, and 1986. (It was announced in 1973 that Bongo had taken the name of Omar and converted to Islam.)
During the 1970s and early to mid-1980s, the exploitation of Gabon's huge natural resources progressed rapidly, and in 1975, the country became a full member of OPEC. In 1986, depressed oil prices caused a sharp decline in oil earnings, resulting in severe austerity measures in 1986 and 1987.
These austerities in the face of Bongo's ostentations led to internal pressures for reform in the late 1980s. In 1989, Bongo began talks with some elements of the underground Movement for National Recovery (MORENA). This divided MORENA, but it failed to stem the emergence of new movements calling for the establishment of multiparty democracy.
In March–April 1990, Gabon convened a national political conference to discuss changes to the political system. The PDG and 74 other organizations that attended essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies on one hand; and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties on the other. The conference approved sweeping reforms, including the creation of a national senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, and freedom of assembly and of the press. However, the killing of an opposition leader on 23 May 1990 led to riots in Port-Gentil and Libreville, which required France to send troops to protect its expatriates and corporate property.
Multiparty legislative elections were held in September–October 1990, but they were marred by violence and suspected fraud. Opposition parties had not yet been formally declared legal. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law legalizing opposition parties. Throughout 1991 and 1992, there was endemic unrest, government clamp-downs, and economic disruption. Still, the PDG reaffirmed its commitment to multiparty democracy. On 5 December 1993, multiparty presidential elections confirmed Bongo, who ran as an independent against Father Paul Mba Abessole, as president with 51% of the vote. Opposition parties protested the result and forced a postponement of the 26 December 1993 legislative elections. International observers complained of widespread procedural irregularities but found no evidence of deliberate fraud. Independent observers, however, reported that a governmental policy of limitations on freedoms of speech, press, association and assembly, as well as the harassment of its critics.
Paul Mba Abessole, angry at the outcome, announced the formation of a rival government. Its core concerns included new presidential elections, the restoration of peace, and the maintenance of national unity. The rival administration was supported by a High Council of the Republic, later called the High Council of Resistance, composed mostly of defeated presidential candidates.
Bongo was harshly critical of the opposition government and appealed to its members to join his government in a show of unity. In January 1994, Gabon's Constitutional Court ruled that the elections had been fair. Civil unrest continued, however, as the country suffered from the devaluation of the CFA franc. Trade union demands for higher salaries led Bongo to impose a curfew, ostensibly to quell labor unrest but he also ordered security forces to destroy a radio transmitter operated by his political opponents and to attack a leading opposition figure's private house. The labor unrest lasted less than a week, but resulted in between 9 and 68 deaths, depending on whose figures are to be believed.
Negotiations on the creation of a unified government were held throughout 1994 to little effect. In September, the Organization for African Unity sponsored multilateral talks in Paris, which finally resulted in a tentative power-sharing agreement among Bongo's PDG and the main opposition parties. Legislative elections, which had been postponed in December 1993, were rescheduled for 1995 and Bongo agreed to bring opposition party members into a new government. The agreement essentially fell apart, however, when Bongo gave only 6 of 27 ministries to opposition members. At least two opposition members refused to participate in the government. By mid-1995, Bongo formed a functioning government with a modicum of opposition representation.
In July 1996, the Gabonese overwhelmingly approved a new constitution, calling for, among other things, a 91-member Senate. Legislative elections were held in December of that year, fully three years after they were scheduled. The PDG won a substantial majority (85 of 120 seats). When elections for the Senate were held in January and February 1997, the PDG again emerged as the dominant party, winning 54 of the 91 seats.
Opposition parties declared Paul Mba Abessole, head of the National Rally of Woodcutters (RNB), the real winner and they attempted to set up a rival government. In 1998 Omar Bongo was reelected president for a seven-year term with 66.6% of the votes. Pierre Mamboundou of UPG took a distant second with 16.5%, while Paul Mba Abessole (RNB) came third with 13.4%.
In 2002 Bongo announced his decision to set aside 10% of the country to protect its ecosystems as part of the Congo Basin Initiative. He also closed three newspapers after they reported allegations of corruption in his government. His appointment in January 2003 of Paul Mba Abessole to the post of third deputy prime minister suggested a clever move to co-opt the opposition. In November 2005, Bongo was reelected for a third seven–year term, thus reinforcing his status as the last of Africa's "Big Men." Facing a divided opposition, Bongo won 79.2% of the votes cast. The runner-up, Pierre Mamboundou won 13.6% while Zacharie Myboto polled only 6.6%. The next presidential election was scheduled for 2012.
GOVERNMENT
Gabon is a parliamentary democracy with a presidential form of government. Elected for a seven-year term by direct universal suffrage, the president, who is chief of state, appoints the prime minister, who in consultation with the president, selects and may dismiss members of the Council of Ministers. In 1967, the constitution was modified to provide for the election of a vice president, but in 1975, the office was abolished and replaced by that of a prime minister. In 1983, the constitution was amended officially to declare Gabon a one-party state. However, opposition parties were legalized in 1991.
The bicameral legislature consists of the Senate comprising 91 members who are elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies. The National Assembly or Assemblée Nationale has 120 members who are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms. Legislation may be initiated by the president or by members of the assembly. The president may dissolve the assembly and call for new elections within 40 days and may also prorogue the body for up to 18 months. Legislation is subject to presidential veto and must then be passed by a twothirds vote to become law. The voting age is 18.
POLITICAL PARTIES
When Gabon became independent in 1960, there were two major political parties. The Gabon Democratic Bloc (Bloc Démocratique Gabonais—BDG), led by Léon Mba, was an offshoot of the African Democratic Rally (Rassemblement Démocratique Africain), created by Félix Houphouet-Boigny of Côte d'Ivoire. The Gabon Democratic and Social Union (Union Démocratique et Sociale Gabonaise—UDSG), led by Jean-Hilaire Aubame, was affiliated with the Party of African Reunion (Parti de Regroupement Africain), an international movement created by Léopold-Sédar Senghor of Senegal. In the first elections after independence, neither party won a majority in the Assembly, and in the elections held in 1961, the leaders of the two parties agreed upon a single list of candidates; this joint list polled 99% of the votes. Mba became president and Aubame became minister of foreign affairs in a "government of national amity." This government lasted until February 1963, when the BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties and resignation from the government. The UDSG ministers all resigned, but Aubame was later appointed president of the newly created Supreme Court. He resigned from this post in December 1963 and resumed his seat in the National Assembly.
In January 1964, Mba dissolved the Assembly and called for new elections on 23 February 1964. The UDSG was unable to present a list of candidates that would meet the electoral law, and when it seemed that the BDG list would be elected by default, the Gabonese military revolted and toppled the Mba government in a bloodless coup led by Aubame on 18 February 1964. French military forces intervened and reestablished the Mba government on 19 February. In the parliamentary elections held on 12 April 1964, the BDG list won 31 seats; the reorganized opposition gained 16 seats.
Another election was held in March 1967, in which Mba was reelected president and Albert-Bernard Bongo was elected vice president. Mba died on 28 November 1967, and Bongo became president on 2 December of that year. On 12 March 1968, the Democratic Party of Gabon (Parti Démocratique Gabonais—PDG), headed by Bongo, became the sole political party. On 25 February 1973, President Bongo was elected to his first full seven-year term. On 30 December 1979, Bongo was reelected with 99.85% of the more than 700,000 votes cast, a total that exceeded by far the number of registered voters. He was reelected again on 9 November 1986, reportedly receiving all but 260 of 904,039 votes cast. The single list of PDG National Assembly candidates was elected in February 1980, although independents were also allowed to run. In 1985, the list consisted of all PDG members, chosen by party activists from 268 nominated; only 35 incumbent deputies were retained. Thirteen women were elected. In 1983, three generals were elected to the central committee of the PDG, the first such admission of the military into high party ranks.
The Movement for National Reform (Mouvement de Redressement National—MORENA), an opposition group, emerged in 1981 and formed a government in exile in 1985. A number of persons were sentenced to long jail terms in 1982 for alleged participation in MORENA. All were released by mid-1986. In 1989, Bongo began talks with elements within MORENA, playing on division within their ranks. The resulting split ushered in the Rassemblement National des Bûcherons, National Rally of Woodcutters (RNB), and the MORENA-Original or Fundamental.
Emerging from the legalization of opposition party activity in March 1991 was the Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG), the Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), the Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP), and the Union for Democracy and Development (UDD).
Legislative elections were held in 1991, just prior to the legalization of political parties; the resulting National Assembly was constituted as follows: PDG, 64; Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), 19; RNB, 17; MORENA-Originals, 7; Socialists, 9; others, 2. Presidential and legislative elections were scheduled for 1993, but only the presidential ballot was held, on 5 December. Protests over the fairness of the presidential election caused the government to postpone legislative elections.
Elections were delayed several times over the next three years, but were finally held on 15 and 29 December 1996, resulting in a National Assembly comprised as follows: PDG, 85; PGP, 10; RNB, 7; Circle of Liberal Reformers (CLR), 7; Socialists, 2. Elections for the newly created Senate were held on 19 January and 23 February 1997, resulting in a 91-seat chamber situated as follows: PDG, 54; RNB, 19; PGP, 4; Republican and Democratic Alliance, 3; CLR, 1; Rally for Democratic Progress, 1; independents, 9; 2 seats undeclared.
National Assembly elections were held on 9 and 23 December 2001 with the resulting composition: PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3. Next Assembly elections were scheduled for 2006.
Elections into the Senate took place in January and February 2003. The results amounted to a repeat of the strength of parties after the 1997 poll. The PDG got 53 seats, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, and Independents 9. Next elections were expected in January 2009.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Gabon is divided into nine provinces, administered by governors, which are subdivided into 37 prefectures, headed by prefects. There are eight separate sub-prefectures, governed by sub-prefects. These officers are directly responsible to the government at Libreville and are appointed by the president. In some areas, the traditional chiefs still retain power, but their position has grown less secure.
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
The civil court system consists of three tiers: the trial court, the appellate court, and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has three chambers: judicial, administrative, and accounts. The 1991 constitution, which established many basic freedoms and fundamental rights, also created a Constitutional Court, a body which considers only constitutional issues, and which has demonstrated a good degree of independence in decision-making. Some of its decisions on election freedoms were integrated into the electoral code of 1993, which formed the framework for the first multiparty presidential election held that year. In July 1995, the agreements to reform electoral procedures and to assure greater respect for human rights were approved by a national referendum.
The judiciary also consists of a military tribunal, which handles offenses under military law, a state security court (a civilian tribunal), and a special criminal court for cases of fraud and corruption involving government officials. There is no longer recognition of traditional or customary courts, although village chiefs continue to engage in informal dispute resolution.
The constitution provides for the right to a public trial and the right to counsel, but there is no right to a presumption of innocence. In addition, although the constitution ensures protection from arbitrary interference with privacy and correspondence, search warrants are easily obtained from judges, sometimes after the fact. A significant deterrent to political treason is the weak independence of the judiciary in state security trials where the influence of the executive may be of some import. The State Security Court is constituted by the government to consider state security matters; however, it had not met for years so its relevance is open to question.
ARMED FORCES
In 2005, Gabon maintained active armed forces numbering 4,700 personnel. The Army numbered 3,200 including the Presidential Guard. The Navy consisted of an estimated 500 sailors with two patrol/coastal vessels and two amphibious landing craft. The Air Force had 1,000 personnel and 10 combat capable aircraft, including 6 fighter ground attack aircraft and 5 attack helicopters. Paramilitary forces consisted of a 2,000-member gendarmerie. France maintained 1,560 personnel in Gabon. The defense budget in 2005 totaled $19.1 million.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Gabon was admitted to the United Nations on 20 September 1960 and has become a member of ECA and all the nonregional specialized agencies. Gabon is also a member of the African Development Bank, the ACP Group, G-24, G-77, the Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC), the African Union, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), and the WTO. Gabon is one of six members of the Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). Libreville is the headquarters for the 12-member African Timber Organization of timber exporters and for the Economic Community of Central African States. Gabon left OPEC in 1995. The nation is part of the Franc Zone. Gabon belongs to the Nonaligned Movement.
In environmental cooperation, Gabon is part of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar, CITES, the London Convention, International Tropical Timber Agreements, the Montréal Protocol, MARPOL, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the UN Conventions on the Law of the Sea, Climate Change, and Desertification.
ECONOMY
Gabon's per capita income is over four times that of most sub-Saharan African countries. Over 50% of Gabon's GDP comes from petroleum and mining production. The petroleum industry generates 80% of export earnings and more than 50% of government revenues. The manufacturing sector accounts for 60% of GDP overall and services account for 30%. Inefficient parastatal enterprises restrain private sector growth. Gabon received close to 22% of its total revenues from state-owned enterprises and government ownership of property in 2000. As of 2005, fewer than 10 stateowned enterprises had been completely privatized since 1997.
Gabon imports the majority of its food; it is densely forested and only a fraction of the arable land is cultivated. Yet, in 2005, 60% of its population gained their livelihood in the agricultural sector, where the staple food crops are cassava, plantains, and yams.
Gabon's cash crops are palm oil, cocoa, coffee, and sugar. Palm oil is the most important of the four. The coffee sector was hard hit in the 1980s by low world prices and lower producer prices; coffee prices strengthened again in the mid-1990s but sank again in the early 2000s. Gabon is self-sufficient in sugar, which it exports to the United States and other countries. Rubber production has been promoted in recent years.
Rich in resources, Gabon is a country that realized growth rates of 9.5% in the 1970s and early 1980s before succumbing to oil-price instability and international borrowing. In 1986 Gabon saw its GDP drop by half after a dramatic fall in the world price for oil. The economy suffered a second dramatic shock in 1994 when France suddenly devalued the CFA franc, causing its value to drop in half overnight. Immediately, prices for almost all imported goods soared as the inflation rate shot up to 35%. In the face of dramatically escalating prices, uncertainty and anger led petroleum workers to strike for a doubling of their wages. The government reacted by imposing a national "state of alert." Lootings and burnings were reported as government troops tried to silence opposition parties. High inflation was short-lived as the government's tight monetary policy helped reduce inflation to 11% in 1995 and 1.5% in 2001. During the 2001–2005 time period inflation averaged 1.1% per year. Unfortunately, because there is little value-added to Gabon's exports (oil and minerals), the devaluation has not helped Gabon's economy, which continues to post growth rates of between 1–2%.
Content to remain dependent on oil and its other primary product exports, the government has not taken the steps necessary to diversify the economy. High labor costs, an unskilled workforce, and poor fiscal management continue to inhibit economic growth. In 2000, the government signed an agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt; however, because the country's per capita income is higher than the eligibility levels set by the World Bank/IMF Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, it failed to qualify for debt relief under that program in 2003.
INCOME
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) reports that in 2005 Gabon's gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at $8 billion. The CIA defines GDP as the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year and computed on the basis of purchasing power parity (PPP) rather than value as measured on the basis of the rate of exchange based on current dollars. The per capita GDP was estimated at $5,800. The annual growth rate of GDP was estimated at 2.1%. The average inflation rate in 2005 was 1.5%. It was estimated that agriculture accounted for 6% of GDP, industry 58.8%, and services 35.1%.
According to the World Bank, in 2003 remittances from citizens working abroad totaled $4 million or about $3 per capita and accounted for approximately 0.1% of GDP.
The World Bank reports that in 1990 household consumption in Gabon totaled $2.96 billion or about $2,202 per capita based on a GDP of $6.1 billion, measured in current dollars rather than PPP. Household consumption includes expenditures of individuals, households, and nongovernmental organizations on goods and services, excluding purchases of dwellings. It was estimated that for the period 1990 to 2003 household consumption grew at an average annual rate of 2.2%. In 2001 it was estimated that approximately 40% of household consumption was spent on food, 9% on fuel, 3% on health care, and 7% on education.
LABOR
Gabon's labor force numbered approximately 640,000 in 2005. Of these workers, 60% were engaged in agriculture, 25% were in the services sector, and the remaining 15% in industry. In 1997 (the latest year for which data was available) the unemployment rate was estimated at 21%.
In 1992, the former monopoly of the Gabonese Labor Confederation (COSYGA) was abolished and disassociated from the ruling Democratic Party of Gabon. COSYGA's main union competitor is the Gabonese Confederation of Free Unions (CGSL). Since the 1990 National Conference, many small company-based unions have been started, resulting in sporadic and often disruptive strikes. Almost all private sector workers are union members. Workers have the right to strike provided that attempts at arbitration have failed and eight days notice of the intent to strike is given. The government observes the resolution of labor disputes and takes an active interest in labor-management relations. Unions in each sector of the economy negotiate with employers over pay scales, working conditions, and benefits.
As of 2002, the minimum wage was the equivalent of $61 per month. This wage does not provide a decent living for a worker and family, although many Gabonese earn significantly more. The minimum working age is 16 and in the case of Gabonese children this law is rigorously enforced. However, there have been reports that the children of the many foreign workers in Gabon work at much younger ages. The Labor Code provides many protections for workers, including a 40-hour workweek with a minimum rest period of 48 uninterrupted hours.
AGRICULTURE
Since independence, the dominant position of the petroleum sector has greatly reduced the role of agriculture. Only 1.9% of the total land area is estimated to be under cultivation, and agriculture contributes only about 8% of the GDP on the average. In 2004, agricultural imports by Gabon accounted for nearly 19% of all imports. Gabon relies heavily on other African states and Europe for much of its food and other agricultural needs. Until World War II (1939–45), agriculture was confined primarily to subsistence farming and the cultivation of such crops as manioc, bananas, corn, rice, taro, and yams. Since independence there has been an intensive effort to diversify and increase agricultural production. Experimental stations and demonstration farms have been set up, and cooperatives have been established by consolidating rural communities. However, agriculture received low priority until the 1976–81 development plan, and laborers prefer to seek employment in urban areas. The development of agriculture and small business has been hindered by a lack of international competition. Another problem is lack of transportation to markets.
In 2004, Gabon produced about 230,000 tons of cassava, 155,000 tons of yams, 61,800 tons of other roots and tubers, 270,000 tons of plantains, 35,410 tons of vegetables, and 31,000 tons of corn. Sugarcane production was about 235,000 tons. Cocoa production in 2004 was 600 tons.
A state-owned 7,500 hectare (18,500 acre) palm oil plantation near Lambaréné began production in 1986. Palm oil production was 6,400 tons in 2004. A 4,300 hectare (10,600 acre) rubber project was being developed; rubber production in 2004 was 11,000 tons.
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Animal husbandry is limited by the presence of the tsetse fly, though tsetse-resistant cattle have recently been imported from Senegal to a cattle project. In 2005 there were an estimated 212,000 hogs, 195,000 sheep, 90,000 goats, 35,000 head of cattle, and 3.1 million chickens. In an effort to reduce Gabon's reliance on meat imports, the government set aside 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) in Gabon's unpopulated Savannah region for three ranches at Ngounie, Nyanga, and Lekabi. Currently, however, frozen imports are the most important source of beef, costing four times less than locally produced beef. Poultry production satisfies about one-half of Gabon's consumption demand. Typical annual production of poultry amounts to 3,600 tons.
FISHING
While there have been recent improvements in the fishing industry, it is still relatively undeveloped. Traditional fishing accounts for two-thirds of total catch. The waters off the Gabonese coast contain large quantities of fish. Gabonese waters are estimated to be able to support an annual catch of 15,000 tons of tuna and 12,000 tons of sardines. The fishing fleet was formerly based chiefly in Libreville. A new fishing port, however, was built at PortGentil in 1979. Port-Gentil is now the center of operations for the industrial fleet. Plans for a cannery, fish-meal factory, and refrigerated storage facilities are underway. The total catch in 2003 was 44,855 tons, 80% from the Atlantic. By international agreement and Gabonese law, an exclusive economic zone extends 200 mi off the coast, which prohibits any foreign fishing company to fish in this zone without governmental authorization. However, since Gabon has no patrol boats, foreign trawlers (especially French and Spanish) often illegally capture tuna in Gabonese waters.
FORESTRY
Gabon's forests, which cover an estimated 77% of its land surface, have always supplied many of the necessities of life, especially fuel and shelter. The forests contain over 400 species of trees, with about 100 species suitable for industrial use. Commercial exploitation began as early as 1892, but only in 1913 was okoumé, Gabon's most valuable wood, introduced to the international market. Forestry was the primary source of economic activity in the country until 1968, when the industry was supplanted by crude oil as an earner of foreign exchange. Gabon is the largest exporter of raw wood in the region, and its sales represent 20% of Africa's raw wood exports. Forestry is second only to the petroleum sector in export earnings, at $319.4 million in 2003. Gabon's reserves of exploitable timber include: okoumé, 100 million cu m (3.5 billion cu ft); ozigo, 25–35 million cu m (882 million–1.2 billion cu ft); ilomba, 20–30 million cu m (706–1,060 million cu ft); azobe, 15–25 million cu m (530–882 million cu ft); and padouk, 10–20 million cu m (350–706 million cu ft).
Gabon supplies 90% of the world's okoumé, which makes excellent plywood, and also produces hardwoods, such as mahogany, kevazingo, and ebony. Other woods are dibetou (tigerwood or African walnut), movingui (Nigerian satinwood), and zingana (zebrano or zebrawood). Roundwood removals were estimated at 4 million cu m (143 million cu ft) in 2004, with 13% used as fuel wood.
Exploitation had been hampered, to some extent, by the inadequacy of transportation infrastructure, a deficiency now alleviated by the Trans-Gabon Railway and Ndjole-Bitam highway. Reforestation has been continuously promoted, and selective thinning and clearing have prevented the okoumé from being forced out by other species. Over 50 firms are engaged in exploitation of Gabon's forests. Logging concessions covering about five million hectares (12.3 million acres) have been granted by the government, with the development of the least accessible areas largely carried out by foreign firms. Traditional demand in Europe for African lumber products has declined in recent years; during the 1980s, European demand for okoumé dropped by almost one-third. Markets in Japan, Morocco, and Israel, however, have become more receptive to African imports.
MINING
Gabon was the richest of the former French Equatorial African colonies in known mineral deposits. In addition to oil, which accounted for 80% of the country's exports in 2004, Gabon was a world leader in manganese. Potash, uranium, columbium (niobium), iron ore, lead, zinc, diamonds, marble, and phosphate have also been discovered, and several deposits were being exploited commercially. Ownership of all mineral rights was vested in the government, which has increased its share of the profits accruing to foreign companies under development contracts.
The high-grade manganese deposits at Moanda, near Franceville, are among the world's richest. Reserves were estimated at 250 million tons with a metal content of 48%–52%. Production had been limited to a ceiling of 2.8 million tons a year, corresponding closely to the capacity of the cableway—at 76 km, Africa's longest overhead cable—used to transport the mineral to the Congo border, from where it was carried by rail to the port of Pointe Noire. The Trans-Gabon Railway provided an export outlet through the Gabonese port of Owendo. Use of the railroad has cut shipping costs by $20 million per year. Manganese was exploited by the Mining Co. of L'Ougoué (Comilog, an international consortium), which ranked among the world's lowest-cost producers. In 2004, an estimated 2.4 million metric tons of metallurgical-grade ore were extracted, up from 1.95 million metric tons in 2003. Annual production capacity at the Moanda Mine was 2.5 million tons, with reserves estimated to last 100 years.
Gabon also produced an estimated 350,000 metric tons each of clinker and hydraulic cement in 2004. Also in that year an estimated 500 carats of diamonds (gem and industrial) were produced, along with 70 kg of gold.
The Mékambo and Belinga iron fields in the northeastern corner of Gabon were ranked among the world's richest. Reserves were estimated as high as 1 billion tons of ore of 60%–65% iron content, and production could reach 20 million tons a year. Although iron was discovered there in 1895, it was not until 1955 that a full-scale commercial license was issued. Exploitation still awaited the establishment of a 225 km extension of the Trans-Gabon Railroad from Booué to Belinga; construction has been considered unprofitable, because of unfavorable market conditions.
The potential for new developments in columbium, gold, manganese, and possibly phosphate suggested a continued role for mining in the economy. The lack of adequate infrastructure inhibited new grassroots exploration and remained a major constraint on development of the well-defined iron ore deposit at Belinga.
ENERGY AND POWER
Gabon is the fourth-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, and has the region's third-largest oil reserves. Oil prospecting began in 1931. Deposits were found on the coast or offshore in the vicinity of Libreville and Port-Gentil, in the northwestern part of the country. Later, large deposits were found in the south. Oil from the northwest is channeled by pipeline to Cape Lopez, where there are loading facilities for export. Huge additional deposits were found on Mandji Island in 1962. The Rabi Kounga oil field is Gabon's largest oil field. In 1997, it produced a peak of 217,000 barrels per day. As of November 2004, it was producing 55,000 barrels per day.
Although Gabon's proven petroleum reserves rose from 1.3 billion barrels in 1996 to 2.5 billion barrels in 2004, the government is concerned about long-term depletion of resources. Total production of crude oil fell from a peak of 371,000 barrels per day to an estimated 289,700 barrels per day in 2003. Gabon's production goes primarily to Argentina, Brazil, France, the United States, and, more recently, Taiwan. Net oil exports in 2003 are estimated at 289,680 barrels per day.
As of 1 January 2004, reserves of natural gas reserves estimated at 1.2 trillion cu ft, by the Oil and Gas Journal. Production and consumption of natural gas in 2002 were estimated at 3 billion cu ft, each. Gross output stood at 81.22 billion cubic feet in 2002, of which 55.09 cu ft was flared or vented off, and 19.42 billion cu ft was reinjected.
Hydropower accounts for 76% of Gabon's electric power output. In 2002 there were hydroelectric stations at the Kinguélé and Tchimbélé dams on the Mbei River and at the Petite Poubara Dam, near Makokou on the Ogooué. Production and distribution of electricity are maintained by the Energy and Water Company of Gabon (SEEG), which was formed in 1963 and incorporates a number of smaller private and quasi-public entities. In 2002, electric power output totaled an estimated 1.16 billion kWh, with capacity estimated as of 1 January 2002 at 0.406 million kW. Consumption of electricity was 1.275 billion kWh in 2002. Natural gas is the principal fuel for the thermal plants.
INDUSTRY
Gabon's industry is centered on petroleum, manganese mining, and timber processing. Most industrial establishments are located near Libreville and Port-Gentil. Virtually all industrial enterprises were established with government subsidies in the oil boom years of the 1970s. Timber-related concerns include five veneer plants and a large 50-year-old plywood factory in Port-Gentil, along with two other small plywood factories. Other industries include textile plants, cement factories, chemical plants, breweries, shipyards, and cigarette factories. Gabonese manufacturing is highly dependent on foreign inputs, and import costs rose significantly in 1994 when the CFA franc was devalued. Increased costs and oversized capacity have made the manufacturing sector less competitive and it mainly supplies the domestic market. The government has taken steps to privatize parastatal enterprises.
Due to the fact that the Gabonese economy is dependent upon oil (crude oil accounts for over 80% of the country's exports, 43% of GDP, and 65% of state revenue), it is subject to worldwide price fluctuations. Gabon is sub-Saharan Africa's third-largest crude oil producer and exporter, although there are concerns that proven reserves are declining and production has declined as well. Thus the country has taken steps to diversify the economy, and to engage in further petroleum exploration. The Sogara oil refinery at Port-Gentil is the sole refinery in Gabon. The country produced 302,000 barrels of oil per day in 2001, which was a decrease of 9% from 1999 production levels. Gabon's proven oil reserves were estimated at 2.5 billion barrels in 2002, and its proven natural gas reserves were estimated at 1.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf).
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Gabon has a shortage of trained scientists and technicians and relies heavily on foreign—mostly French—technical assistance. In Libreville there are a French bureau of geological and mineral research, a technical center for tropical forestry, a research institute for agriculture and forestry, and a center for technical and scientific research. A laboratory of primatology and equatorial forest ecology is at Makokou, and an international center of medical research, concentrating on infectious diseases and fertility, is at Franceville. The University Omar Bongo, founded in 1970, has a faculty of sciences, schools of engineering and of forestry and hydraulics, and a health science center. The University of Sciences and Techniques of Masuke, at Franceville, founded in 1986, has a faculty of sciences. The Interprovincial School of Health is located in Mouila. In 1987–97, science and engineering students accounted for 29% of college and university enrollments. The African Institute of Information, at Libreville, trains computer programmers and analysts. In 1986, research and development expenditures totaled CFA Fr380 million.
In 2004 there were 61 scientists and engineers per million people that were engaged in research and development.
DOMESTIC TRADE
Most local produce is sold directly to consumers or to intermediaries at local markets in villages and towns, while imported goods are disposed of at the same time. Company agents and independent middlemen buy export crops at local markets or directly from the producers for sale to large companies. Both French and domestic companies carry on wholesale and retail trade in the larger cities. Nearly 70% of food products are imported. Large commercial companies generally sell hardware, food, clothing, tools, electrical goods, durable consumer goods, and cars. Medium-sized merchandise retail establishments are mostly operated by Syrian, Lebanese, or Asian expatriates. Small private companies are often owned by expatriates from elsewhere in West Africa and operate from market stalls. Gabonese have been trained in retailing in newly built stores. Those who qualify after training have been encouraged to buy the stores with government-sponsored loans. Advertising is carried by local newspapers, company publications, handbills, billboards, and radio and television stations.
Business hours are 8 am–noon and 3–6 pm, Monday through Friday, and 8 am–1 pm, Saturday. Banks are open 7:30–11:30 am and 2:30–4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Mainly French is spoken.
FOREIGN TRADE
Gabon has a record of trade surpluses. Until the late 1960s, timber was Gabon's main export. By 1969, however, crude petroleum had become the leader, accounting for 34% of total exports. Petroleum's share increased to 40.7% in 1972 and to 81.9% in 1974; it stood at 82.5% in 1985 and currently hovers around 80%.
Gabon's most lucrative export commodity is crude petroleum (81% in 2005). Wood accounts for a substantial amount of export revenues (9.3% in 2005), as does manganese (6.2% in 2005). Most of Gabon's oil goes to the United States.
Country | Exports | Imports | Balance |
World | 2,600.2 | 956.1 | 1,644.1 |
United States | 1,628.0 | 106.4 | 1,521.6 |
China | 175.3 | 7.1 | 168.2 |
Australia | 143.8 | … | 143.8 |
France-Monaco | 116.6 | 421.4 | -304.8 |
Korea, Republic of | 96.7 | 5.3 | 91.4 |
Trinidad and Tobago | 82.6 | … | 82.6 |
Areas nes | 59.2 | 84.8 | -25.6 |
Korea (DPRK) | 39.2 | … | 39.2 |
India | 32.3 | 5.7 | 26.6 |
Spain | 27.8 | 29.7 | -1.9 |
(…) data not available or not significant. |
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
Gabon's traditionally favorable trade balance does not always result in a favorable balance on current accounts, largely because of dividend payments and other remittances by foreign enterprises but also because of payments on large debts accumulated in the 1970s. Generally, however, an increasingly strong export performance and rising inflows of private and government capital have made Gabon's payments position one of the strongest of any African country.
The Economist Intelligence Unit reported that in 2005 the purchasing power parity of Gabon's exports was $5.78 billion while imports totaled $1.53 billion resulting in a trade surplus of $4.25 billion.
BANKING AND SECURITIES
The bank of issue is the Bank of the Central African States (Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale-BEAC), the central bank for UDEAC members.
Commercial banking in Gabon is largely controlled by French and other foreign interests. At the end of 1999 there were five major commercial banks, including the Banque International de Commerce et d'Industrie du Gabon (BICIG, a branch of BNP France), the Union Gabonaise de Banque (UGB, a branch of Credit Lyonnais), the Banque Gabonaise et Francaise Internationale (BGFI, formerly Banque Paribas), Citibank, and The French Intercontinental Bank (FIBA).
The Gabonese Development Bank (BDG), 69% Gaboneseowned, is the nation's development bank. Other institutions concerned with development are the Credit Foncier du Gabon (CREFOGA, for housing), the Fund for Development and Expansion (FODEX, for small, to medium-sized firms), and the Banque Gabonaise de Credit Rural (loans for agriculture).
The International Monetary Fund reports that in 2001, currency and demand deposits—an aggregate commonly known as M1—were equal to $453.2 million. In that same year, M2—an aggregate equal to M1 plus savings deposits, small time deposits, and money market mutual funds—was $773.1 million. The discount rate, the interest rate at which the central bank lends to financial institutions in the short term, was 6.5%.
There is no securities market in Gabon, but in 1999, President Bongo spoke of opening a Gabon stock exchange.
INSURANCE
In 1974, a national company known as SONAGAR was created, 36% owned by the government. In 1986, there were four French insurance companies represented in Gabon. As of 1995, at least ten insurance companies were doing business in Gabon.
PUBLIC FINANCE
The oil sector brings in over 50% of government revenues. Government finances are generally poorly managed. Large deficits have required borrowing from foreign creditors, although the government's failure to privatize state-owned enterprises and to fully account for oil revenues has soiled its reputation with international financial institutions. After the 1994 devaluation of the currency, Gabon was forced to rescheduled its debt with the World Bank/IMF, the London Club of creditors, the African Development Bank, and the Paris Club. In April 2002, an 18-month stand-by arrangement with the IMF expired, without Gabon fulfilling its responsibilities.
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimated that in 2005 Gabon's central government took in revenues of approximately $2.4 billion and had expenditures of $1.6 billion. Revenues minus expenditures totaled approximately $845 million. Public debt in 2005 amounted to 29.5% of GDP. Total external debt was $3.857 billion.
TAXATION
A graduated income tax ranging from 5–55% is imposed on civil servants and others who are paid fixed salaries or who have sufficient
Current Account | 390.4 | |||||
Balance on goods | 1,588.3 | |||||
Imports | -910.5 | |||||
Exports | 2,498.8 | |||||
Balance on services | -586.1 | |||||
Balance on income | -568.9 | |||||
Current transfers | -43.0 | |||||
Capital Account | 5.4 | |||||
Financial Account | -686.8 | |||||
Direct investment abroad | -73.9 | |||||
Direct investment in Gabon | -156.6 | |||||
Portfolio investment assets | 22.4 | |||||
Portfolio investment liabilities | -0.7 | |||||
Financial derivatives | … | |||||
Other investment assets | -109.0 | |||||
Other investment liabilities | -369.1 | |||||
Net Errors and Omissions | -106.7 | |||||
Reserves and Related Items | 397.8 | |||||
(…) data not available or not significant. |
income. A complementary tax is levied at 1% for incomes up to CFA FR100,000 per month and 5.5% on incomes over that figure. Additional taxes are levied on business transactions and on real property. There is a value-added tax on all goods and services at rates ranging from 5–14%. In April 1995, a value-added tax (VAT) was introduced, replacing three turnover taxes. The standard VAT rate in 2005 was 18%,. Other taxes include a 2.6% payroll tax, a property tax, and a financial transactions tax.
The standard corporate tax rate is 35% after deduction for business expenses, with a minimum of 1.1% on turnover. There is a 20% withholding tax on dividends. Payments of interest, royalties, and for services are taxed at 10%. Government oil revenues are derived from royalty payments, a tax on petroleum company profits, a tax on exploration permits, and dividends paid by the petroleum companies.
CUSTOMS AND DUTIES
Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and the Congo are joined in a customs union, the Union Douanière et Economique de l'Afrique Centrale (UDEAC). Gabon is a part of the franc zone, within which goods and capital flow without obstruction.
Import duties consist of a fiscal duty applied to all goods entering the UDEAC area, whatever their origin. Customs duties and taxes are based on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value. Basic products are taxed at 7.2%, raw materials at 29.8%, intermediate products and most food products at 53.4%, and luxury items 99.42%. In addition, there is an entry fee, a value-added tax (VAT) of 18% payable by all companies with a turnover of more than $400,000, a complementary import tax, and a special fee on postal and border imports. Imports from outside the franc zone and the European Union are subject to licensing fees and prior authorization is required. Export duties and taxes are levied on specific commodities.
FOREIGN INVESTMENT
Gabon has benefited from considerable private investment centered on the development of petroleum resources. French investments predominated, accounting for over 73% of foreign investment, with the United Kingdom (21%) following. Since independence, however, Gabon has sought additional sources of investment and US companies have invested in the lumber industry, oil exploration, and mining. French influence by sector is estimated at 63% in construction, 50% in petroleum, 30% in timber, 20% in chemicals, and 29% in transportation. The biggest French company in Gabon is Shell Gabon. Foreign direct investment ranged from $30 million in 2002 to $323 million in 2004.
Gabon's investment code of 1989 gives preferential treatment with regard to taxation, duties, importation of certain equipment and raw materials, and royalties to all enterprises considered important for the development of Gabon's economy. The government reserves the right to give preferential treatment to Gabonese-owned industry. Free transfer of capital is guaranteed and there are no restrictions on area of activity. All new industrial, mining, farming, or forestry operations are exempt from income tax for the first two years.
In January 1996, the government passed a new law on privatization that resulted in the sale of the electricity and water monopoly (SEEG) in 1997 to a French firm. Other companies to be privatized include Transgabonese Railway (OCTRA) and the International Telecommunications Office (OPT).
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Economic liberalism tempered by planning is the basic policy of the Gabonese government, which seeks to make the most of the country's rich natural resources. Priority is being given to the agricultural sector, to reduce imports, and to diversify the economy. Limiting migration to the cities is also an important element in this strategy. Industrial development efforts are centered on resource processing industries. Building the infrastructure is also an identifiable priority.
The devaluation of the CFA (Communauté Financière Africaine) franc in 1994 did not stimulate local production and discourage imports as expected. Realizing the need for structural adjustments to restore economic competitiveness, the government developed a new strategy in 1995 that encouraged private sector development, promoted privatization of state-owned enterprises, and increased the government's efforts in providing health and education services. A 1997 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on Gabon criticized the government of overspending and failing to meet structural reform schedules. The government negotiated an 18-month stand-by arrangement with the IMF in 2000, which expired in 2002; Gabon met few of its targets.
Oil production fell in 2001, and non-oil activity rose by 4%. Oil prices were high in the early 2000s, and Gabon's current account balance improved from a deficit of 8.8% of GDP in 1999 to a surplus of 3.2% in 2000; it fell to a deficit of 1% of GDP in 2001, in part due to lower oil exports. The IMF in 2003 encouraged Gabon's government to develop the non-oil sector as a way of replacing the oil and government sectors as the primary catalysts for economic growth and development. According to the IMF's staff report on the fourth review of Gabon's stand-by arrangement, Gabon's exports are expected to increase modestly in 2006–07, even though oil production is forecast to remain constant, at 13.4 million tons (266,928 barrels/day).
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Old age, disability, and survivor pensions are available to all employees and are funded by contributions from employees and employers. Special systems are in place for civil servants, military personnel, the self-employed, and state contract workers. Other benefits include maternity and medical coverage, and workers' compensation. A family allowance is available to all salaried workers with children under the age of 16. Agricultural workers and subsistence farmers are not covered by these programs.
Women have many legal protections and participate in business and politics, although they face discrimination in many areas. Polygamy is still common, and the property rights of women in polygamous marriages are limited. Women are required by law to obtain permission from their husband before leaving the country. Domestic abuse is prevalent, especially in rural areas. There is limited legal and medical assistance for rape victims.
Minority Pygmies maintain their indigenous community and decision-making structures. However, they suffer societal discrimination and severe poverty. Gabon's human rights record has improved in recent years, although there continue to be reports of the use of abuse by security forces. Prison conditions are harsh and life threatening.
HEALTH
Most of the health services are public, but there are some private institutions, of which the best known is the hospital established in 1913 in Lambaréné by Albert Schweitzer. The hospital is now partially subsidized by the Gabonese government.
Gabon's medical infrastructure is considered one of the best in West Africa. By 1985 there were 28 hospitals, 87 medical centers, and 312 infirmaries and dispensaries. As of 2004, there were an estimated 29 physicians per 100,000 people. Approximately 90% of the population had access to health care services. In 2000, 70% of the population had access to safe drinking water and 21% had adequate sanitation.
A comprehensive government health program treats such diseases as leprosy, sleeping sickness, malaria, filariasis, intestinal worms, and tuberculosis. Rates for immunization of children under the age of one were 97% for tuberculosis and 65% for polio. Immunization rates for DPT and measles were 37% and 56% respectively. Gabon has a domestic supply of pharmaceuticals from a large, modern factory in Libreville.
The total fertility rate has decreased from 5.8 in 1960 to 4.2 children per mother during childbearing years in 2000. Ten percent of all births were low birth weight. The maternal mortality rate was 520 per 100,000 live births as of 1998. In 2005, the infant mortality rate was 55.35 per 1,000 live births and life expectancy was 55.02 years. As of 2002, the overall mortality rate was estimated at 17.6 per 1,000 inhabitants.
The HIV/AIDS prevalence was 8.10 per 100 adults in 2003. As of 2004, there were approximately 48,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. There were an estimated 3,000 deaths from AIDS in 2003.
World Health Organization specialists and the government of Gabon took immediate action against the mid-1990s reemergence of the Ebola virus.
HOUSING
Credit institutions make small loans for the repair of existing houses and larger loans (amounting to almost the total cost of the house) for the construction of new houses, but the cost of homeownership and maintenance has still been beyond the reach of most average citizens. Because of their higher credit rating, salaried civil servants and employees of trading companies receive most of the loans. The government has established a national habitation fund, and there have been a number of urban renewal projects. As of 2000, 73% of urban and 55% of rural dwellers had access to improved water sources. About 25% of urban and 4% of rural dwellers had access to improved sanitation systems. It has been estimated that the housing deficit within Libreville alone is about 100,000 dwellings.
EDUCATION
The educational system is patterned on that of France, but changes are being introduced gradually to adapt the curriculum to local needs and traditions. The government gives high priority to education, especially the construction of rural schools. Education is free and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. Primary school covers five years of study. Students then choose either general secondary courses or a technical school program, each of which cover seven years. The academic year runs from October to June. The primary language of instruction is French.
In 2001, about 13% of children between the ages of three and five were enrolled in some type of preschool program. Primary school enrollment in 2001 was estimated at about 78% of age-eligible students. The same year, enrollment in secondary schools was at less than 50% of age-eligible students. It is estimated that about 74% of all students complete their primary education. The student-to-teacher ratio for primary school was at about 49:1 in 2003; the ratio for secondary school was about 28:1. In 2003, private schools accounted for about 29% of primary school enrollment and 30% of secondary enrollment.
Omar Bongo University, at Libreville, includes faculties of law, sciences, and letters; teachers' training schools; and schools of law, engineering, forestry and hydraulics, administration, and management. In 1999, about 7% of the tertiary age population were enrolled in some type of higher education program. The adult literacy rate for 1995 was estimated at about 63.2%, with 73.7% for men and 53.3% for women.
As of 2003, public expenditure on education was estimated at 3.9% of GDP.
LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS
The National Library (founded in 1969), National Archives (1969), and Documentation Center (1980) together form a collection of 25,000 volumes. The Omar Bongo University in Libreville has 12,000 volumes. The Information Center Library in Libreville has 3,500 volumes. There are also American and French Cultural Centers in Libreville housing modest collections. The Museum of Arts and Traditions at Libreville is a general interest museum. The National Museum of Gabon is also in Libreville.
MEDIA
The Ministry of Information, Posts, and Telecommunications provides domestic services for Gabon and participates in international services. There are direct radiotelephone communications with Paris and other overseas points. In 2003, there were an estimated 29 mainline telephones for every 1,000 people. The same year, there were approximately 224 mobile phones in use for every 1,000 people.
Radio-Diffusion Télévision Gabonaise (RTG), which is owned and operated by the government, broadcasts in French and indigenous languages. Color television broadcasts have been introduced in major cities. In 1981, a commercial radio station, Africa No. 1, began operations. The most powerful radio station on the continent, it has participation from the French and Gabonese governments and private European media. In 2004, the government operated two radio stations and another seven were privately owned. There were also two government television stations and four privately owned. In 2003, there were an estimated 488 radios and 308 television sets for every 1,000 people. About 11.5 of every 1,000 people were cable subscribers. Also in 2003, there were 22.4 personal computers for every 1,000 people and 26 of every 1,000 people had access to the Internet. There were six secure Internet servers in the country in 2004.
The national press service is the Gabonese Press Agency, which publishes a daily paper, Gabon-Matin (circulation 18,000 as of 2002). L'Union in Libreville, the government-controlled daily newspaper, had an average daily circulation of 40,000 in 2002. The weekly Gabon d'Aujourdhui, is published by the Ministry of Communications. There are about nine privately owned periodicals which are either independent or affiliated with political parties. These publish in small numbers and are often delayed by financial constraints. Foreign newspapers are available.
The constitution of Gabon provides for free speech and a free press, and the government is said to support these rights. Several periodicals actively criticize the government and foreign publications are widely available.
ORGANIZATIONS
There is a chamber of commerce at Libreville. UNIGABON, a national organization established in October 1959, conducts liaison work among mining companies, labor unions, public works societies, and transportation companies. There are some professional organizations, such as the Association of Editors of a Free and Independent Press and the Association of Sports Medicine.
Church organizations are active in the country and have a sizable following. They operate several mission schools and health centers. In rural areas, cooperatives promote the production and marketing of agricultural products. Among the tribes, self-help societies have grown rapidly, particularly in the larger towns, where tribal members act together as mutual-aid societies. There are youth and women's organizations affiliated with the PDG. The Alliance of YMCA's is also a major youth organization in the country, as are several scouting programs.
Volunteer service organizations, such as the Lions Clubs International and Rotary Clubs, are also present. There are national chapters of the Red Cross Society and Caritas.
TOURISM, TRAVEL, AND RECREATION
Gabon's tourist attractions include fine beaches, ocean and inland fishing facilities, and scenic sites, such as the falls on the Ogooué River and the Crystal Mountains. Many visitors come to see the hospital founded by Albert Schweitzer at Lambaréné. In addition, there are two national parks and four wildlife reserves. Hunting is allowed in certain areas except during October and November.
Tourism accommodations are limited. In 2002 there were only 2,450 hotel rooms with a 70% occupancy rate. An estimated 222,257 tourists arrived in Gabon in 2003. Visitors must have a valid passport, visa, and evidence of yellow fever immunization.
In 2005, the US Department of State estimated the daily expenses of staying in Libreville at $246. Elsewhere, expenses were as low as $135 per day.
FAMOUS GABONESE
The best-known Gabonese are Léon Mba (1902–67), the president of the republic from 1960 to 1967, and Omar Bongo (AlbertBernard Bongo, b.1935), president since Mba's death. Born in Alsace (then part of Germany but now in France), Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965), a world-famous clergyman, physician, philosopher, and musicologist and the 1952 winner of the Nobel Prize for peace, administered a hospital that he established in Lambaréné in 1913.
DEPENDENCIES
Gabon has no territories or colonies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barnes, James Franklin. Gabon: Beyond the Colonial Legacy. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1992.
Decalo, Samuel. The Stable Minority: Civilian Rule in Africa, 1960–1990. Gainesville, Fla.: FAP Books, 1998.
Dun and Bradstreet's Export Guide to Gabon. Parsippany, N.J.: Dun and Bradstreet, 1999.
Gardinier, David E. Gabon. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio Press, 1992.
——. Historical Dictionary of Gabon. 2nd ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1994.
——. Historical Dictionary of Gabon. Boulder, Colo.: netLibrary, Inc., 2000.
Gray, Christopher J. Colonial Rule and Crisis in Equatorial Africa: Southern Gabon, c. 1850–1940. Rochester, N.Y.: University of Rochester Press, 2002.
McElrath, Karen (ed.). HIV and AIDS: A Global View. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2002.
Zeilig, Leo and David Seddon. A Political and Economic Dictionary of Africa. Philadelphia: Routledge/Taylor and Francis, 2005.
Gabon
GABON
Gabonese Republic
Major City:
Libreville
Other Cities:
Franceville, Lambaréné, Mouanda, Oyem, Port-Gentil, Tchibanga
EDITOR'S NOTE
This chapter was adapted from the Department of State Post Report dated August 1992. Supplemental material has been added to increase coverage of minor cities, facts have been updated, and some material has been condensed. Readers are encouraged to visit the Department of State's web site at http://travel.state.gov/ for the most recent information available on travel to this country.
INTRODUCTION
GABON , the first part of French Equatorial Africa to be settled in the middle of the 19th century, has enjoyed a remarkably stable relationship with its former colonial power. From 1968 to 1990, Gabon was a one-party state dominated by the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). In February 1990, amid widespread social, political, and economic discontent, the Gabonese president declared that the PDG's monopoly of power would be dissolved, a new constitution written, and all opposition parties legalized. The first multiparty elections took place in 1993.
Gabon became a republic within the French Community in 1958, and two years later achieved full independence. Léon M'Ba, who formed Gabon's first political party (the Mouvement Mixte Gabonais) in 1946, became the country's first president. M'Ba was overthrown by a military coup in 1964, but was restored by French troops. M'Ba died in 1967. He was replaced by his vice-president, now known as El Hadj Omar Bongo in 1967. Bongo remains in power to date. Gabon's major strides in economic development, principally stimulated by vast oil resources, have made it a country of increasing economic importance in Central Africa.
MAJOR CITY
Libreville
Libreville, the capital, is an attractive, modern city, which has been transformed in the past decade from a sleepy town reminiscent of the colonial era into a metropolis of about 419,000. Included in this number is a predominantly French expatriate community.
The entire city has undergone extensive modernization. For years, dozens of huge cranes have shared the skyline with newly completed high-rise office and apartment structures. The downtown core of Libreville is surrounded by residential districts where modern apartment buildings and houses are erected next to African huts with palm-leaf roofs. One side of the city is bounded by broad expanses of palm-lined, sandy beaches which are excellent for swimming or sunning; on the other side, new construction continues to push back the dense equatorial rain forest that covers nearly 75 percent of Gabon's land area. The high annual rainfall and ample sunshine encourage the growth of lush tropical vegetation, creating a charming overall impression.
For visitors, the city offers several luxury hotels—the Okoumé Palace Inter-Continental, Rapontchombo-Novotel, Dowe-Novotel, Sheraton, Monts de Cristal, and the Gamba. Libreville is one of the most expensive cities in the world, with scant accommodations available in all but the luxury class. However, due to overbuilding, hotel rates have dropped slightly in recent years.
For its permanent or expatriate residents, it boasts one of Africa's largest supermarkets and a number of interesting small shops and markets. Because nearly all goods are imported, usually from Europe, prices are extremely high. However, almost everything is available locally to those willing to pay the price.
Education
The American International School, in residential Quartier Louis, was opened in 1975, and offers a full curriculum from kindergarten through grade eight. A curriculum similar to American schools is offered with English as the language of instruction. French is taught as a foreign language.
Several public and parochial schools in Libreville provide instruction (in French) through the equivalent level of high school. The curriculum is satisfactory and includes athletics; however, teaching standards, particularly in the upper grades, are low and classrooms tend to be seriously overcrowded.
In the city of Port-Gentil, the American School of Port-Gentil was opened in 1985. Sponsored by the Amoco Gabon Exploration Company, the school is located in a large, refurbished villa near the city's airport. The curriculum from kindergarten through eighth grade is similar to American schools; however, classes are taught in French. Sports such as tennis, soccer, swimming, and softball are offered. Art, music, drama, computer instruction, yearbook, and the school newspaper are popular extracurricular activities.
Recreation
The ocean provides the city's main recreation. At the edge of town are long, palm-lined beaches where swimming and sun bathing are possible year-round. Many fishing and water-skiing enthusiasts maintain motorboats in the area. The deeper waters offshore abound in many types of game fish—tarpon, barracuda, sailfish, marlin, sea bass, and occasional sharks. Protected waters closer to the coast allow for skin diving. Sailing and wind surfing are extremely popular.
The largest of Libreville's sports clubs is the Mindoube Club, which offers tennis, riding, a swimming pool, and a small bar and restaurant for its members. There are five lighted tennis courts, and stables where horses may be boarded or rented. Membership is easily arranged, but fees are relatively high.
The Golf Club de l'Estuaire offers a challenging 18-hole course. The fairways and sand greens are moderately well maintained, but the rough is dense during the rainy season.
Several other sports and hobbies are represented by clubs in Libreville. An aéroclub offers flying instruction and the opportunity for licensed pilots to use light aircraft, at rates well below those charged by charter operators. There also is a club for parachutists, and several for the martial arts. Bridge, chess, and philately groups welcome new members.
Governmental controls on firearms and hunting privileges have made sport hunting increasingly difficult, to the point where outings might be arranged only through personal intercession with a few expatriates or Gabonese who still have access to preserves.
Touring in Gabon is a popular form of recreation. The internationally renowned hospital founded by the late Dr. Albert Schweitzer, 160 miles from the capital in the town of Lambaréné, offers a pleasant weekend excursion. It can be reached by air, or by a four to five-hour drive through an attractive forested landscape. New roads are now providing shorter alternate routes. With suitable advance notice, adequate accommodations (including meals) can be obtained at Sofitel Ogooué Palace, a small hotel in town. The hospital staff extends a warm welcome to visitors and provides guided tours of the facilities, including both old and new hospital buildings and a small museum devoted to Dr. Schweitzer's life and work. Either the hospital staff or the hotel can also arrange a trip by motorized pirogue (dugout canoe) on the Ogooué River and into a series of adjacent lakes. Such a trip, which can last from one hour to an entire day, offers an opportunity to see hippopotami, crocodiles, monkeys, and colorful birds.
All parts of Gabon can be reached by air, but plane fares are expensive. Travel by road continues to be made easier with the building of new arteries, although many places still can be reached only by four-wheel-drive vehicles during the rainy season. The Transgabon Railway, begun in 1974 and the largest civil engineering project in Black Africa not financed by international aid, has opened new passenger-rail possibilities that were previously unavailable.
Most provincial capitals now have adequate hotel facilities, and several private companies in the interior will offer hospitality to visitors if given prior notice. This increased availability of accommodations, combined with an active program of road construction, is making travel by car more practicable than ever before, but such trips will continue to require a pioneering spirit for several years to come. For those willing to make the effort, however, the country is extremely attractive and varied. Highlights include extensive mining operations in the southeast; open savanna country in the southwest (with herds of buffalo and, occasionally, elephant); mountain ranges stretching across the central part of the country; agricultural areas in the north; and miles and miles of unbroken forest nearly everywhere in Gabon.
Entertainment
Entertainment outside the home is limited, although possibilities have increased as the city has grown. A number of good, but usually expensive, restaurants offer Gabonese, French, Italian, Vietnamese, and North African specialties. Several expensive nightclubs offer dancing to recorded and live music.
Movies are available at the relatively new Komo cinema and Bowl-ingstore, which is comparable to a first-run theater in the U.S. All films are in French and often are of mediocre quality; films of American or British origin are dubbed. The U.S. Army and Air Force Motion Picture Service (AAFMPS), West African circuit, provides movies for government personnel and their families and guests. There are frequent film showings at the French Cultural Center.
Only occasionally is live theater or musical entertainment found in Libreville. Special shows or visiting entertainers appear on an irregular basis at the Komo or one of the hotels, and the French Cultural Center sponsors a number of lectures and theatrical presentations. The U.S. Information Service (USIS) Cultural Center has a library which lends books and records.
The American community in Libreville consists of embassy personnel, Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries, business people, and their families. The American Business Association is composed of diplomatic officers and people involved with U.S. commercial enterprises in Gabon.
There are many foreign embassies here, including the U.S. Embassy in the heart of town, overlooking the sea. The number of diplomatic missions is constantly increasing. Social interaction between the expatriate business and professional community and Gabonese government officials and private individuals is part of the life of the international community.
OTHER CITIES
FRANCEVILLE , in Gabon's southeastern corner, lies on a tributary of the Ogooué River. It is an active trading center in the midst of a mining region. Gold is mined southwest of the town and coffee is one of the area's main cash crops. Franceville has a population of over 75,000.
Albert Schweitzer founded his world-famous mission hospital in LAMBARÉNÉ in 1926. Expanded and modernized, it continues today. The town is on the Ogooué River, about 100 miles southeast of Libreville. Because the town is on an island, access is limited. The hospital, on the north bank, can be reached by boat or, in dry season, by foot. Lambaréné is a lumbering and trading center and is the home of a large palm oil factory. Palm oil products and lumber are usually exported down the Ogooué River to Port-Gentil, 100 miles to the west. Lambaréné has an estimated population of over 50,000.
In the southeast, MOUANDA (also spelled Moanda) attracts workers to its sophisticated manganese mining operations. A U.S.-French consortium has built schools, two hospitals, roads, and airfields in Mouanda and the surrounding area. The consortium has also constructed facilities for the training of chemists and draftsmen. Mouanda has an estimated population of 45,500.
OYEM is a provincial capital 175 miles northeast of Libreville. Cash crops, such as coffee and cocoa, are grown on surrounding farms, and the city is also a major agricultural transport point to the Cameroonian ports of Kribi and Douala. Rubber and potatoes are also cultivated here. Oyem's population is roughly 89,600.
PORT-GENTIL , with its estimated population of 164,000, is on the delta of the Ogooué River, about 100 miles southwest of Libreville. The discovery of offshore oil deposits in 1956 stimulated Port-Gentil's commercial and industrial growth. It is considered the industrial capital of Gabon, since it is the center of the petroleum and plywood industries and the country's busiest port. Port-Gentil is also the site of a construction company, a chemical plant, a brewery, and processing plants for fish, rice, palm oil, and whale oil.
TCHIBANGA is a small town located near the Nyanga River in southwestern Gabon. With a population of approximately 54,000, Tchibanga is Gabon's major rice producing center. Cassava and peanuts are also grown here. A lumber industry and marble processing plant are also important. Recently discovered iron-ore deposits near Tchibanga raise hopes for a lucrative mining operation in the future.
COUNTRY PROFILE
Geography and Climate
Gabon straddles the equator on the west coast of Central Africa and borders on Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Cameroon on the north, and the Republic of the Congo on the east and south. Spreading across an approximate 102,300 square miles, it is roughly the size of Colorado and considerably larger than either the United Kingdom or the Federal Republic of Germany.
Heavy equatorial rain forests comprise nearly 75 percent of Gabon, with savanna areas in the southeastern and southwestern sections of the country covering an additional 15 percent. The remaining area is composed of swamps and water bodies, towns, villages, and roads. The Ogooué, the largest river in West Africa between the Niger and the Congo, drains most of Gabon. Winding in a broad arc from southeastern Gabon to the country's Atlantic coast, the Ogooué cuts through three major geographical regions: the coastal lowlands, the plateau region, and the mountains.
The lowlands lie along the Atlantic Ocean and extend up into the river valleys which slice through the broad interior plateau. They are lined with beaches and lagoons fringed with mangrove swamps; the forest extends from the banks of the broad, slow-moving rivers and covers most of the lowland areas. Inland, the terrain mounts to the plateau, and then to the mountains which rise as high as 5,000 feet. The highest point in Gabon is Mt. Iboundji (5,167 ft.). The land has considerable variety and the interior is often beautiful with its mountains, rolling hills, forests, and scattered grassland clearings.
Gabon's climate is typically equatorial—hot and humid during most of the year. Temperatures range from 65°F to 77°F in the dry season, and from 86°F to 93°F during the rainy season. There are four distinguishable seasons, although they vary somewhat each year: the long, dry period from late May until mid-September; the short, rainy season from mid-September until mid-December; the short, dry period from then through January; and the long, rainy interval from February until late May. Rainfall at Libreville is about 100 inches a year (the U.S. average is approximately 40 inches), with heaviest amounts falling in October, November, March, April, and May. Humidity is always high, between 80 and 87 percent. Because of seasonal ocean currents and a high cloud cover, the long, dry season is the coolest time of the year.
Population
Gabon has an estimated population of 1.2 million. Gabon has one of the smallest populations in Africa; the density (an average of four persons per square mile) is also the lowest of any on the continent. The people are concentrated along the rivers and roads, while large areas of the interior lie empty. During much of the past century, there was an actual decline in population because of disease and related factors, but increased medical care and social services have halted this trend. However, population growth is still slow. As a consequence, economic development is hampered by a labor shortage.
Almost all Gabonese are members of the Bantu language group. The more than 40 tribes have separate languages or dialects and different cultures. The largest tribe is the Fang. The other major groups are the Bapounou, Eschira, M'Bete, Bandjabi, Bakota, and Myene. The remainder of the population is divided among more than 30 other tribes, including some 2,000 Pygmies. The official language of Gabon is French. Since English is rarely spoken here, it is essential to have a working knowledge of French. Fang is the most widely used popular language. Baponou, Myene, and other Bantu dialects are also spoken.
55 to 75 percent of Gabon's population are Christians, mainly adherents of the Roman Catholic Church. The remainder of the population practice animist beliefs or are Moslems.
Outside the major towns and cities, the people are grouped in small or moderate-size villages and live in square, wooden, or mud wattle houses surrounded by small plots of manioc and stands of banana trees. European-style dress is worn by both Gabonese men and women throughout the country.
History
Pygmies are believed to have inhabited the Gabon estuary in early times, but it was the Mpongwe who occupied both banks when the Portuguese, the first explorers in that region, arrived in 1470. Many place names are Portuguese in origin: Cape Lopez, Cape Estérias, and even Gabon itself, derived from gaboa, meaning a sailor's hooded cloak, similar to the shape of the estuary. The Portuguese, however, never established any permanent settlements. Dutch, French, and other ships continued to visit the coast, but no attempt to penetrate the country was made until the 19th century.
Although the Congress of Vienna outlawed the slave trade in 1815, for many years afterward local chiefs continued to gather slaves from the interior and sell them to British, Dutch, French, and Portuguese traders on the coast. The coast of Gabon came under French protection after 1839, when the French naval captain Bouet Willaumez concluded a treaty of friendship and protection with King Rapontchombo (Denis), one of several African chiefs commanding both sides of the estuary. In the next few years, most of the other chiefs accepted similar treaties with the French.
Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry, commanding the American West Africa Squadron, first entered the estuary in 1843. In 1846, the French captured the slave ship Elizia, and most of the Congolese aboard perished before they could be hospitalized in Dakar. Fifty-two who survived were freed and sent to Gabon in 1849, and there they received from the French, plots of land on both sides of what is today called rue du Gouverneur Ballay. This village, named Libreville by the French, later became the capital of the Gabonese Republic.
The first American missionaries arrived in 1842. Their initial post was at Baraka in the Glass area, but their work later extended up the Como and the Ogooué to Lambaréné and beyond. At Bakara, the Americans began the first Western-type school in Equatorial Africa. Between 1890 and 1913, the American missionaries were replaced by others from the Paris Mission Society and, in 1961, this Protestant effort emerged as the independent Gabon Evangelical Church. In 1934, another group of American missionaries established work in southern Gabon, where they still labor in cooperation with that church.
A Monseigneur Barron of Philadelphia was sent by the Vatican in 1843 to explore the possibilities of a Roman Catholic mission in the estuary. The following year, Monseigneur Jean Remy Bessieux, a Frenchman, began the pioneer work for the Holy Heart of Mary order, which later became attached to the Fathers of the Holy Spirit. The Roman Catholic Church in Gabon has also come under the direction of African leaders.
During the 19th century, English and American trade dominated the estuary, especially from commercial centers such as Glass. Nevertheless, from 1845 on, the estuary was firmly under French control, and it was during this period that Gabon was gradually explored. Between 1855 and 1865, Paul du Chaillu explored the mountains in central Gabon which now bear his name.
American missionaries, du Chaillu, and French naval captains were the first Westerners to come into contact with the Gabonese of the interior regions. The Ogooué River was initially explored in 1854, when two American missionaries (whose surnames were Walker and Preston) ascended about half the distance to Lambaréné. Savorgnan de Brazza made the most thorough explorations between 1875 and 1883. Between 1888 and 1910, Crampel, Cureau, and Cottes explored the Woleu N'Tem region of northern Gabon. The famed Dr. Albert Schweitzer arrived in Lambaréné, opening his jungle hospital in 1923 on the banks of the Ogooué, only a few hundred yards from the former trading house of the renowned merchant, Trader Horn.
In the late 1880s, when Africa was partitioned, Gabon fell under French rule, and, in 1886, its administrative history developed. Gabon was first a part of the French Congo administered from Dakar. It became a distinct administrative region in 1903 and, in 1910, was organized as Gabon, one of the territories of French Equatorial Africa, along with the Middle Congo, Ubangichari, and Chad. The federation of these four territories was dissolved in 1959 when Gabon refused political union, and the next year they became the four independent states of Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Central African Republic, and Chad. These states, together with Cameroon, have cooperated in several regional organizations. In 1966, they formed the Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC) to harmonize tariffs and to coordinate economic development. Chad resigned from the group in 1968.
Government
Gabon's constitution calls for the election by universal suffrage of a president to a seven-year term. The president appoints a prime minister, who serves as head of government, and a Council of Ministers.
Legislative policy is conducted by the National Assembly. This unicameral body consists of 120 members serving five-year terms. A new constitution approved in July 1996 provided for the creation of a 91-member Senate. El Hadj Omar Bongo first became president in 1967, and has been reelected every election since. In 1999, he appointed Jean-Francois Ntoutoume-Emane as prime minister.
Gabon has a judiciary system comprised of a Supreme Court, a High Court of Justice, a Court of Appeal, a Superior Council of Magistracy headed by the president, and a number of lesser courts. All Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president.
Administratively, the country is divided into nine provinces headed by governors, and further subdivided into 36 prefectures. Both governors and prefects are appointed by the president. The cities of Libreville and Port-Gentil are governed by elected mayors and Municipal Councils.
The flag of Gabon consists of green, yellow, and blue horizontal bands.
Arts, Science, Education
Gabon's intellectual, technological, and artistic life closely follows French development, although the beginnings of a resurgence in bringing a Gabonese perspective to these areas is seen. The National University, Université Omar Bongo (founded in 1970 and renamed eight years later), offers the licence to students in faculties of letters and humanities, sciences, economics and law, and engineering. Other post-secondary institutions include l'École Normale Supérieure, l'École Nationale des Eaux et Forêts, l'École des Cadres Ruraux, l'École Nationale d'Administration, Centre Universitaire des Sciences de la Santé, and l 'École Normale d'Enseignement Technique. In addition, l'École Nationale d'Art et de Manufacture offers secondary-school level training in various arts and crafts. The Université des Sciences et des Techniques de Masuku was opened in 1987. Many students go to France for university and technical training. The Gabonese government launched an adult literacy campaign in recent years.
Traditional Gabonese art (mainly Fang, Bakota, and Bapounou) is among the finest in Africa. Gabonese craftsmen produce excellent wood and stone carvings, weapons, musical instruments, and tools. Fang masks are especially popular among tourists. Most Gabonese art can be purchased from stalls, shops, and street vendors in Libreville and other large towns or at the Centre Artisanal near Libreville's Léon M'Ba Airport.
Until recently, Gabonese cultural traditions have been dwarfed by a decidedly European orientation on the part of the Gabonese elite. But in 1974, the first National Cultural Festival was organized in an attempt to preserve and encourage the development of Gabonese folklore.
Commerce and Industry
Gabon, with its abundant natural resources and small population, is one of the wealthiest nations in Africa, with a per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that is four times greater than that of most Sub-Saharan nations. The country is rich in oil. Nearly 40 oil companies operate in Gabon, and oil accounts for 50% of GDP. The offshore oil fields at Oguendo, Gamba, Mandji, and Lucina are the main producing areas. In January 1989, production began at the billion barrel Rabi-Kounga field in west-central Gabon, an area that promises to boost Gabon's petroleum output by 50 percent.
Gabon has been plagued in recent years by a burgeoning national debt and falling world oil prices. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) implemented a number of austerity programs that have stabilized Gabon's economy.
Mining is another of Gabon's economic resources. The country has rich supplies of manganese ore and uranium. Most of these minerals are exported to Western Europe. Other mineral resources include lead, iron ore, diamonds, gold, phosphates, barite, copper, and zinc. Gabon's mineral output will likely increase with the scheduled completion of the Transgabon Railway. 60 percent of Gabon's population is involved in subsistence agriculture. However, it contributed only a meager ten percent to GDP in 1988. As a result, Gabon must import 70 percent of its food requirements.
Gabon's manufacturing sector is very small and is plagued by high production costs and a shortage of skilled workers. Primary industries include wood processing, foodstuff production, chemicals, ship repair, textiles, and metalworking.
Traditionally, France has been Gabon's major trading partner. However, in recent years, Gabon has pursued stronger economic ties with Japan, Canada, the United States, and Western Europe.
The address of the Gabonese Chambre de Commerce, d'Agriculture, d'Industrie, et des Mines du Gabon is B.P. 2234, Libreville; telephone: 72-20-64; telex: 5554.
Transportation
In addition to daily service between Libreville and Paris, provided by UTA (Union de Transport Aériens, a French carrier) and Air Gabon, Libreville is connected directly to such other European cities as Brussels, Madrid, Geneva, Rome, Zurich, London, and Frankfurt. Service to capitals in central and West Africa is provided by Air Gabon and regional airlines (Air Afrique, Air Zaire, Nigerian Airways, and Cameroon Airways), and by stops on flights to and from Europe. Flights are available to such nearby points as Douala (Cameroon), Lagos (Nigeria), and Kinshasa (Zaire). The international airport at Libreville, Léon M'Ba, is seven miles from the city proper.
No passenger ships call at Libreville, but accommodations can, at times, be arranged on cargo vessels traveling north or south along the coast. This requires advance booking and considerable flexibility in travel.
The national airline (Air Gabon) or air charter companies are the carriers most used for travel within Gabon; rates in either case are high. Passenger train service is available on the Transgabon Railway, which covers 403 miles between Libreville and Franceville. Service is good and accommodations, especially in first-class, are quite comfortable.
Taxis abound, but are unsatisfactory as a means of transportation; drivers pick up anyone going in their general direction, and the result is often an extensive, crowded tour of the city before one's destination is reached. Taxi drivers seldom know the names of streets. Passengers should be prepared to give directions in terms of well-known landmarks (embassies, hotels, etc.) Tipping taxi drivers is not customary.
A private car is a necessity for an extended stay. Local licenses normally are issued without tests upon presentation of a valid license from another country. Third-party liability insurance is mandatory and must be obtained locally. Collision insurance is extremely expensive in Gabon, making it advisable to purchase from U.S. companies if possible.
Although Gabon has roughly 4,800 miles of roadway, less than 400 miles are paved. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are highly recommended, especially during the rainy seasons when most roads are virtually impassable.
There is a predominance of Volkswagens, French-made cars (Renault and Peugeot), Fiats, Hondas, and Toyotas, assuring these of the most complete servicing facilities. Parts supply and the quality of service are, however, erratic for all makes of vehicles. American cars are not sold in Gabon. Thus, parts and service for American models is generally unavailable.
Communications
Gabon has one of the most advanced telecommunications systems in Africa. Local and long-distance telephone service is available 24 hours a day. Long-distance service from Libreville and other large towns is excellent, but expensive. Telegraph connections usually can be made to most parts of the world during normal working hours and until noon on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Fax service is available in the business center of the Hotel Okoumé Palace-Intercontinental and in other major hotels. There is regular air and sea mail service between Libreville and the U.S., with air transit time averaging about five to seven days. Whenever possible, post office box numbers rather than street addresses should be used when sending letters to Gabon.
The national radio network, La Voix de la Rénovation, and a provincial network broadcast 24 hours a day in French and local languages. Voice of America (VOA), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and other services can be received on a multi-band shortwave radio; equipment is expensive locally.
Gabon's state-controlled television service is Radio diffusion-Télévision Gabonaise. It broadcasts approximately five or six hours a day and only in French. Daily news programs cover local and international events, and full-length films are shown frequently. Two color channels are in operation, but no foreign transmission is provided. American-made sets are not compatible with Gabonese television.
L'Union, a multi-page printed newspaper, is published daily with a modicum of international news. Time, Newsweek, and a few other English-language magazines are available at local bookstores, which also are well stocked with French newspapers, such as Le Monde, and periodicals.
The International Herald Tribune and Le Monde can be obtained by subscription, arriving within one to five days after publication.
Health
Libreville offers generally satisfactory medical facilities for ordinary problems (except nursing care). In addition to a large public hospital, there are several private clinics staffed by expatriate (largely French) physicians. In all, these various facilities include among their medical personnel a number of specialists (in such areas as obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics) as well as general practitioners, and can cope with a wide variety of routine medical problems.
Several dentists are in practice in Libreville. Their work is of good quality, but expensive.
The level of community sanitation in Libreville is low compared to that in the U.S., but an effort is being made to raise standards as the city develops. Garbage, for example, is picked up six times weekly throughout the city, and there are periodic cleanup campaigns. Snakes are commonly seen in the city, and a local pest-control service provides effective treatment against occasional rodents. Insects are an irritating problem and can never be completely eliminated, but screening and judicious use of insecticides is helpful.
Gabon has most of the diseases common to tropical Africa: malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, and sleeping sickness. Bilharzia, caused by water snails, is endemic here. Avoid bathing in ponds, slow-moving streams, or lakes. It is important to be inoculated against yellow fever, tetanus, cholera, smallpox, typhoid, and polio prior to arrival. Malaria suppressants should also be taken—two to three weeks before arrival, and regularly thereafter.
While Gabon has somewhat lower rates for AIDS (SIDA in French) than other African countries, it is definitely a major problem, especially among prostitutes. In West and Central Africa, AIDS is primarily a heterosexual disease. Extreme precautions should be taken to ensure one's safety.
The climate itself has a tiring effect, making adequate rest and intake of fluids essential. Respiratory, intestinal, or dermatological ailments are often aggravated by the hot, humid climate and lack of specialized medical attention. In order to prevent skin worms, all laundry dried outdoors should be pressed on both sides with a very hot iron.
Although local French technicians and other residents contend that the water supply is safe, Americans often boil and filter their water as an additional safety precaution. Raw fruits should be peeled before eating, and raw vegetables should be treated with a chlorine solution. Cook all meat well. Fresh milk should be avoided in favor of powdered or canned evaporated milk.
Clothing and Services
Lightweight cotton or linen clothing is worn year round but, occasionally, a sweater or light jacket is useful for evenings during the dry season. Clothing sold locally is of mediocre quality and extremely expensive. Homemade articles afford a considerable savings over ready-made, but the patterns available in Libreville are printed in French, and differ from American-type patterns in design and format (e.g., there are no seam allowances). A few Gabonese and West African tailors make interesting shifts and shirts from native cloth, including some with machine-made embroidery; the shirts are suitable for casual wear for men, while the women's shifts are often appropriate for more formal evening occasions.
As a rule, extended-stay requirements for men include five or six washable summer suits (including one or two in dark colors for special occasions), a tuxedo with black jacket (to conform to local practice), and a supply of slacks and sports shirts. Women find that long dresses, caftans, or dressy pants outfits are popular for most evening events; loose fitting dresses and shifts are worn during the day. Both men and women should avoid wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts and tops when travelling in the countryside. Shirtsleeves for men and summer dresses for women are fine for informal gatherings.
Dry cleaning facilities are limited and expensive, making washable clothes the most practical choice. Hats are not worn except as protection from the sun. Whites and tennis shoes are standard for the courts.
Shoe sizes and quality are limited, and prices are high. Swimming attire should include three or four swim suits for each member of the family. An ample supply of underwear is needed, as frequent laundering tends to disintegrate both fabric and elastic.
Lightweight raincoats are useful during the heavy rains, but some people find them unbearable in the heat and humidity, and prefer umbrellas. Tennis shoes and thongs sometimes are substituted for boots for the same reason.
Basic supplies and medicines are available, but many items must be ordered from abroad and often take two months to arrive. Some products, such as hypoallergenic cosmetics, either are not carried locally, or are of questionable quality and exorbitantly priced. Prescription eyeglasses are usually unavailable. Bring extra pairs of eyeglasses and contact lenses.
Domestic Help
Although household help is desirable, well-trained domestics are difficult to find. Most are, at best, moderately skilled, and are expensive in comparison with services rendered. Domestics who will assume multiple responsibilities are rare, so it is necessary to hire a separate person for cleaning, cooking, gardening, laundry, etc. Most servants do not live in. Servants should have regular medical examinations, as there is a wide incidence of disease.
Local law requires that insurance be carried on domestics. Medical treatment is provided by the Gabonese Government through the social security program, as is a basic list of medications.
LOCAL HOLIDAYS
Jan. 1 … New Year's Day
Mar/Apr. … Easter*
Mar/Apr. … Easter Monday*
Mar/12 … Renovation Day
May 1 … Labor Day
May/June … Whitsunday"Pentecost*
May/June … Whitmonday*
Aug. 15 … Assumption Day
Aug. 17 … Independence Day
Nov.1 … All Saints' Day
Dec. 2 … Christmas Day
… Ramadan*
… Id al-Fitr*
… Id al-Adha*
… Mawlid an Nabi*
*Variable
NOTES FOR TRAVELERS
Gabon can be reached by daily air service from Paris, and by frequent flights from other cities in Europe.
A valid passport and an entry visa are required for travel to Gabon. Entry visas can be obtained from the Gabonese Embassy in Washington. All persons entering Gabon are also required to have yellow fever shots.
Health regulations for animals are not enforced, and no quarantine is imposed. However, visitors are advised to follow formal regulations. Be prepared to present a veterinarian's certificate of health indicating that the animal has been inoculated against rabies (not less than three weeks nor more than six months prior to arrival) or has been in a rabies-free area for the past two months. Gabon itself is not a rabies-free area and the climate makes life uncomfortable for most pets.
Gabonese law permits only the entry of rifles, shotguns (nonautomatic), and 100 rounds of ammunition. Pistols are not permitted. Prior customs approval is required. All weapons are inspected and registered by the Gabonese government.
Several Roman Catholic churches, and two Protestant churches of l'Église Evangélique du Gabon (akin to French Protestant or U.S. Presbyterian) are in the capital city. One of these Protestant churches was built by American missionaries in 1848. All services are in French.
The time in Gabon is Greenwich Mean Time plus one.
Gabon forms a monetary union with other members of the Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC). The common currency is the Communauté Financière Africaine (CFA) franc, issued by a central institution, Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale.
Seven commercial banks with international affiliations maintain offices in Gabon: Banque Internationale pour le Gabon (BIPG), a subsidiary of Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale (BIAO); Union Gabonaise de Banque (UGB), an affiliate of Crédit Lyonnais; Pay-Bas Gabon (Paribas); Banque Internationale pour le Commerce et l'Industrie du Gabon (BICIG); Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI); Barclay's and Citibank.
The metric system of weights and measures is used in Gabon.
RECOMMENDED READING
These titles are provided as a general indication of the material published on this country:
Alexander, Caroline. One Dry Season: In the Footsteps of Mary Kingsley. Vintage Departures Series. New York: Random House, 1990.
Barnes, James F. Gabon. Profiles of Nations of Contemporary Africa Series. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1991.
De Saint-Paul, Marc A. Gabon: The Development of a Nation. New York: Routledge, 1989.
Gardinier, David E. Historical Dictionary of Gabon. African Historical Dictionaries Series, no. 30. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1981.
Perryman, Andrew. Gabon. Let's Visit Places and Peoples of the World Series. New York: Chelsea House, 1988.
Gabon
GABON
Gabonese Republic
République Gabonaise
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
LOCATION AND SIZE.
The Gabonese Republic lies along the equator on the west coast of Africa with a border length of 2,551 kilometers (1,585 miles) and a coastline of 885 kilometers (550 miles). Gabon is bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by Equatorial Guinea (350 kilometers/218 miles) and Cameroon (298 kilometers/185 miles), and to the east and south by the Republic of the Congo (1,903 kilometers/1,183 miles). The drainage basin is comprised of the westward flowing Ogooue River, together with several smaller coastal rivers such as the Nyanga and the Como. Gabon covers an area of 267,667 square kilometers (103,346 square miles), of which land comprises 257,667 square kilometers (99,484 square miles) and water occupies 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles). Comparatively, the area occupied by Gabon is slightly smaller than the state of Colorado. It has a tropical climate, which is always hot and humid. The terrain is comprised of a narrow coastal plain, savannah grassland in the east and south, and a hilly interior. The major rural areas are found in Woleu Ntem in the north, where coffee and cocoa are the main cash crops , and around Lambaréné, located inland from the central coastal belt, where palm oil and coffee are important. The highest point is Mount Iboundji, which stands at a height of 1,575 meters (5,168 feet). The capital city of Libreville is located on the country's northwestern coast.
POPULATION.
At the July 1993 census, the population of Gabon numbered 1,014,976 and in mid-1998 the United Nations (UN) estimated a total of 1,188,000, giving an average density of 4.4 inhabitants per square kilometer. The population estimate for 2000 was 1,208,436. The population growth rate was estimated at 1.08 percent in 2000, with a life expectancy at birth of 48.94 years for males and 51.26 years for females in the same year. The infant mortality rate was 96.3 deaths per 1,000 live births while the fertility rate was 3.73 births per woman. The birth rate (per 1,000 population) was 27.6 while the death rate was 16.83 in 2000. The slow population growth takes into account the effects of mortality due to AIDS. AIDS results in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, and a lower population growth rate than would be expected under normal conditions. The distribution of population by age and sex is also affected, with those in the sexually active age groups and women being more vulnerable to the disease.
The population is more urbanized than most of Africa, with 53 percent living in the towns in 1988. It is mostly a young population with only 6 percent above 65 years of age and over 33 percent below 15 years. The country's principal ethnic groups are the Fang (30 percent) and the Eshira (25 percent), who reside primarily in the north, followed by the Bapounou and Bateke. French is the official language.
OVERVIEW OF ECONOMY
The combination of a small population and plentiful petroleum resources has given Gabon one of the highest incomes per capita in sub-Saharan Africa. The 1999 per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was a comfortable US$6,500. It therefore ranks as an upper middle-income country, a rarity among African nations.
Gabon's economy depended on timber and manganese until oil began to be exploited in significant quantities offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50 percent of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, manganese, and uranium exports. The dominance of the petroleum sector is reflected in the economy's vulnerability to changes in world prices for this commodity, and the rate of economic growth has fluctuated widely in recent decades. While growth in GDP averaged 9.5 percent per year between 1965 and 1980, the average growth rate declined to 0.8 percent from 1985 to 1990 following the collapse of the petroleum prices in 1986. When the Rabikonga oil fields were developed in the 1990s, however, there was some improvement, reaching an average growth rate of 3.2 percent per year from 1990 to 1997. But due to steeply falling petroleum prices and a downturn in Asian demand for timber, the economy contracted by approximately 4 percent in 1998 and only saw a modest recovery in 1999 with an estimated 2 percent rise in GDP.
The petroleum boom of the mid-1970s and the expectation that oil prices would remain high led to government investment spending and borrowing, which left the country with a heavy debt burden. Consequently, in the mid-1980s the government had to undertake a series of economic adjustment programs designed to reduce debt while promoting the development of non-petroleum activities. Programs of privatization , rationalization, and retrenchment (cutting expenses) of public sector enterprises were undertaken.
Progress was limited in the areas under reform and the non-petroleum economy failed to expand as hoped. However, in January 1994 the government adopted a program for economic recovery supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The objectives of this program were broadly achieved by the end of 1998. A number of major privatizations have taken place (the power utility and railway companies, for example), while others pending include the telecommunication services and the national airline. Some significant tax reforms have been introduced, notably the extension of the value-added tax (VAT) to forestry companies, removal of tax exemptions, and introduction of an investment code consistent with IMF recommendations.
POLITICS, GOVERNMENT, AND TAXATION
Formerly part of French West Africa, Gabon was granted internal autonomy in 1958 and became fully independent on 17 August 1960. Leon M'Ba, president of the new republic, established Gabon as a one-party state by inviting the opposition to join the government. There was a coup in 1964, but M'Ba was restored by French troops. Following his death in November 1967, M'Ba was succeeded by his vice-president, Albert Bernard (later Omar) Bongo. Bongo organized a new ruling party, the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG), which became the sole legal party in 1968. Gabon enjoyed relative stability in the 1970s and joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) after the discovery of oil deposits. But in the early 1980s, social and political strains began to emerge led by the Mouvement pour le Redressement National (MORENA), a moderate opposition group. This group accused Bongo of corruption and personal extravagance and demanded restoration of political pluralism. But Bongo resisted and maintained the single-party system.
A series of strikes and demonstrations by students and workers in the early 1990s culminated in a constitutional amendment that led to the creation of a multiparty system and formation of an interim government. Bongo was elected president in 1990 and reelected in 1993 and 1998. Elections for the National Assembly were held in December 1996, and the PDG gained 89 of the 120 seats. At the Senate elections in early 1997, the PDG won 53 of the 91 seats.
The 1991 constitution provides for an executive president directly elected for a 5-year term (renewable only once). The head of government is the prime minister, who appoints the Council of Ministers. The bicameral legislature consists of the 120-member National Assembly and the 91-member Senate. Both houses are directly elected for 5-year terms. Local governments exist in each of Gabon's 9 provinces, and are administered by a governor appointed by the president. There are also 37 smaller divisions, or departments, each administered under a prefect.
Total government revenue in 1997 was US$1.565 billion. Of this, US$301 million was from international trade, with import duties contributing US$254 million. In addition, the government gains substantial royalties from the oil sector. Corporate and capital gains taxes are levied at 40 percent, but if companies make small profits or suffer losses, they are taxed at 1.1 percent of turnover . There is a withholding tax of 20 percent on dividends remitted overseas.
INFRASTRUCTURE, POWER, AND COMMUNICATIONS
Despite substantial investment in the Trans-Gabonais railway and foreign backing for road development in the 1990s, the surface transportation system is still inadequate and inconsistent with Gabon's high per capita income level. Until 1979, there were no railways except for the cableway link between the Congo border and the Moanda Manganese Mine. The main rivers are navigable for only the last 80 to 160 kilometers (50 to 100 miles) of their course to the Atlantic Ocean. The road network is poorly developed and much of it is unusable during the rainy seasons. In 1996 there were an estimated 7,670 kilometers (4,766 miles) of roads, of which only some 634 kilometers (394 miles) were paved. The government's aim is to surface some 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) of the road network in the next few years, with an eventual target of 3,580 kilometers (2,225 miles).
By 1989 the railway line linking Libreville and Franceville, which is located in the southeast area of the country, was fully operational. The main port for petroleum exports is Port Gentil, which also handles logs (floated down the Ogooue River). Owendo, the principal mineral port, also handles timber. A third deepwater port operates at Mayumba, in the south.
Air transport plays an important role in the economy, particularly because of the dense forest that covers much of the country and makes other modes of transport impracticable. There are international airports at Libreville and Port-Gentil and scheduled internal services link these to a number of domestic airfields. Gabon has a total of 61 airports within its borders, 11 of which have paved runways. The national carrier, Air Gabon, is 80 percent state owned.
In 1997 there were 37,300 telephone lines, 4,000 cellular phone subscribers, 6,000 PCs, and 400 fax machines. The domestic telephone system combines the use of cable, microwave radio relay, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations. For international links it operates 3 Intelsat satellite earth stations. There were also 4 television broadcast stations in 1997. In 1998 there were approximately 400 Internet users and 1 Internet service provider.
Communications | |||||||||
Country | Newspapers | Radios | TV Sets a | Cable subscribers a | Mobile Phones a | Fax Machines a | Personal Computers a | Internet Hosts b | Internet Users b |
1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1998 | 1998 | 1998 | 1998 | 1999 | 1999 | |
Gabon | 29 | 183 | 55 | N/A | 8 | 0.4 | 8.6 | 0.02 | 3 |
United States | 215 | 2,146 | 847 | 244.3 | 256 | 78.4 | 458.6 | 1,508.77 | 74,100 |
Nigeria | 24 | 223 | 66 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 5.7 | 0.00 | 100 |
Cameroon | 7 | 163 | 32 | N/A | 0 | N/A | N/A | 0.00 | 20 |
aData are from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Development Report 1999 and are per 1,000 people. | |||||||||
bData are from the Internet Software Consortium (http://www.isc.org) and are per 10,000 people. | |||||||||
SOURCE: World Bank. World Development Indicators 2000. |
There was a range of radio broadcast stations, with 6 AM, 7 FM, and 6 shortwave stations in 1998.
The installed capacity for electricity production was 1.02 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) in 1995. Power generation is both hydroelectric and thermal (gas fired), with 72 percent of total capacity hydroelectric. There are proven crude petroleum reserves estimated in 1997 at 1.34 billion barrels. Production in 1996 was 135 million barrels. Natural gas production in 1995 was 102 million cubic meters.
ECONOMIC SECTORS
Agriculture (including forestry and fishing) contributed an estimated 10 percent of GDP in 1999, and employed about 41 percent of the labor force . The forestry sector alone accounted for an estimated 3 percent of GDP in 1997 and engaged an estimated 15 percent of the working population in 1991. The exploitation of Gabon's forests (which covers about 75 percent of the land area) is a principal economic activity. Although Gabon's territorial waters contain important fishing resources, their commercial exploitation is minimal.
Industry (including mining, manufacturing, construction, electricity, and water) contributed an estimated 60 percent of GDP in 1999, and about 12 percent of the working population were employed in the sector. Industrial GDP increased at an average annual rate of 2.7 percent from 1990 to 1997. Mining alone (including oil) accounted for an estimated 46 percent of GDP in 1997. Gabon is among the world's foremost producers and exporters of manganese. Gabon's manufacturing sector is relatively small, accounting for an estimated 6 percent of GDP in 1997. A substantial part of this is represented by oil refining and timber-processing. Electricity and water are produced and distributed by the Societe d'Energie et d'Eau du Gabon (SEEG).
Services engaged 47 percent of the economically active population and provided an estimated 30 percent of GDP in 1999. The GDP of the service sector increased at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent over the period from 1990 to 1997.
AGRICULTURE
Owing to the density of the tropical rain forest, only a small proportion of land area is suitable for agricultural activity and only 2 percent is estimated to be under cultivation. With over 50 percent of the population living in towns and with a poor road infrastructure , the contribution to GDP of the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector is very modest by African standards at approximately 10 percent in the 1990s. The country lacks self-sufficiency in staple crops and over half of food requirements must be imported. Cocoa, coffee, palm oil, and rubber are cultivated for export. The principal subsistence crops are plantains, cassava, and maize. Coffee and cocoa were once relatively significant cash crops with a small amount available for export, but outputs for both have been falling since the 1980s.
Animal husbandry was for many decades hindered by the prevalence of the tsetse fly (a bloodsucking fly that causes disease in cattle), until the first tsetse-resistant cattle were imported in 1980. Livestock numbers have since risen, with 1998 estimates standing at 39,000 head of cattle, 208,000 pigs, 259,000 sheep, and 24,000 goats. The Societe Gabonaise de Developpement d'Ellevage (an offshoot of AgroGabon) manages 3 cattle ranches covering 14,000 hectares (34,595 acres). Poultry farming is mainly on a smallholder basis. The fishing catch, at 45,000 metric tons, falls well below total demand. Industrial fleets account for about 25 percent of the catch, and about half of the total catch comes from marine waters.
FORESTRY.
The exploitation of Gabon's forests (which cover some 85 percent of the land area) is a principal economic activity and the second leading source of exports, with 14 percent, behind petroleum. According to the U.S. State Department, commercial wood reserves cover 50 million acres and contain 400 million cubic meters of wood. Production levels reached 2.77 million cubic meters of lumber in 1997, declined in 1998 thanks to the Asian financial crisis, and rebounded again in 1999. The sector is the second largest employer, behind the government, and there is some potential for further growth. The major problem facing the industry is the fact that most forestry exports are in raw lumber. Value-added processing occurs abroad. Should foreign investment allow for more milling and processing of logs at home, the industrial sector would be boosted substantially.
INDUSTRY
Industry is the largest of the 3 major sectors in terms of GDP, but the smallest in terms of employment. This sector provides its employees with the highest average incomes.
OIL AND MINING.
Oil and its related industries has been the main source of Gabon's economic growth since the 1970s. In 1997, the petroleum industry was still the dominant sector of the economy, contributing 42.5 percent of GDP when all subsidiary industries are factored in. Petroleum and petroleum products accounted for an estimated 77 percent of total export earnings. Oil reserves are declining, however, and there have been no major new discoveries in recent years.
Mining holds great potential for further economic growth. Gabon is one of the largest producers and exporters of manganese in the world. Gabon holds 25 percent of the world's manganese reserves, and the main manganese mining operation, COMILOG, produces about 2.5 million metric tons a year of finished ore. Uranium has also been a major source of export income, though uranium reserves are nearly depleted. There is potential for the mining of phosphates, niobium, iron, gold, and diamonds; foreign investment is needed for these mineral deposits to prove profitable.
MANUFACTURING.
The manufacturing sector contributed an estimated 6 percent of GDP in 1997. The principal activities are the refining of petroleum and processing of other minerals, the preparation of timber, and other agro-industrial processes. The chemical industry is also significant. Electric energy is derived principally from hydroelectric installations. Imports of fuel and energy comprised an estimated 21 percent of the total value of imports.
SERVICES
The services sector is the biggest employer in Gabon, with the government being the single largest employer in the nation, and incomes earned in this sector are significantly higher than average. The mineral and forestry sectors drive the economy, and services expand to support these activities. The production of the service sector increased at an average annual rate of 3.3 percent from 1990 to 1997. Due to the poor infrastructure and the dense forests, tourism is limited.
The telecommunications sector has been identified by the U.S. State Department as a prime area for growth. The parastatal Office des Postes et Telecommunications du Gabon (OPT), which has a monopoly on telecommunications services in the country, is slated for privatization. This development is expected to encourage foreign investment and create jobs as the country is opened to modern telecommunications networks and cellular services.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Gabon has sustained a considerable surplus in its foreign trade, even through periods of quite marked fluctuations in petroleum prices, because the import demand of its small population has remained relatively modest. Exports are normally 2 to 3 times the value of imports and most investment spending is directed toward generating increased earnings from the export of petroleum, timber, and manganese. In 1999, exports stood at US$2.4 billion, while imports were US$1.2 billion.
The main export markets in 1998 were the United States (68 percent), China (9 percent), France (8 percent),
Trade (expressed in billions of US$): Gabon | ||
Exports | Imports | |
1975 | .983 | .469 |
1980 | 2.173 | .674 |
1985 | 1.951 | .855 |
1990 | 2.204 | .918 |
1995 | 2.713 | .882 |
1998 | N/A | N/A |
SOURCE: International Monetary Fund. International Financial Statistics Yearbook 1999. |
and Japan (3 percent). Imports come mostly from France (39 percent), the United States (6 percent), and the Netherlands (5 percent). Despite high per capita income levels and the foreign investments its petroleum sector attracts, Gabon receives a significant amount of aid (US$38 per capita in 1998). This has helped to support both the budget and balance of payments .
While Gabon has traditionally enjoyed a trade surplus , it has also tended to have a balance of payments deficit. This deficit is a result of high outflows on interest payments on the foreign debt and on remittances on profits and dividends by the petroleum industry. Foreign debt was US$4.213 billion in 1996. However, high per capita GDP and a poor record of compliance with commitments to the IMF mean that Gabon is not a priority candidate for debt relief .
MONEY
Gabon is part of the Central African Monetary and Economic Union (Communaute Economiquareue et Monetaire de l'Afrique Centrale, or CEMAC), a group of 5 francophone countries that use the same currency, the CFA franc. The CFA franc is tied to the French franc and can be readily exchanged at 50 CFA francs to 1
Exchange rates: Gabon | |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFA Fr) per US$1 | |
Jan 2001 | 699.21 |
2000 | 711.98 |
1999 | 615.70 |
1998 | 589.95 |
1997 | 583.67 |
1996 | 511.55 |
Note: From January 1, 1999, the CFA Fr is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA Fr per euro. | |
SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2001 [ONLINE]. |
French franc. Gabon, like all members of the CFA franc communities, has benefitted from this stable currency.
As a member of the CFA zone, Gabon was profoundly affected by the 50 percent devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994. The devaluation caused a temporary rise in inflation . The average annual inflation rate during the period from 1990 to 1996 was 9.8 percent. However, inflation declined through the late 1990s, reaching a rate of 2.9 percent in 1999. The country's economy appears to have benefitted from this devaluation, which made its traditional exports more competitive on world markets. In the short term, however, devaluation lowered living standards and probably increased poverty by raising prices while most salaries remained static.
CEMAC planned to open a regional stock exchange in Libreville, Gabon, in 2001.
POVERTY AND WEALTH
The population of Gabon earns a per capita income 4 times that of most other sub-Saharan African nations. Although the relative strength of Gabon's economy has led to a decline in the sharp poverty that is familiar to these other African nations, much of the population remains poor and income inequality is high. The portion of the population that does suffer from poverty is almost all in the 40 percent of the population that relies on agriculture for its income.
GDP per Capita (US$) | |||||
Country | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1998 |
Gabon | 6,480 | 5,160 | 4,941 | 4,442 | 4,630 |
United States | 19,364 | 21,529 | 23,200 | 25,363 | 29,683 |
Nigeria | 301 | 314 | 230 | 258 | 256 |
Cameroon | 616 | 730 | 990 | 764 | 646 |
SOURCE: United Nations. Human Development Report 2000; Trends in human development and per capita income. |
Household Consumption in PPP Terms | |||||||
Country | All food | Clothing and footwear | Fuel and power a | Health care b | Education b | Transport & Communications | Other |
Gabon | 40 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 34 |
United States | 13 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 51 |
Nigeria | 51 | 5 | 31 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
Cameroon | 33 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 28 |
Data represent percentage of consumption in PPP terms. | |||||||
a Excludes energy used for transport. | |||||||
b Includes government and private expenditures. | |||||||
SOURCE: World Bank. World Development Indicators 2000. |
Social security, based on the French system, was introduced in 1956. Under this program, family allowances are paid to all salaried workers. There is a national fund for state insurance, which provides medical care.
The UN's Human Development Index (HDI), which attempts to measure the quality of life on the basis of real GDP per capita, the adult literacy rate, and life expectancy at birth, placed Gabon at 123 out of 174 countries in 1999, in the medium human development category.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The workforce in 1996 numbered 519,000, 56 percent of which are males. The unemployment rate in 1997 was estimated at 21 percent. There is a standard 40-hour working week. However, around 40 percent of the economically active population engages in agriculture, which is poorly regulated. Due to the small population, much of the labor is imported from the neighboring countries.
COUNTRY HISTORY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
1470. The Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English begin trading along Gabon's coast.
1839. First French settlement established.
1910. Gabon becomes part of French Equatorial Africa.
1958. Gabon granted internal autonomy by the French.
1960. Gabon is formally proclaimed an independent nation, with Leon M'Ba as prime minister.
1961. M'Ba is elected president and heads a government of National Unity with his opponent, Jean Hilaire Aubame, serving as foreign minister.
1963. Aubame is fired from his position in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
1964. Aubame leads a successful coup; French troops respond to M'Ba's appeal, intervene, and restore him to office. Aubame is sentenced to 10 years in prison.
1967. M'Ba is reelected president but dies a few months later. Vice-President Albert Bernard (later Omar) Bongo succeeds M'Ba as president.
1968. Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG) is proclaimed as the sole legal political party in the country.
1973. Bongo is reelected president.
1979. As the only candidate in the national presidential elections, Bongo is reelected for a second 7-year term.
1980. In national, municipal, and legislative elections, independents are permitted to run against official candidates.
1981. Over 10,000 Cameroonians are expelled from Gabon following a riot against a Gabonese soccer team at Douala, Cameroon.
1982. Members of the opposition Mouvement pour le Redressement National (MORENA) are arrested for insulting the president and are sentenced to harsh prison terms.
1983. The Owendo-to-Booue section of the Trans-Gabonais Railway is opened by French and Gabonese presidents.
1984. France agrees to supply Gabon with a 9,300-megawatt nuclear power plant, the first in an African nation under black rule.
1986. The Chernobyl accident in the Soviet Union results in the cancellation of the nuclear power plant. MORENA political prisoners are freed.
1990. After much social unrest, President Bongo legalizes opposition to his government. In the country's first multiparty election, Bongo's PDG wins 65 seats in the legislature while opposition parties take the remaining 55 seats.
1993. Multiparty elections are held in December, and Bongo wins with slightly more than 50 percent of the vote. The main opposition leader, Paul Mba Abbesole, claims the process was flawed.
1994. Devaluation of the CFA franc by 50 percent.
1995. The National Assembly election held in December results in a seat distribution of PDG 89, opposition parties 31.
1996. Senate elections are held in January and result in a seat distribution of PDG 53, opposition parties 38.
1998. Bongo is reelected president with 67 percent of the vote.
FUTURE TRENDS
Despite the abundance of natural wealth, the Gabonese economy is hobbled by poor economic management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4 percent of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of the currency by 50 percent in January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge to 35 percent, but the rate dropped to 6 percent by 1996 and 2.9 percent by 1999. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, over-borrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The IMF is expected to continue to support Gabon as long as progress is made on privatization and fiscal discipline. The rebound of oil prices in 1999 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. Gabon's potential for economic growth is based upon its considerable mineral and forestry resources. It is a country with high potential and with support from higher oil prices, reinforced by better economic management, Gabon can be expected to make steady progress.
DEPENDENCIES
Gabon has no territories or colonies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Economist Intelligence Unit. Country Profile: Gabon. London: Economist Intelligence Unit, 2001.
"Gabon." MBendi: Information for Africa. <http://www.mbendi.co.za/land/af/ga/p0005.htm>. Accessed September 2001.
Hodd, Michael. The Economies of Africa. Aldershot, England:Dartmouth, 1991.
U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. World Factbook 2000. <http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html>. Accessed August 2001.
U.S. Department of State. FY 2001 Country Commercial Guide: Gabon. <http://www.state.gov/www/about_state/business/com_guides/2001/africa/index.html>. Accessed September 2001.
World Bank. World Bank Africa Database 2000. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2000.
Allan C.K. Mukungu
CAPITAL:
Libreville.
MONETARY UNIT:
Communauté Financiére Africaine (CFA) franc. The CFA franc is tied to the French franc at an exchange rate of CFA Fr50 to Fr1. One CFA franc equals 100 centimes. There are coins of 5, 10, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs, and notes of 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, and 10,000 CFA francs.
CHIEF EXPORTS:
Crude oil and natural gas, timber and wood products, manganese, uranium.
CHIEF IMPORTS:
Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, petroleum products, construction materials.
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT:
US$7.9 billion (purchasing power parity, 1999 est.).
BALANCE OF TRADE:
Exports: US$2.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.). Imports: US$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.).
Gabon
GABON
Compiled from the November 2003 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Gabonese Republic
PROFILE
PEOPLE
HISTORY
GOVERNMENT
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
ECONOMY
DEFENSE
FOREIGN RELATIONS
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
TRAVEL
PROFILE
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: (2000 est.) 1.32 million (figs. disputed).
Annual growth rate: (2003 est.) 0.75%.
Ethnic groups: Fang (largest), Myene, Bapounou, Eshira, Bandjabi, Bakota, Nzebi, Bateke/Obamba.
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—60/1,000. 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). Legislative—bicameral legislature (National Assembly and Senate). Government—prime minister and appointed Council of Ministers (current government of 40 appointed January 2002). Judicial—Supreme Court.
Administrative subdivisions: 9 provinces, 37 prefectures, and 9 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 pourle 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
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 predominates 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.
HISTORY
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. Gabon's first European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word "gabao," a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became a center of the slave trade. Dutch, British, and French traders came in the 16th century. France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville—"free town." An American, Paul du Chaillu, was among the first foreigners to explore the interior of the country in the 1850s. French explorers penetrated Gabon's dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. France occupied Gabon in 1885 but did not administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent in 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.
GOVERNMENT
Under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975 and rewritten in 1991), Gabon became a republic with a presidential form of government. The National Assembly has 120 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The president is elected by universal suffrage for a 7-year term. The president appoints the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court. In 1990 the government in 1990 made major changes to the political system. A transitional constitution was drafted in May as an outgrowth of a national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee. Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights; creation of a National Council of Democracy to oversee the guarantee of those rights; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues; and an independent judiciary. After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee and the president, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991. Multiparty legislative elections were held in 1990-91, despite the fact that opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
After a peaceful transition, the elections produced the first representative, multiparty National Assembly. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law governing the legalization of opposition parties. The president was re-elected in a disputed election in 1993 with 51% of votes cast. Social and political disturbances led to the 1994 Paris Conference and Accords, which provided a framework for the next elections. Local and legislative elections were delayed until 1996-97. In 1997 constitutional amendments were adopted to create an appointed Senate, the position of vice president, and to extend the president's term to 7 years. Facing a divided opposition, President Bongo was re-elected in December 1998, with 66% of the votes cast. Although the main opposition parties claimed the elections had been manipulated, there was none of the civil disturbance that followed the 1993 election. The president retains strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, conduct referenda, and appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet members. Peaceful though flawed legislative elections in 2001-02 produced a new National Assembly dominated by the president's party and its allies. Observers expect Bongo to run again for reelection in 2005. For administrative purposes, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are further divided into 36 prefectures and 8 separate subprefectures. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the subprefects.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 3/19/02
President: Bongo, El Hadj Omar
Vice President: Di Ndinge, Didjob Divungi
Prime Minister: Ntoutoume-Emane, Jean-Francois
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Town and Country Planning: Metogho, Emmanuel Ondo
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the City: Miyakou, Antoine de Padoue Mboumbou
Min. of State for Agriculture, Livestock, & Rural Development: Moussavou, Pierre claver Maganga
Min. of State for Commerce and Industial Development: Pendy-Bouyiki, Jean-Remy
Min. of State for Economy, Finance, Budget, & Privatization: Toungui, Paul
Min. of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ping, Jean
Min. of State for Housing, Town Planning and Land Register: Adiahenot, Jacques
Min. of State for Human Rights: Abessole, Paul Mba
Min. of State for Planning and Development Programs: Oye Mba, Casimir
Min. of State for Transportation and Civil Aviation: Missambo, Paulette Min. of Civil Service, Administrative Reform, and State Modernization: Missongo, Desire Pascal
Min. of Communication, Postal Services, and Information Technologies: Berre, Andre Dieudonne
Min. of Culture and Arts: Amoughe Mba, Pierre
Min. of Defense: Bongo, Ali-Ben
Min. of Family, Child Welfare, and Women's Affairs: Ngoma, Angelique
Min. of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, in charge of the Environment: Doumba, Emile
Min. of Higher Education & Scientific Research: Boukossou, Vincent Moulengui
Min. of Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization: Ngari, Idriss
Min. of Justice: Naki, Honorine Dossou
Min. of Labor & Employment: Ivala, Clotaire Christian
Min. of Merchant Navy: Siby, Felix
Min. of Mines, Energy, Oil, and Hydraulic Resources: Onouviet, Richard
Min. of National Education: Ono, Daniel Ona
Min. in Charge of Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesperson: Obiang, Rene Ndemezo
Min. of Public Health: Boukoubi, Faustin
Min. of Public Works, Equipment, and Construction: Boundono, Egide
Min. of Small Enterprises: Biyoghe-Mba, Paul
Min. of Social Affairs & National Solidarity: Obame, Andre Mba
Min. of Tourism and Handicrafts: Massima, Jean
Min. of Vocational Training and Social Rehabilitation: Ndaki, Barnabe
Min. of Youth and Sports: Mabika, Alfred
Dep. Min. of Public Works, Construction, and Equipment: Maboumba, Frederoc Massavala
Dep. Min. of Economy, Finance, Budget, and Privatization: Madoungou, Senturel Ngoma and: Ndong, Jean Eyeghe
Min. Del. of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ndongou, Jean-Francois:
Dep. Min. of Planning and Development Programs: Assele-Ebinda, Yolanda:
Dep. Min. to the Prime Minister for State Controls, Inspections, and Fight Against Poverty and Corruption: Mabala, Martin:
Dir., Central Bank: Leyimangoye, Jean-Paul:
Ambassador to the US: Boundoukou- Latha, Paul:
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Dangue-Rewaka, Denis
Gabon maintains an embassy in the United States at 2034 - 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-797-1000).
POLITICAL CONDITIONS
At the time of Gabon's independence in 1960, two principal political parties existed: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Leon M'Ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame. In the first post-independence election, held under a parliamentary system, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M'Ba was named prime minister. Soon after concluding that Gabon had an insufficient number of people for a two-party system, the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates. In the February 1961 election, held under the new presidential system, M'Ba became president and Aubame foreign minister.
This one-party system appeared to work until February 1963, when the larger BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties or resignation. The UDSG cabinet ministers resigned, and M'Ba called an election for February 1964 and a reduced number of National Assembly deputies (from 67 to 47). The UDSG failed to muster a list of candidates able to meet the requirements of the electoral decrees. When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M'Ba in a bloodless coup on February 18, 1964. French troops re-established his government the next day. Elections were held in April with many opposition participants. BDG-supported candidates won 31 seats and the opposition 16. Late in 1966, the constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the vice president should the president die in office. In March 1967, Leon M'Ba and Omar Bongo (then Albert Bongo) were elected president and vice president. M'Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became president.
In March 1968, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state by dissolving the BDG and establishing a new party—the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). He invited all Gabonese, regardless of previous political affiliation, to participate. Bongo was elected president in February 1975, and re-elected in December 1979 and November 1986 to 7-year terms. In April 1975, the office of vice president was abolished and replaced by the office of prime minister, who has no right to automatic succession. Under the 1991 constitution, in the event of the president's death, the prime minister, the National Assembly president, and the defense minister were to share power until a new election could be held. A 1997 amendment to the constitution reestablished the position of vice president. Using the PDG as a tool to submerge the regional and tribal rivalries that have divided Gabonese politics in the past, Bongo sought to forge a single national movement in support of the government's development policies.
Opposition to the PDG continued, however, and in September 1990, two coup attempts were uncovered and aborted. Economic discontent and a desire for political liberalization provoked violent demonstrations and strikes by students and workers in early 1990. In response to grievances by workers, Bongo negotiated with them on a sector-by-sector basis, making significant wage concessions. In addition, he promised to open up the PDG and to organize a national political conference in March-April 1990 to discuss Gabon's future political system. The PDG and 74 political organizations attended the conference. Participants essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties, consisting of the breakaway Morena Fundamental and the Gabonese Progress Party.
The April conference approved sweeping political reforms, including creation of a national senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, freedom of assembly and press, and cancellation of the exit visa requirement. In an attempt to guide the political system's transformation to multiparty democracy, Bongo resigned as PDG chairman and created a transitional government headed by a new prime minister, Casimir Oye-Mba. The Gabonese Social Democratic Grouping (RSDG), as the resulting government was called, was smaller than the previous government and included representatives from several opposition parties in its cabinet. The RSDG drafted a provisional constitution that provided a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary but retained strong executive powers for the president. After further review by a constitutional committee and the National Assembly, this document came into force in March 1991.
Despite further anti-government demonstrations after the untimely death of an opposition leader, the first multiparty National Assembly elections in almost 30 years took place in September-October 1990, with the PDG garnering a large majority. Following President Bongo's re-election in December 1993 with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. This arrangement soon broke down, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. The PDG won a landslide victory in the legislative election, but several major cities, including Libreville, elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election. President Bongo coasted to an easy re-election in December 1998 with 66% of the vote against a divided opposition. While Bong o's major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, international observers
characterized the result as representative even if the election suffered from serious administrative problems. There was no serious civil disorder or protests following the election in contrast to the 1993 election. Legislative elections held in 2001-02, which were boycotted by a number of smaller opposition parties and were widely criticized for their administrative weaknesses, produced a National Assembly almost completely dominated by the PDG and allied independents. The Constitutional revision of 2003 clears the way for Bongo to run for Presidential office as often as he would like. Bongo is expected to be a candidate again in 2005.
ECONOMY
Gabon's economy is dominated by oil. Oil revenues comprise 65% of the Government of Gabon budget, 43% of GDP, and 81% of exports. Oil production is now declining rapidly from its apogee of 370,000 barrels per day in 1997. In spite of the decreasing oil revenues, little planning has been done for an after-oil scenario. Gabon public expenditures from the years of significant oil revenues were not spent efficiently. Overspending on the Transgabonais railroad, the oil price shock of 1986, the franc CFA devaluation of 1994, and low oil prices in the late 1990s have caused serious debt problems. Gabon has earned a poor reputation with the Paris Club and the IMF for the management of its debt and revenues. Successive IMF missions have criticized the government for over-spending on off-budget items (in good years and bad), over-borrowing from the Central Bank, and slipping on the schedule for privatization and administrative reform.
Gabon's oil revenues have given it a strong per capita GDP of more than $3,700, extremely high for the region. On the other hand, a skewed income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. Approximately five percent of the population receives over ninety percent of the income/wealth. The economy is highly dependent on extraction of abundant primary materials. After oil, logging and manganese mining are the other major sectors. Foreign and Gabonese observers have consistently lamented the lack of transformation of primary materials in the Gabonese economy. Various factors have so far stymied more diversification (small market of 1 million people, dependence on French imports, inability to capitalize on regional markets, lack of entrepreneurial zeal among the Gabonese, and the fairly regular stream of oil "rent"). The small processing and service sectors are largely dominated by just a few prominent local investors. At World Bank and IMF insistence, the government embarked on a program of privatization of its state-owned companies and administrative reform, including reducing public sector employment and salary growth, but progress has been slow. An 18-month Stand-By Arrangement between the government and the IMF expired in April 2002 without the government fulfilling most of its targets.
DEFENSE
Gabon has a small, professional military of about 8,000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and national police. Gabonese forces are oriented to the defense of the country and have not been trained for an offensive role. A well-trained, well-equipped 1,500-member guard provides security for the president.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Gabon has followed a nonaligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Angola, Congo/Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in Congo/Brazzaville between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the UN Peacekeeping Mission to the Central African Republic (MINURCA).
Gabon is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, as well as of the World Bank; the African Union (AU); the Central African Customs Union/Central African Economic and Monetary Community (UDEAC/CEMAC); EU association under Lome Convention; the Communauté Financiere Africaine (CFA); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); and the Nonaligned Movement. Gabon withdrew from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1995.
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and Gabon are excellent. In 1987, President Bongo made an official visit to Washington, DC. In September 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell made a brief but historic visit to Gabon to highlight environmental protection and conservation in the Central Africa region. The United States imports a considerable percentage of Gabonese crude oil and manganese and exports heavy construction equipment, aircraft, and machinery to Gabon. The major U.S. assistance program in Gabon is a Peace Corps contingent of about 65 volunteers who teach English, promote health programs, and provide environmental education. Through a modest International Military Education and Training program, the United States provides military training to members of the Gabonese armed forces each year. U.S. private capital has been attracted to Gabon since before its independence.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Libreville (E), Blvd. de la Mer • B.P. 4000; Tel IVG 587-0000 or [241] 76-20-03/04, After hours 74-34-92, 72-12-41, Fax: 74-55-07; Direct Lines: EXEC 74-34-93, GSO 73-31-88, PC 73-33-33; EXEC Fax: 77-37-39, CON Fax: 76-88-49, GSO Fax 73-98-74, PC Fax: 73-84-70. IBB Sao Tome, Tel: [239] 12-23-400/1/2/3, Fax [239] 12-23-406 or (202) 354-4708.
AMB: | Kenneth P. Moorefield |
AMB OMS: | Deborah Mahoney |
DCM: | Thomas F. Daughton |
MGT: | [Vacant] |
ECO: | LaShandra Sullivan |
PD/CON: | Moulik D. Berkana |
POL: | Ronald A. Johnson |
GSO: | Michael D. Honigstein |
RSO: | Aaron M. Codispoti |
IPO: | Steve Baldwin |
PC: | Marily Knieriemen |
IBB/SAO: | Charles Lewis |
DAO: | MAJ H. Bruce Barr |
Last Modified: Monday, December 15, 2003
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet
March 11, 2003
Country Description: Gabon is a developing nation in west central Africa. French is the official language. Facilities for tourism outside the capital city, Libreville, are available, but are often limited.
Entry and Exit Requirements: A passport, visa and evidence of yellow-fever vaccination are required for entry. Visas must be obtained in advance, as airport visas are no longer available. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of Gabon, 2035 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, telephone (202) 797-1000, fax (202) 332-0668. Travelers may also contact the Gabonese Consulate at 18 East 41st St., Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10017, telephone (212) 686-9720. Overseas, inquiries should be made to the nearest Gabonese embassy or consulate.
In an effort to prevent international child abduction, many governments have initiated procedures at entry/exit points. These often include requiring documentary evidence of relationship and permission for the child's travel from the parent(s) or legal guardian if not present. Having such documentation on hand, even if not required, may facilitate entry/departure.
Safety and Security: U.S. citizens should maintain security awareness at all times. Large gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to demonstrate or protest should be avoided. Taking photographs of military or government buildings is strictly forbidden.
Crime: In Gabon, petty thievery is common. Violent crime is more common in urban areas and armed robberies have occurred in homes and in restaurants frequented by foreigners. While the incidents do not appear to specifically target Americans or westerners, they continue to affect neighborhoods and establishments frequented by foreigners.
The U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to take extra precaution when traveling in Libreville. To prevent carjacking, citizens are encouraged to travel with their automobile windows up and doors locked. Marginal neighborhoods, poorly lit streets and unfamiliar areas of the city should be avoided, especially at night. Walking or running on the beach alone at night should be avoided. If you do decide to visit the beach at night, do so with friends. When dining in restaurants or visiting markets, it is recommended that you carry only minimal amounts of cash and avoid wearing excessive amounts of jewelry. The Embassy encourages citizens to choose restaurants with locked entrances and security guards to minimize the risk of armed attacks. Credit cards are not widely accepted except at hotels, and due to high rates imposed on credit card charges, their use is no recommended. If involved in an armed robbery attempt or carjacking, citizens are encouraged to comply with attackers to avoid injury and to report all incidents to the Embassy.
The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.
U.S. citizens may refer to the Department of State's pamphlets, "A Safe Trip Abroad" and "Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa," for ways to promote a trouble-free journey. The pamphlets are available by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, via the Internet at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html, or via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page at http://travel.state.gov.
Medical Facilities: Medical facilities in Gabon's major cities are limited, but are generally adequate for routine or basic needs. Medical services in rural areas are generally unavailable. Some medicines are not available; travelers should carry required medicines and medications with them, properly labeled.
Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation. U.S. medical insurance plans seldom cover health costs incurred outside the United States unless supplemental coverage is purchased. Further, U.S. Medicare and Medicaid programs do not provide payment for medical services outside the United States. However, many travel agents and private companies offer insurance plans that will cover health care expenses incurred overseas including emergency services such as medical evacuations.
When making a decision regarding health insurance, Americans should consider that many foreign doctors and hospitals require payment in cash prior to providing service and that a medical evacuation to the U.S. may cost well in excess of 50,000 dollars (US). Uninsured travelers who require medical care overseas often face extreme difficulties. When consulting with your insurer prior to your trip, ascertain whether payment will be made to the overseas healthcare provider or whether you will be reimbursed later for expenses you incur. Some insurance policies also include coverage for psychiatric treatment and for disposition of remains in the event of death.
Useful information on medical emergencies abroad, including overseas insurance programs, is provided in the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs brochure, "Medical Information for Americans Traveling Abroad," available via the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page or autofax: (202) 647-3000.
Other Health Information: Malaria is found in many parts of Central Africa, including Gabon. P. falciparum malaria, the serious and sometimes fatal strain in Gabon, is resistant to the anti-malarial drug chloroquine. Because travelers to Gabon are at high risk for contracting malaria, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that travelers should take one of the following antimalarial drugs: mefloquine (Lariam - tm), doxycycline, or atovaquone/proguanil (Malarone - tm). The CDC has determined that a traveler who is on an appropriate antimalarial drug has a greatly reduced chance of contracting the disease. Travelers who become ill with a fever or flu-like illness while traveling in a malaria-risk area and up to one year after returning home should seek prompt medical attention and tell the physician their travel history and what antimalarials they have been taking. For additional information on malaria, protection from insect bites, and antimalarials, please visit the CDC Travelers' Health website at: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/malaria.
In recent years, Gabon has been subject to limited outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, which have generally been confined to remote rural are as of the country. Ebola is a severe, often fatal viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF) that is transmitted by contact with an infected person's blood, bodily fluids and tissues. The virus is not transmitted through casual contact, and it is only contagious during its active phase. No vaccine or antiviral medication is available for treatment of Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
As a precautionary measure, persons should avoid funeral rites that involve close proximity to the deceased or funeral attendees. Rapid spread of the virus in hospitals and other health-care settings, and through eating or handling dead, infected primates, have also been important contributing factors in previous outbreaks of Ebola. More information on Ebola may be found on the World Health Organization's website at http://www.who.int/en and http://www.who.int/ith, as well as on the CDC's website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/index.htm.
Further information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect-bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at telephone 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Gabon is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Safety of Public Transportation: Poor
Urban Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Rural Road Conditions/Maintenance: Poor
Availability of Roadside/Ambulance Assistance: Poor/Limited
Travel by road in Gabon can be hazardous. It is recommended that you drive with your windows up and your doors locked. Travelers are routinely stopped at police checkpoints within cities and on highways. Travelers should use extreme caution when driving after dark. Two-lane roads are the norm throughout Gabon. Roads to outlying cities have both visible and hidden dangers that are profuse, including large potholes, absence of road signs, poor to nonexistent streetlights, and the presence of pedestrians and animals. Construction work is often poorly indicated. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended for travel beyond the paved road to Lambarene, especially during the rainy season. Roadside assistance and emergency medical services are available in Libreville, but they may not be dependable. Such services are nonexistent outside of the city. Service stations are available along main roads, but vehicle repair facilities are not always available. Drivers must have a valid international driver's license (available from AAA and the American Automobile Routing Alliance in the United States) when driving in Gabon.
Daytime use of taxis is generally safe as long as the rider specifies "course" (exclusive use/not shared) to the driver. Rail services are available, but they are not dependable. Travelers should be prepared for delays.
For additional general information about road safety, including links to foreign government sites, see the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, home page at http://www.travel.state.gov/road_safety.html.
Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Gabon by local carriers at present, nor economic authority to operate such service, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Gabon's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with international aviation safety standards.
For further information, travelers may contact the Department of Transportation within the U.S. at 1-800-322-7873, or visit the FAA's Internet website at http://www.faa.gov.avr/iasa. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) separately assesses some foreign air services for suitability as official providers of air services. For information regarding the DOD policy on specific carriers, travelers may contact the DOD at (618) 229-4801.
All aircraft landing at Leon Mba International Airport in Libreville are assessed airport landing fees, which must be paid in cash. The exchange rate for U.S. dollars at the airport is unfavorable, particularly for payments in large-denomination bills; payment in Euro or Central African Francs (CFA) avoids exchange rate loss.
Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Gabon's laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use or trafficking in illegal drugs in Gabon are strict and convicted offenders can expect jail sentences and fines.
Consular Access: U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a copy of their U.S. passports with them at all times, so that if questioned by local officials, proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are readily available. In accordance with the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, a U.S. citizen in prison, custody or detention in Gabon should be given access to a U.S. consular officer. U.S. citizen travelers arriving in Gabon without visas have occasionally been detained at the airport. Any U.S. citizen so detained should immediately request access to a consular officer from the U.S. Embassy.
Currency Information: A cash-based economy prevails in Gabon. Prices for consumer goods on average are significantly higher in Gabon than in other sub-Saharan African countries. Travelers are advised to check with local establishments to determine what type of bankcard usage is permitted. Some hotels accept various credit cards. In addition to cash, many grocery stores only take Visa bankcards (debit cards), but most will ask for the four-digit PIN. Other institutions take only locally issued Visa cards. Additionally, phone connections used to verify internationally issued Visa cards are occasionally down, making these cards non-functional. Traveler's checks may be cashed at local banks.
Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, please refer to our Internet site at http://travel.state.gov/children's_issues.html or telephone 1-888-407-4747.
Registration and Embassy Locations: Americans living in or visiting Gabon are encouraged to register at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Libreville and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Gabon. The U.S. Embassy is located on Boulevard de la Mer. The mailing address is Centre Ville, B.P. 4000, Libreville, Gabon. The telephone numbers are (241) 76-20-03/04.
Gabon
Gabon
Gabonese Republic
République Gabonaise
CAPITAL: Libreville
FLAG: The flag is a tricolor of green, golden yellow, and royal blue horizontal stripes.
ANTHEM: La Concorde (Harmony).
MONETARY UNIT: The Communauté Financière Africaine franc (CFA Fr), which was originally pegged to the French franc, has been pegged to the euro since January 1999 with a rate of 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro. The CFA franc is issued in coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs, and notes of 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 CFA francs. CFA Fr1 = $0.00192 (or $1 = CFA Fr521.74) as of 2005.
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.
HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Day of Renewal, 12 March; Labor Day, 1 May; Africa Freedom Day, 25 May; Assumption, 15 August; Independence Day, 17 August; All Saints’ Day, 1 November; Christmas, 25 December. Movable religious holidays include Easter Monday, Ascension, Pentecost Monday, ‘Id al-Fitr, and ‘Id al-’Adha’.
TIME: 1 PM = noon GMT.
1 Location and Size
Situated on the west coast of Africa and centered on the equator, Gabon has an area of 267,667 square kilometers (103, 346 square miles). Comparatively, the area occupied by Gabon is slightly smaller than the state of Colorado. It is bordered by Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo (ROC), and Equatorial Guinea, with a total land boundary length of 2,551 kilometers (1,585 miles), and a coastline (Atlantic Ocean) of 885 kilometers (550 miles). Gabon’s capital city, Libreville, is located on the country’s northwestern coast.
2 Topography
Plateaus cover the north, east, and most of the south of the country. Rivers descending from the interior have carved deep channels in the face of the rocky plateaus, dividing them into distinct blocks, such as the Crystal Mountains and the Chaillu Massif. There are other mountains in various parts of Gabon, the highest peak being Mount Iboundji at 1,575 meters (5,167 feet). The lowest point is at sea level (Atlantic Ocean).
GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Geographic Features
Area: 267,667 sq km (103,346 sq mi)
Size ranking: 74 of 194
Highest elevation: 1,575 meters (5,167 feet) at Mt. Iboundji
Lowest elevation: Sea level at the Atlantic Ocean
Land Use*
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 1%
Other: 98%
Weather**
Average annual precipitation: 312 centimeters (122.8 inches)
Average temperature in January: 26.7°C (80.1°F)
Average temperature in July: 24.1°C (75.4°F)
* Arable Land: Land used for temporary crops, like meadows for mowing or pasture, gardens, and greenhouses.
Permanent crops: Land cultivated with crops that occupy its use for long periods, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyards.
Other: Any land not specified, including built-on areas, roads, and barren land.
** The measurements for precipitation and average temperatures were taken at weather stations closest to the country’s largest city.
Precipitation and average temperature can vary significantly within a country, due to factors such as latitude, altitude, coastal proximity, and wind patterns.
The northern coastline is deeply indented with bays, estuaries, and deltas as far south as the mouth of the Ogooué River, forming excellent natural shelters. Farther south, the coast becomes more rocky, but there are also coastal areas bordered by lagoons and mangrove swamps.
Virtually the entire territory is contained in the basin of the Ogooué River, the longest river in the country, which is about 1,100 kilometers (690 miles) long and navigable for about 400 kilometers (250 miles). Its two major tributaries are the Ivindo and the Ngounié.
3 Climate
Gabon has the moist, hot climate typical of tropical regions. The hottest month is January, with an average high at Libreville of 31°c (88°f) and an average low of 23°c (73°f). From June to September there is almost no rain but high humidity. Occasional rain falls in December and January. During the remaining months, rainfall is heavy. At Libreville, the average annual rainfall is more than 254 centimeters (100 inches). Farther north on the coast, it is 381 centimeters (150 inches).
4 Plants and Animals
Plant growth is rapid and dense. About 85% of the country is covered by heavy rain forest. The dense green of the vegetation never changes, since the more than 6,000 species of plants flower and lose their leaves at different times, continuously throughout the year. Tree growth is especially rapid. In the more sparsely forested areas, the trees tower as high as 60 meters (200 feet), and the trunks are thickly entwined with vines. There are about 300 species of trees. In the coastal regions, marine plants abound, and wide expanses are covered with tall papyrus grass.
Most tropical animal species are found in Gabon. Wildlife includes elephants, buffalo, antelope, situtungas, lions, panthers, and crocodiles. Gabon has the world’s largest gorilla population. There are hundreds of species of birds.
5 Environment
Gabon’s environmental problems include deforestation, pollution, and wildlife preservation. The forests that cover 84% of the country are threatened by excessive logging activities. Gabon’s coastal forests have been depleted. There is a reforestation program, and most of the interior remains under dense forest cover. Pollution of the land is a problem in Gabon’s growing urban centers due to industrial and domestic contaminants.
In 2003, only about 0.7% of Gabon’s total land area was protected. In 2002, the government announced a plan to create a system of 13 national parks that would cover about 10% of the nation’s land area. The areas selected for protection include habitats for gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants, hippopotamuses, and other species. Some of the parks will be marked as ecotourism sites, the income from which is meant to replace that of timber production. As a result of population expansion accompanied by an increased demand for meat, poaching has become a significant threat to the nation’s wildlife. As of 2006, 11 species of mammals were threatened. Five bird species were also threatened along with one type of reptiles. About 107 of Gabon’s 6,000-plus plant species were threatened with extinction.
6 Population
The population of Gabon was estimated at 1.4 million in 2005 by the United Nations. Most of the people live on the coast or are concentrated along rivers and roads. The projected population for the year 2025 was 1.8 million. Large areas of the interior are sparsely inhabited. Libreville, the capital and principal city, had about 611,000 inhabitants in 2005.
7 Migration
Because of its limited population and booming economy, Gabon relies heavily on laborers from other African nations, including Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Senegal. About 100,000 to 200,000 non-Gabonese Africans are believed to be in Gabon, many of them from Equatorial Guinea or Cameroon. Gabon has received two waves of refugees from the Republic of Congo. Foreigners make up about 20% of the population. The total number of migrants in Gabon in 2004 numbered 16,625, including 13,787 refugees. In 2005 the estimated net migration rate was zero.
8 Ethnic Groups
There are at least 40 distinct tribal groups in Gabon. The Pygmies are said to be the original inhabitants; however, only about 3,000 of them remain, scattered in small groups in the heart of the forest. The largest tribal group, the Fang (about 30% of the population), came from the north in the 18th century and settled in northern Gabon. The Nzebi, Obamba, Eshira, Bapounou, and Batéké are other major groups. Smaller groups include the Omyènè, a linguistic group that includes the Mpongwe, Galoa, Nkomi, Orungu, and Enenga; these peoples live along the lower Ogooué, from Lambaréné to Port-Gentil. The Kota, or Bakota, are located mainly in the northeast, but several tribes have spread southward; they are well known for their carved wooden figures. Other groups include the Vili and the Séké. Together with Europeans, these other African groups number about 154,000, including 6,000 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality. The citizens of Gabon are generally called Gabonese.
9 Languages
French is the official language of the republic. The Fang language is spoken in the north and other Bantu (Myene, Batéké, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi) languages are spoken elsewhere in the country.
10 Religions
About 73% of the total population is Christian, with a majority of the population being Roman Catholic. About 12% are Muslim, and about 10% practice traditional indigenous religions exclusively. It is believed that a large number of Christians and Muslims incorporate some elements of traditional religions within their practice. These statistics include noncitizens, who make up about 20% of the total population. Most of the Muslims are foreigners.
11 Transportation
As of 2004, Gabon State Railways totaled 814 kilometers (506 miles) of standard-gauge track. Main roads connect virtually all major communities. In 2002, the road network comprised 8,454 kilometers (5,253 miles). There were about 23,000 automobiles and 10,000 commercial vehicles in use in 1995.
The busiest ports are Port-Gentil, the center for exports of petroleum products and imports of mining equipment, and Owendo, which has timber-handling facilities. Gabon has three international airports—at Libreville, Port-Gentil, and Franceville. In 2003, there were 386,600 passengers carried on scheduled domestic and international airline flights.
12 History
Bantu peoples began to migrate to what is now Gabon from Cameroon and eastern Nigeria at least 2,000 years ago. The Portuguese sighted the coast as early as 1470 and gave Gabon its name because the shape of the Rio de Como estuary reminded them of a “gabao,” a Portuguese hooded cloak. After the Portuguese, the region was visited by the English, Dutch, and French. During the 17th century, the great French trading companies entered the slave trade. French Jesuit missionaries were active along the coast during this period, and their influence eventually extended to the powerful native kingdoms inland.
In 1839, the French signed a treaty with Denis, the African king whose authority extended over the northern Gabon coast. The treaty granted the kingdom to France in return for French protection. A similar treaty gained much of the southern coast below the Ogooué River. Gradually, other coastal chiefs accepted French control. The present capital, Libreville (“place of freedom”), was founded in 1849 by
BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Name: Omar Bongo
Position: President of a republic
Took Office: 2 December 1967
Birthplace: Lewal, Gabon
Birthdate: 30 December 1935
Religion: Islam
Education: Educated in Republic of Congo
Spouse: Edith Sassou-Nguesso (daughter of President Dennis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo)
Children: Several children from two marriages
Of interest: Bongo changed his given name to “Omar” in 1979 after converting to Islam. He is one of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state.
slaves who had been freed from a contraband-slave runner.
French explorers gradually penetrated the interior after 1847, and in 1890 Gabon formally became a part of French Congo. In 1910 it was organized as a separate colony, part of French Equatorial Africa.
On 28 September 1958, the territory of Gabon voted to become a self-governing republic within the French Community. Independence was formally proclaimed on 17 August 1960. On 12 February 1961, Léon Mba was elected president of the republic, heading a government of national union in which Jean-Hilaire Aubame served as foreign minister. Friction developed between Mba and Aubame, however, and after several years of political maneuvering, Aubame led a successful takeover on 18 February 1964. Mba was reinstated on the very next day through French military intervention, as provided for by a treaty signed between the Mba government and the French in 1960.
Mba created the post of vice president in February 1967. At his death on 28 November of that year, power was transferred peacefully to his vice president, Albert-Bernard Bongo. On 12 March 1968, Bongo announced the formal institution of a one-party system and the creation of the Gabon Democratic Party (PDG). He was reelected without opposition in 1973, 1979, and 1986. Bongo announced in 1979 that he had converted to Islam and changed his first name to Omar.
Depressed oil prices in the late 1980s damaged the economy and caused unrest among the population. After months of pro-democracy rallies and strikes, Bongo ended 22 years of one-party rule in 1990. In January 1991 the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law legalizing opposition parties. On 5 December 1993 multiparty presidential elections confirmed Bongo, running as an independent, as president with 51% of the vote, against Paul Mba Abessole. Opposition parties protested the result. Abessole announced the formation of a rival government dedicated to new presidential elections, restoring peace, and maintaining national unity.
Civil unrest continued in 1994, as the economy suffered from the devaluation of the currency, the CFA franc. In September 1994, the Organization for African Unity sponsored talks in Paris, France, that resulted in a power-sharing agreement between the government and the main opposition parties. The agreement fell apart when the opposition received few leadership positions in Bongo’s government. By mid-1995, the functioning Bongo government included some opposition representation.
In July 1996, the people of Gabon approved a new constitution that called for a 91-member Senate. In 1998, Bongo was reelected president for a seven-year term with 66.6% of the votes. Bongo ran for president again in 2005 and was reelected for a third seven-year term, winning 79.2% of the votes cast.
13 Government
A new constitution came into force in March 1991 and was approved by voters in July 1996. It provided for a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary, but retained a strong presidency.
The president is elected for a seven-year term. He is chief of state and appoints the prime minister, and may dissolve the assembly and call for new elections. There is a two-chamber legislature, composed of a Senate with 91 members, and a National Assembly with 120 members.
Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are subdivided into 37 prefectures. In some areas, the traditional chiefs still retain power, but their position has grown less secure.
14 Political Parties
On 12 March 1968, the Democratic Party of Gabon (Parti Démocratique Gabonais—PDG), headed by Albert-Bernard Bongo, became the sole political party. The Movement for National Reform (Mouvement de Redressement National), an opposition group, emerged in 1981 and formed a government in exile in 1985. Emerging since the legalization of opposition party activity in March 1991 are the Association for Socialism in Gabon, the Gabonese Socialist Union, the Circle for Renewal and Progress, the Union for Democracy and Development, and the Gabonese Party for Progress.
In the National Assembly elections of December 2001, the PDG won a majority, with 86 of 120 seats. Elections in 2003 for the Senate, which was created in early 1997, also gave a majority to the PDG, with 53 of 91 seats.
15 Judicial System
The civil court system consists of three tiers: the trial court, the appellate court, and the Supreme Court. The 1991 constitution, which established
Yearly Growth Rate
This economic indicator tells by what percent the economy has increased or decreased when compared with the previous year.
many basic freedoms and fundamental rights, also created a Constitutional Court, a body which considers only constitutional issues.
Although there is no longer recognition of traditional or customary courts, village chiefs continue to informally resolve disputes.
16 Armed Forces
In 2005, Gabon maintained active armed forces numbering 4,700 personnel. The army numbered 3,200. The navy consisted of 500 sailors, with two vessels. The air force had 1,000 personnel and 10 combat capable aircraft. Paramilitary forces totaled 2,000. The defense budget in 2005 totaled $19.1 million.
17 Economy
Rich in resources (especially oil and minerals), Gabon realized a growth rate of 9.5% in the 1970s and 1980s before succumbing to oil-price instability and the laws of international borrowing. The economy suffered in 1994, when France devalued the CFA franc, causing its value to drop by half overnight and inflation to shoot up to 35%. High inflation did not last long, however, as the country’s tight monetary policies helped reduce inflation to 5% in 1996 and to 1.5% in 2002.
Gabon is not self-sufficient in food, although 60% of its population gain their livelihood in the agricultural sector. The staple food crops are cassava, plantains, and yams. The coffee sector was hard hit in the mid-1980s by low world prices. Coffee prices recovered in the mid-1990s but sank again in the early 2000s. Gabon is self-sufficient in sugar, which it exports to the United States and other countries. Rubber production has been promoted in recent years.
Over 50% of Gabon’s gross domestic product (GDP) comes from petroleum and mining production. The petroleum industry generates 80% of export earnings and more than 50% of government revenues. The manufacturing sector accounts for 59% of GDP overall and services account for 35%.
Content to remain dependent on oil and its other primary exports, the government has not taken the steps necessary to diversify the economy. High labor costs, an unskilled workforce, and poor economic management hinder economic growth.
18 Income
In 2005, Gabon’s gross domestic product (GDP) was $8 billion, or $5,800 per person. In 2002, the average inflation rate was 1.5%. In 2005, the growth in GDP was 2.9%.
19 Industry
Gabon’s industry is centered on petroleum, manganese mining, and timber processing. Timber-related concerns include five veneer plants and a large plywood factory located in Port-Gentil. Other industries include textile plants, cement factories, breweries, shipyards, and cigarette factories. Manufacturing is highly dependent on foreign inputs.
Gabon is sub-Saharan Africa’s third largest crude oil producer and exporter, although there are concerns that proven reserves are declining, and production has declined as well.
20 Labor
The labor force numbered approximately 640,000 in 2005. Of these workers, 60% were engaged in agriculture, 25% in government and services, and the remaining 15% in industry and commerce. In 1997, the unemployment rate was estimated at 21%.
Almost all private sector workers are union members. As of 2002, the minimum wage was $61 per month. This wage does not provide a decent living for a worker and family, although many Gabonese earn significantly more. The minimum working age is 16, and in the case of Gabonese children this law is rigorously enforced. However, there have been reports that the children of the many foreign workers in Gabon work at much younger ages.
21 Agriculture
Only about 1% of the total land area is under cultivation, and agriculture contributes only about 6% of the gross domestic product. In 2004, agricultural imports by Gabon accounted for nearly 19% of all imports.
Components of the Economy
This pie chart shows how much of the country’s economy is devoted to agriculture (including forestry, hunting, and fishing), industry, or services.
In 2004, Gabon produced about 230,000 tons of cassava, 155,000 tons of yams, 61,800 tons of other roots and tubers, 270,000 tons of plantains, 35,410 tons of vegetables, and 31,000 tons of corn. Sugarcane production is about 235,000 tons. Cocoa is the most important cash crop, with production at about 600 tons in 2004. In the same year, palm oil production was 6,400 tons, and rubber production was 11,000 tons.
22 Domesticated Animals
Livestock raising is limited by the presence of the tsetse fly, an insect carrying diseases that affect cattle. Some tsetse-resistant cattle have recently been imported from Senegal to a cattle project. In 2005, there were an estimated 212,000 hogs, 195,000 sheep, 90,000 goats, 35,000 head of cattle, and 3.1 million chickens. In an effort to reduce Gabon’s reliance on meat imports, the government set aside 200,000 hectares (494,000 acres) in Gabon’s unpopulated Savannah region for three ranches at Ngounie, Nyanga, and Lekabi. Currently, however, frozen imports are the most important source of beef, costing four times less than locally produced beef. Poultry production satisfies about one-half of Gabon’s consumption demand. Typical annual production of poultry amounts to 3,600 tons.
23 Fishing
While there have been recent improvements in the fishing industry, it is still relatively undeveloped. Traditional fishing accounts for two-thirds of total catch. The waters off the Gabonese coast contain large quantities of fish. Gabonese waters are estimated to be able to support an annual catch of 15,000 tons of tuna and 12,000 tons of sardines. The fishing fleet was formerly based chiefly in Libreville, but Port-Gentil is now the center of operations for the industrial fleet. Plans for a cannery, fish-meal factory, and refrigerated storage facilities are underway. The total catch in 2003 was 44,855 tons, 80% from the Atlantic.
24 Forestry
Gabon’s forests, which cover an estimated 77% of its land surface, have always supplied many of the necessities of life, especially fuel and shelter. The forests contain over 400 species of trees, with about 100 species suitable for industrial use. Gabon is the largest exporter of raw wood in the region, with sales representing 20% of Africa’s raw wood exports. Forestry is second only to the petroleum sector in export earnings, with a value at $319.4 million in 2003. Gabon’s reserves of exploitable timber include okoumé, ozigo, ilomba, azobe, and padouk.
Gabon supplies 90% of the world’s okoumé, which makes excellent plywood. The country also produces hardwoods, such as mahogany, kevazingo, and ebony. Other woods are dibetou (tigerwood or African walnut), movingui (Nigerian satinwood), and zingana (zebrano or zebrawood).
Yearly Balance of Trade
The balance of trade is the difference between what a country sells to other countries (its exports) and what it buys (its imports). If a country imports more than it exports, it has a negative balance of trade (a trade deficit). If exports exceed imports there is a positive balance of trade (a trade surplus).
25 Mining
Gabon is a world leader in manganese production. Potash, uranium, columbium (niobium), iron ore, lead, zinc, diamonds, marble, and phosphate have also been discovered, and several deposits are being exploited commercially. The high-grade manganese deposits at Moanda, near Franceville, are among the world’s richest. Reserves have been estimated at 250 million tons. In 2004, 2.4 million tons of metallurgical-grade ore were extracted.
26 Foreign Trade
Gabon has a record of trade surpluses. Forestry is second only to the petroleum sector in export earnings. Gabon also is a leading exporter of manganese. Machines and tools, along with agricultural products, typically account for half of all imports.
Principal trading partners include the United States, France, China, Spain, Australia, and the Republic of Korea.
27 Energy and Power
Gabon is the fourth-largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Gabon’s proven petroleum reserves rose from 1.3 billion barrels in 1996 to 2.5 billion barrels in 2004. Total production of crude oil was 289,700 barrels per day in 2003. Natural gas reserves had dwindled significantly by 2002.
In 2002, there were hydroelectric stations at the Kinguélé and Tchimbélé dams on the Mbei River and at the Petite Poubara Dam on the Ogooué River. Electricity production increased from 114 million kilowatt hours in 1971 to 1.16 billion kilowatt hours in 2002.
28 Social Development
Family allowances are paid to all salaried workers. Other benefits include workers’ compensation, old age insurance, disability pensions, survivor pensions, maternity benefits, and medicine and hospitalization coverage.
Women have many legal protections, but face discrimination in reality.
29 Health
Most of the health services are public, but there are some private institutions, of which the best known is the hospital established in 1913 in Lambaréné by Albert Schweitzer. The hospital is now partially subsidized by the government.
Gabon’s medical infrastructure is considered one of the best in West Africa. By 1985 there were 28 hospitals, 87 medical centers, and 312 infirmaries and dispensaries. In 2004, there was 0.3 physicians per 1,000 people. Gabon has a domestic supply of prescription medicines from a large, modern factory in Libreville. At least 90% of the population had access to health care services.
A comprehensive government health program treats such diseases as leprosy, sleeping sickness, malaria, filariasis, intestinal worms, and tuberculosis. There are new cases of leprosy and tuberculosis reported each year.
In 2005, the infant mortality rate was 55.4 per 1,000 live births, down from 58 per 1,000 live births in 2000. Life expectancy was 55 years in 2005.
The number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was estimated at 48,000 in 2004. Deaths from AIDS were estimated at 3,000 per year in 2003. World Health Organization specialists and the government of Gabon took immediate action to control the mid-1990s reemergence of the Ebola virus. In February 1996, Ebola hemorrhagic fever was responsible for the deaths of 21 people out of a total of 37 cases.
Selected Social Indicators
The statistics below are the most recent estimates available as of 2006. For comparison purposes, data for the United States and averages for low-income countries and high-income countries are also given. About 15% of the world’s 6.5 billion people live in high-income countries, while 37% live in low-income countries.
Indicator | Gabon | Low-income countries | High-income countries | United States |
---|---|---|---|---|
sources: World Bank. World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank, 2006; Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2006; World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C. | ||||
Per capita gross national income (GNI)* | $5,700 | $2,258 | $31,009 | $39,820 |
Population growth rate | 2.5% | 2% | 0.8% | 1.2% |
People per square kilometer of land | 5 | 80 | 30 | 32 |
Life expectancy in years: male | 54 | 58 | 76 | 75 |
female | 55 | 60 | 82 | 80 |
Number of physicians per 1,000 people | 0.3 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 2.3 |
Number of pupils per teacher (primary school) | 36 | 43 | 16 | 15 |
Literacy rate (15 years and older) | 63% | 65% | >95% | 99% |
Television sets per 1,000 people | 308 | 84 | 735 | 938 |
Internet users per 1,000 people | 30 | 28 | 538 | 630 |
Energy consumed per capita (kg of oil equivalent) | 1,256 | 501 | 5,410 | 7,843 |
CO2 emissions per capita (metric tons) | 3.14 | 0.85 | 12.97 | 19.92 |
* The GNI is the total of all goods and services produced by the residents of a country in a year. The per capita GNI is calculated by dividing a country’s GNI by its population and adjusting for relative purchasing power. | ||||
n.a.: data not available >: greater than <: less than |
30 Housing
Credit institutions make small loans for the repair of existing houses and larger loans (amounting to almost the total cost of the house) for the construction of new houses. The government has established a national habitation fund, and there have been a number of urban renewal projects.
As of 2000 at least 73% of urban and 55% of rural dwellers had access to improved water sources. About 25% of urban and 4% of rural dwellers had access to improved sanitation systems.
31 Education
The educational system is patterned on that of France, but changes are being introduced gradually to adapt the curriculum to local needs and traditions. The government gives high priority to education, especially the construction of rural schools. Education is free and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. The student-to-teacher ratio at the primary level is 36 to 1. About one-half of all schools are private or church-supported.
Omar Bongo University, at Libreville, includes faculties of law, sciences, and letters; teachers’ training schools; and schools of law, engineering, forestry and hydraulics, administration, and management. Annually there are about 4,650 students at the university and other equivalent institutions.
There is also an adult literacy program. The adult illiteracy rate was estimated at 37%, with 26% for men and 47% for women.
32 Media
In 2003, there were an estimated 29 mainline telephones and 224 cellular phones for every 1,000 people.
Radio-Diffusion Télévision Gabonaise, which is owned and operated by the government, broadcasts in French and native languages. In 1981 a commercial radio station, Africa No. 1, began operations. It is the most powerful radio station in Africa. In 2004, there were two government-operated radio stations and seven privately-owned stations. There were about 488 radios and 308 television sets for every 1,000 people in 2003.
The national press service is the Gabonese Press Agency, which publishes a daily paper, Gabon-Matin (circulation 18,000 as of 2002). L’Union in Libreville, the government-controlled daily newspaper, had an average daily circulation of 40,000 in 2002.
The constitution of Gabon provides for free speech and a free press, and the government is said to support these rights.
33 Tourism and Recreation
Gabon’s tourist attractions include fine beaches, ocean and inland fishing facilities, and scenic sites. Many visitors come to see the hospital founded by Albert Schweitzer at Lambaréné. In addition, there are two national parks and four wildlife reserves. Tourism facilities are limited. In 2002, there were only about 2,450 hotel rooms. An estimated 222,257 tourists arrived in Gabon in 2003.
34 Famous Gabonese
The best-known Gabonese are Léon Mba (1902–1967), the president of the republic from 1960 to 1967, and Omar Bongo (Albert-Bernard Bongo, b.1935), the president of the republic since Mba’s death. Born in Alsace (now in France), Albert Schweitzer (1875–1965), a world-famous clergyman, physician, philosopher, and musicologist and the 1952 winner of the Nobel Prize for peace, established a hospital in Lambaréné in 1913.
35 Bibliography
BOOKS
Aniakor, Chike Cyril. Fang. New York: Rosen Pub. Co., 1998.
D and B’s Export Guide to Gabon. Parsippany, NJ: Dun and Bradstreet, 1999.
Gardinier, David E. Historical Dictionary of Gabon. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1994.
Lantier-Sampon, Patricia. Albert Schweitzer: The Doctor Who Devoted His Life to Africa’s Sick. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Children’s Books, 1991.
WEB SITES
Country Analysis Briefs. www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Gabon/Background.html. (accessed on January 15, 2007).
Country Pages. www.state.gov/p/af/ci/gb/. (accessed on January 15, 2007).
Gabon
Gabon
PROFILEPEOPLE
HISTORY
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
ECONOMY
DEFENSE
FOREIGN RELATIONS
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
TRAVEL
Compiled from the January 2008 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Gabonese Republic
PROFILE
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: (July 2007 est.)1,454,867.
Annual growth rate: (2007 est.)2.036%.
Ethnic groups: Fang (largest),Myene, Bapounou, Eshira, Bandjabi,Bakota, Nzebi, Bateke/Obamba.
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—54 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).
Government branches: Executive—president (head of state); prime minister (head of government) and appointed Council of Ministers. Legislative—bicameral legislature (National Assembly and Senate). Judicial—Supreme Court.
Political subdivisions: 9 provinces, 36 prefectures, and 8 subprefectures.
Political parties: Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG) holds the largest number of seats in the National Assembly; there are several others.
Suffrage: Universal, direct.
Budget: (2001 est.) Receipts—$1.6 billion; expenses—$1.2 billion; defense (1999)—3.0% of government budget.
Economy
GDP: (2006 est.) $7.052 billion.
Annual real growth rate: (2006est.) 2.8%.
Per capita income: (2006 est.)$7,200.
Avg. inflation rate: (2006 est.) 2.2%.
Natural resources: Petroleum (43% of GDP), timber, manganese, uranium.
Agriculture and forestry: (5.9% of GDP) Products—cocoa, coffee, rubber, sugar, and pineapples. Cultivated land—1%.
Industry: (59.7% of GDP) Types—petroleum related, wood processing, food and beverage processing.
Services: (25% of GDP).
Trade: (2006) Exports—$6.677 billion (f.o.b.) petroleum, wood, manganese. Major markets—U.S. 53%, China 8.5%, France 7.4%, EU, Asia. Imports—$1.607 billion (f.o.b.) construction equipment, machinery, food, automobiles, manufactured goods. Major suppliers—France 43%, U.S. 6.3%, U.K. 5.8%, Netherlands 4%. Current account balance (2006 est.)—$1.807 billion.
PEOPLE
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 12,000 French people live in Gabon, including an estimated 2,000 dual nationals, 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.
HISTORY
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. Gabon's first European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word “gabao,” a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became a center of the slave trade. Dutch, British, and French traders came in the 16th century. France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville—”free town.” An American, Paul du Chaillu, was among the first foreigners to explore the interior of the country in the 1850s. French explorers penetrated Gabon's dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. France occupied Gabon in 1885 but did not administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent in 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.
At the time of Gabon's independence in 1960, two principal political parties existed: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Leon M′Ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame. In the first post-independence election, held under a parliamentary system, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M’Ba was named Prime Minister. Soon after concluding that Gabon had an insufficient number of people for a two-party system, the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates. In the February 1961 election, held under the new presidential system, M’Ba became President and Aubame became Foreign Minister.
This one-party system appeared to work until February 1963, when the larger BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties or resignation. The UDSG cabinet ministers resigned, and M′Ba called an election for February 1964 and a reduced number of National Assembly deputies (from 67 to 47). The UDSG failed to muster a list of candidates able to meet the requirements of the electoral decrees. When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M′Ba in a bloodless coup on February 18, 1964. French troops re-established his government the next day. Elections were held in April 1964 with many opposition participants. BDG-supported candidates won 31 seats and the opposition 16. Late in 1966, the constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the vice president should the president die in office. In March 1967, Leon M′Ba and Omar Bongo (then Albert Bongo) were elected President and Vice President. M′Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became President.
In March 1968, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state by dissolving the BDG and establishing a new party—the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). He invited all Gabonese, regardless of previous political affiliation, to participate. Bongo was elected President in February 1975; in April 1975, the office of vice president was abolished and replaced by the office of prime minister, who had no right to automatic succession. Bongo was re-elected President in December 1979 and November 1986 to 7-year terms. Using the PDG as a tool to submerge the regional and tribal rivalries that divided Gabonese politics in the past, Bongo sought to forge a single national movement in support of the government's development policies.
Economic discontent and a desire for political liberalization provoked violent demonstrations and strikes by students and workers in early 1990. In response to grievances by workers, Bongo negotiated with them on a sector-by-sector basis, making significant wage concessions. In addition, he promised to open up the PDG and to organize a national political conference in March-April 1990 to discuss Gabon's future political system. The PDG and 74 political organizations attended the conference. Participants essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies, and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties, consisting of the breakaway Morena Fundamental and the Gabonese Progress Party.
The April 1990 conference approved sweeping political reforms, including creation of a national Senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, freedom of assembly and press, and cancellation of the exit visa requirement. In an attempt to guide the political system's transformation to multiparty democracy, Bongo resigned as PDG chairman and created a transitional government headed by a new Prime Minister, Casimir Oye-Mba. The Gabonese Social Democratic Grouping (RSDG), as the resulting government was called, was smaller than the previous government and included representatives from several opposition parties in its cabinet. The RSDG drafted a provisional constitution in May 1990 that provided a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary but retained strong executive powers for the president. After further review by a constitutional committee and the National Assembly, this document came into force in March 1991. Under the 1991 constitution, in the event of the president's death, the prime minister, the National Assembly president, and the defense minister were to share power until a new election could be held.
Opposition to the PDG continued, however, and in September 1990, two coup d’etat attempts were uncovered and aborted. Despite anti-government demonstrations after the untimely death of an opposition leader, the first multiparty National Assembly elections in almost 30 years took place in September-October 1990, with the PDG garnering a large majority.
Following President Bongo's re-election in December 1993 with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. This arrangement soon broke down, however, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. The PDG won a landslide victory in the legislative election, but several major cities, including Libreville, elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election.
President Bongo coasted to easy reelections in December 1998 and November 2005, with large majorities of the vote against a divided opposition. While Bongo's major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, some international observers characterized the results as representative despite any perceived irregularities. Legislative elections held in 2001-02, which were boycotted by a number of smaller opposition parties and were widely criticized for their administrative weaknesses, produced a National Assembly almost completely domi-
nated by the PDG and allied independents. National Assembly elections were held again in December 2006.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003), Gabon is a republic with a presidential form of government. The National Assembly has 120 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The president is elected by universal suffrage for a 7-year term. The president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court. The president also has other strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, and conduct referenda. A 2003 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits and facilitated a presidency for life. In 1990 the government made major changes to Gabon's political system. A transitional constitution was drafted in May 1990 as an outgrowth of the national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee. Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights; creation of a National Council of Democracy to oversee the guarantee of those rights; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues; and an independent judiciary. After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee, and the President, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991. Multiparty legislative elections were held in 1990-91, despite the fact that opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
The elections produced the first representative, multiparty National Assembly. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law governing the legalization of opposition parties. After President Bongo was re-elected in a disputed election in 1993 with 51% of votes cast, social and political disturbances led to the 1994 Paris Conference and Accords, which provided a framework for the next elections. Local and legislative elections were delayed until 1996-97. In 1997, constitutional amendments were adopted to create an appointed Senate and the position of vice president, and to extend the president's term to 7 years.
Facing a divided opposition, President Bongo was re-elected in December 1998. Although the main opposition parties claimed the elections had been manipulated, there was none of the civil disturbance that followed the 1993 election. Peaceful though flawed legislative elections in 2001-02 produced a National Assembly dominated by the President's party and its allies. National Assembly elections were held again in 2006. In November 2005, President Bongo was elected for his sixth term. He won re-election easily, but opponents claim that the balloting process was marred by irregularities. There were some instances of violence following the announcement of Bongo's win, but Gabon generally remained peaceful. For administrative purposes, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are further divided into 36 prefectures and 8 separate subprefectures. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the subprefects.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 2/1/2008
Pres.: Omar BONGO
Vice Pres.: Didjob Divungi DI NDINGE
Prime Min.: Eyeghe NDONG
Dep. Prime Min. and Min. of Town and Country Planning: Emmanuel Ondo METOGHO
Dep. Prime Min. and Min. of the City: Antoine de Padoue Mboumbou MIYAKOU
Min. of State for Agriculture, Livestock, & Rural Development: Pierre Claver Maganga MOUSSAVOU
Min. of State for Commerce and Industial Development: Jean-Remy PENDY-BOUYIKI
Min. of State for Economy, Finance,Budget, & Privatization: Paul TOUNGUI
Min. of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Jean PING
Min. of State for Housing, Town Planning, and Land Register: Jacques ADIAHENOT
Min. of State for Human Rights: Paul Mba ABESSOLE
Min. of State for Planning and Development Programs: Casimir Oye MBA
Min. of State for Transportation and Civil Aviation: Paulette MISSAMBO
Min. of Civil Service, Administrative Reform, and State Modernization: Desire Pascal MISSONGO
Min. of Communication, Postal Services, and Information Technologies: Andre Dieudonne BERRE
Min. of Culture and Arts: Pierre Amoughe MBA
Min. of Defense: Ali-Ben BONGO
Min. of Family, Child Welfare, and Women's Affairs: Angelique NGOMA
Min. of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, in charge of the Environment: Emile DOUMBA
Min. of Higher Education & Scientific Research: Vincent Moulengui BOUKOSSOU
Min. of Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization: Idriss NGARI
Min. of Justice: Honorine Dossou NAKI
Min. of Labor & Employment: Clotaire Christian IVALA
Min. of Merchant Navy: Felix SIBY
Min. of Mines, Energy, Oil, and Hydraulic Resources: Richard ONOUVIET
Min. of National Education: Daniel Ona ONO
Min. in Charge of Relations with Parliament and Govt. Spokesperson: Rene Ndemezo OBIANG
Min. of Public Health: Faustin BOUKOUBI
Min. of Public Works, Equipment, and Construction: Egide BOUNDONO
Min. of Small Enterprises: Paul BIYOGHE-MBA
Min. of Social Affairs & National Solidarity: Andre Mba OBAME
Min. of Tourism and Handicrafts: Jean MASSIMA
Min. of Vocational Training and Social Rehabilitation: Pierre-Andre KOMBILA
Min. of Youth and Sports: Alfred MABIKA
Dep. Min. of Public Works, Construction,and Equipment: Frederoc Massavala MABOUMBA
Dep. Min. of Economy, Finance, Budget,and Privatization: Senturel Ngoma MADOUNGOU and Jean Eyeghe NDONG
Min. Del. of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation,& Francophonie Affairs: Jean-Francois NDONGOU
Dep. Min. of Planning and Development Programs: Yolanda ASSELE-EBINDA
Dep. Min. to the Prime Min. for State Controls, Inspections, and Fight Against Poverty and Corruption: Martin MABALA
Dir., Central Bank: Jean-Paul LEYIMANGOYE
Ambassador to the US: Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Denis DANGUE-REWAKA
Gabon maintains an embassy in the United States at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-797-1000).
ECONOMY
Gabon's economy is dominated by oil. 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. In spite of the decreasing oil revenues, little planning has been done for an after-oil scenario. Gabon public expenditures from the years of significant oil revenues were not spent efficiently. Overspending on the Transgabonais railroad, the oil price shock of 1986, the CFA franc devaluation of 1994, and low oil prices in the late 1990s caused serious debt problems. Gabon has earned a poor reputation with the Paris Club and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the management of its debt and revenues. Successive IMF missions have criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items (in good years and bad), over-borrowing from the Central Bank, and slipping on the schedule for privatization and administrative reform. In September 2005, Gabon successfully concluded a 15-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. Following this, Gabon sought a multi-year successor arrangement.
Gabon's oil revenues have given it a strong per capita GDP of $7,200, extremely high for the region. On the other hand, a skewed income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. The richest 20% of the population receives over 90% of the income, and about a third of Gabonese live in poverty. The economy is highly dependent on extraction of abundant primary materials. After oil, logging and manganese mining are the other major sectors. Foreign and Gabonese observers have consistently lamented the lack of transformation of primary materials in the Gabonese economy. Various factors have so far stymied more diversification—small market of 1 million people, dependence on French imports, inability to capitalize on regional markets, lack of entrepreneurial zeal among the Gabonese, and the fairly regular stream of oil “rent”. The small processing and service sectors are largely dominated by just a few prominent local investors. At World Bank and IMF insistence, the government embarked on a program of privatization of its state-owned companies and administrative reform, including reducing public sector employment and salary growth, but progress has been slow.
DEFENSE
Gabon has a small, professional military of about 10,000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and national police. Gabonese forces are oriented to the defense of the country and have not been trained for an offensive role. A well-trained, well-equipped 1,500-member guard provides security for the president.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Gabon has followed a nonaligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Angola, Congo/ Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi.
In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in Congo/ Brazzaville between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process, and has also played a role in mediating the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) mission to the Central African Republic.
Gabon is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, as well as of the World Bank; the African Union (AU); the Central African Customs Union/Central African Economic and Monetary Community (UDEAC/CEMAC); EU/ ACP association under the Lome Convention; the Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); the Nonaligned Movement; and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS/CEEAC). Gabon withdrew from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1995.
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and Gabon are excellent. In 1987, President Bongo made an official visit to Washington, DC. In September 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell made a brief but historic visit to Gabon to highlight environmental protection and conservation in the Central Africa region. This was followed by a visit to the White House by President Bongo in May 2004.
The United States imports a considerable percentage of Gabonese crude oil and manganese and exports heavy construction equipment, aircraft, and machinery to Gabon. Through a modest International Military Education and Training program, the United States provides military training to members of the Gabonese armed forces each year. U.S. private capital has been attracted to Gabon since before its independence.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Last Updated: 2/19/2008
LIBREVILLE (E) Boulevard du Bord de Mer, BP 4000, Libreville, [241] 76-20-03/04, Fax [241] 74-55-07, Workweek: MON-THU 08:00-17:15 and FRI 08:00-14:00.
AMB OMS: | Debra Debose |
ECO: | John Corrao |
MGT: | Charles Morrill |
AMB: | Eunice Reddick |
CON: | Vacant |
DCM: | Nathan Holt |
PAO: | John Carrao |
GSO: | Heather Cole |
RSO: | Bart Sandlin |
CLO: | Sylvia Matthews |
DAO: | Ltc. Rene Dechaine |
ICASS: | Chair Jim Matthews |
IMO: | Jim Matthews |
ISO: | Mike Moffatt |
POL: | Leslie Doumbia |
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet
November 5, 2007
Country Description: Gabon is a developing nation in west central Africa. French is the official language; few Gabonese speak English. Facilities for tourism outside the capital city, Libreville, are available, but they are often limited and can be expensive.
Entry Requirements: A passport and visa are required. Proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry. Visas must be obtained in advance, as airport visas are no longer available. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of Gabon, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, telephone: (202) 797-1000, fax: (202) 332-0668. Travelers may also contact the Gabonese Consulate at 18 East 41st St., Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10017, telephone (212) 683-7371. Overseas, inquiries should be made to the nearest Gabonese embassy or consulate. All non-Gabonese citizens, with the exception of those bearing diplomatic or official passports, are required to obtain exit visas from the Direction Générale á la Documentation et l’Immigration (DGDI, formerly known as CEDOC) before departing Gabon.
Safety and Security: U.S. citizens should maintain security awareness at all times. In Gabon there have been isolated instances of civil unrest, both in the capital city and in the interior. Large gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to demonstrate or protest should be avoided.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs’ web site, where the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts including the Worldwide Caution Travel Alert, can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444.
For further information on safety and security in Gabon, please visit the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) web site at www.osac.gov, and use the “Jump to Country” pull-down menu to reach the Gabon Country Profile.
Crime: In Gabon, petty thievery is common. Violent crime is more common in urban areas, and there have been cases of armed robberies in homes and in restaurants frequented by foreigners. Occasionally Americans or Europeans have been victims of crime.
The U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to take extra precautions when traveling in Libreville. To prevent carjacking, citizens are encouraged to travel with their automobile windows up and doors locked. Marginal neighborhoods, poorly lit streets, and unfamiliar areas of the city should be avoided, especially at night. Walking or running on the beach alone at night should be avoided. When dining in restaurants or visiting markets, it is recommended that one carry only minimal amounts of cash and avoid wearing excessive amounts of jewelry.
Credit cards are not widely accepted except at hotels, and because of the high rates of credit card fraud, their use outside major chain hotels is not recommended. If involved in an attempted robbery or carjacking, Americans are encouraged to comply with the attacker to avoid injury and to report all incidents to the police and the U.S. Embassy. Police response time to reports of crime can be slow. Scams or confidence schemes do occur in Gabon. There have been instances of sexual assault against foreigners.
Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.
Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Gabon's major cities are limited, but they are generally adequate for routine or basic needs. Medical services in rural areas are generally unavailable. Additionally, some medicines are not available; travelers should carry necessary, properly labeled medications with them.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel. For information about out-breaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith/en.
Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Gabon is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Travel by road in Gabon can be hazardous. It is recommended that you drive with your car windows up and the doors locked. Travelers are routinely stopped at police checkpoints within cities and on roads to the interior. Travelers should use extreme caution when driving after dark. Two-lane roads are the norm throughout Gabon. Roads to outlying cities have visible and hidden dangers that are profuse, including large potholes, absence of road signs, poor to non-existent streetlights, and the presence of pedestrians and animals. Construction work is often poorly indicated. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for travel beyond the paved road to Lambarene, especially during the rainy season. Road-side assistance and emergency medical services are available in Libreville, but they may not be dependable. Such services are nonexistent outside of the city. Service stations are available along main roads, but vehicle repair facilities are not always available. Drivers must have a valid international driver's license (available from AAA and the American Automobile Routing Alliance) when driving in Gabon.
Use of taxis is generally safe but does pose added risks. It is recommended that one use a hotel taxi when possible. Riding in a taxi alone or during late hours of the evening is not recommended and creates additional risk of becoming a victim of crime. Rail services are available, but travelers should be prepared for delays.
Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Gabon, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Gabon's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's web site at http://www.faa.gov.
Special Circumstances: Gabon is a francophone country; travelers who do not speak French will face difficulties associated with the language barrier.
Americans should always carry identification with them in the event they are stopped at a police checkpoint. Photographing military or government buildings is strictly forbidden. Official corruption is common, but offering bribes is not recommended.
Gabon is largely a cash economy. Credit cards are accepted at only a few major hotels. Travelers’ checks can be cashed or dollars exchanged for Central African Francs (CFA) at hotels and banks. ATMs are available in major urban centers, and dispense CFA.
Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses.
Persons violating Gabonese laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Gabon are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.
Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family.
Registration and Embassy Locations: Americans living or traveling in Gabon are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration web site so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security within Gabon.Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located downtown on the Boulevard du Bord de Mer. The mailing address is Centre Ville, B.P. 4000, Libreville, Gabon. The telephone numbers are (241) 76-20-03 or (241) 76-20-04. The fax numbers are (241) 74-55-07 or (241) 76-88-49 and the web site is http://libreville.usembassy.gov.
Gabon
Gabon
Compiled from the November 2006 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Gabonese Republic
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
PROFILE
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: (2003 census) 1.5 million
Annual growth rate: (based on 2003 census) 4.2%.
Ethnic groups: Fang (largest), Myene, Bapounou, Eshira, Bandjabi, Bakota, Nzebi, Bateke/Obamba.
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).
Government 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.
Political 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 (RNBRPG—8), Parti Gabonais Du Progres (PGP—3), Independents and other parties—24.
Suffrage: Universal, direct.
Budget: (2001 est.) Receipts—$1.6 billion; expenses—$1.2 billion; defense (1999)—3.0% of government budget.
Economy
GDP: (2005 est.) $7.2 billion.
Annual real growth rate: (2005 est.) 2.2%.
Per capita income: (2005 est.) $5,900.
Inflation rate: (2005 est.) 1.5%.
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: (2004) Exports—$3.7 billion: petroleum, wood, manganese. Major markets—U.S. 53%, China 8.5%, France 7.4%, EU, Asia. Imports—$1.2 billion: construction equipment, machinery, food, automobiles, manufactured goods. Major suppliers—France 43%, U.S. 6.3%, U.K. 5.8%, Netherlands 4%. Current account balance—$196 million.
PEOPLE
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 12,000 French people live in Gabon, including an estimated 2,000 dual nationals, 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.
HISTORY
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. Gabon’s first European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word “gabao,” a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became a center of the slave trade. Dutch, British, and French traders came in the 16th century. France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville—”free town.” An American, Paul du Chaillu, was among the first foreigners to explore the interior of the country in the 1850s. French explorers penetrated Gabon’s dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. France occupied Gabon in 1885 but did not administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent in 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.
At the time of Gabon’s independence in 1960, two principal political parties existed: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Leon M’Ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame. In the first post-independence election, held under a parliamentary system, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M’Ba was named Prime Minister. Soon after concluding that Gabon had an insufficient number of people for a two-party system, the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates. In the February 1961 election, held under the new presidential system, M’Ba became President and Aubame became Foreign Minister.
This one-party system appeared to work until February 1963, when the larger BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties or resignation. The UDSG cabinet ministers resigned, and M’Ba called an election for February 1964 and a reduced number of National Assembly deputies (from 67 to 47). The UDSG failed to muster a list of candidates able to meet the requirements of the electoral decrees. When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M’Ba in a bloodless coup on February 18, 1964. French troops re-established his government the next day. Elections were held in April 1964 with many opposition participants. BDG-supported candidates won 31 seats and the opposition 16. Late in 1966, the constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the vice president should the president die in office. In March 1967, Leon M’Ba and Omar Bongo (then Albert Bongo) were elected President and Vice President. M’Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became President.
In March 1968, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state by dissolving the BDG and establishing a new party—the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). He invited all Gabonese, regardless of previous political affiliation, to participate. Bongo was elected President in February 1975; in April 1975, the office of vice president was abolished and replaced by the office of prime minister, who had no right to automatic succession. Bongo was re-elected President in December 1979 and November 1986 to 7-year terms. Using the PDG as a tool to submerge the regional and tribal rivalries that divided Gabonese politics in the past, Bongo sought to forge a single national movement in support of the government’s development policies.
Economic discontent and a desire for political liberalization provoked violent demonstrations and strikes by students and workers in early 1990. In response to grievances by workers, Bongo negotiated with them on a sector-by-sector basis, making significant wage concessions. In addition, he promised to open up the PDG and to organize a national political conference in March-April 1990 to discuss Gabon’s future political system. The PDG and 74 political organizations attended the conference. Participants essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies, and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties, consisting of the breakaway Morena Fundamental and the Gabonese Progress Party.
The April 1990 conference approved sweeping political reforms, including creation of a national Senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, freedom of assembly and press, and cancellation of the exit visa requirement. In an attempt to guide the political system’s transformation to multiparty democracy, Bongo resigned as PDG chairman and created a transitional government headed by a new Prime Minister, Casimir Oye-Mba. The Gabonese Social Democratic Grouping (RSDG), as the resulting government was called, was smaller than the previous government and included representatives from several opposition parties in its cabinet. The RSDG drafted a provisional constitution in May 1990 that provided a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary but retained strong executive powers for the president. After further review by a constitutional committee and the National Assembly, this document came into force in March 1991. Under the 1991 constitution, in the event of the president’s death, the prime minister, the National Assembly president, and the defense minister were to share power until a new election could be held.
Opposition to the PDG continued, however, and in September 1990, two coup d’etat attempts were uncovered and aborted. Despite anti-government demonstrations after the untimely death of an opposition leader, the first multiparty National Assembly elections in almost 30 years took place in September-October 1990, with the PDG garnering a large majority. Following President Bongo’s re-election in December 1993 with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. This arrangement soon broke down, however, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. The PDG won a landslide victory in the legislative election, but several major cities, including Libreville, elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election. President Bongo coasted to easy re-elections in December 1998 and November 2005, with large majorities of the vote against a divided opposition. While Bongo’s major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, some international observers characterized the results as representative despite any perceived irregularities. Legislative elections held in 2001-02, which were boycotted by a number of smaller opposition parties and were widely criticized for their administrative weaknesses, produced a National
Assembly almost completely dominated by the PDG and allied independents.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003), Gabon is a republic with a presidential form of government. The National Assembly has 120 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The president is elected by universal suffrage for a 7-year term.
The president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court. The president also has other strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, and conduct referenda. A 2003 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits and facilitated a presidency for life.
In 1990 the government made major changes to Gabon’s political system. A transitional constitution was drafted in May 1990 as an outgrowth of the national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee. Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights; creation of a National Council of Democracy to oversee the guarantee of those rights; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues; and an independent judiciary. After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee, and the President, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991. Multi-party legislative elections were held in 1990-91, despite the fact that opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
The elections produced the first representative, multiparty National Assembly. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law governing the legalization of opposition parties. After President Bongo was re-elected in a disputed election in 1993 with 51% of votes cast, social and political disturbances led to the 1994 Paris Conference and Accords, which provided a framework for the next elections. Local and legislative elections were delayed until 1996-97. In 1997, constitutional amendments were adopted to create an appointed Senate and the position of vice president, and to extend the president’s term to 7 years.
Facing a divided opposition, President Bongo was re-elected in December 1998. Although the main opposition parties claimed the elections had been manipulated, there was none of the civil disturbance that followed the 1993 election. Peaceful though flawed legislative elections in 2001-02 produced a new National Assembly dominated by the President’s party and its allies.
In November 2005, President Bongo was elected for his sixth term. He won re-election easily, but opponents claim that the balloting process was marred by irregularities. There were some instances of violence following the announcement of Bongo’s win, but Gabon generally remained peaceful.
For administrative purposes, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are further divided into 36 prefectures and 8 separate subprefectures. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the sub-prefects.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 12/14/2004
President: Bongo Odimba, El Hadj Omar
Vice President: Di Ndinge, Didjob Divungi
Prime Minister: Ntoutoume-Emane, Jean-Francois
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Town and Country Planning: Metogho, Emmanuel Ondo
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the City: Miyakou, Antoine de Padoue Mboumbou
Min. of State for Agriculture, Livestock, & Rural Development: Moussavou, Pierre claver Maganga
Min. of State for Commerce and Industial Development: Pendy-Bouyiki, Jean-Remy
Min. of State for Economy, Finance, Budget, & Privatization: Toungui, Paul
Min. of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ping, Jean
Min. of State for Housing, Town Planning and Land Register: Adiahenot, Jacques
Min. of State for Human Rights: Abessole, Paul Mba
Min. of State for Planning and Development Programs: Oye Mba, Casimir
Min. of State for Transportation and Civil Aviation: Missambo, Paulette
Min. of Civil Service, Administrative Reform, and State Modernization: Missongo, Desire Pascal
Min. of Communication, Postal Services, and Information Technologies: Berre, Andre Dieudonne
Min. of Culture and Arts: Amoughe Mba, Pierre
Min. of Defense: Bongo, Ali-Ben
Min. of Family, Child Welfare, and Women’s Affairs: Ngoma, Angelique
Min. of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, in charge of the Environment: Doumba, Emile
Min. of Higher Education & Scientific Research: Boukossou, Vincent Moulengui
Min. of Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization: Ngari, Idriss
Min. of Justice: Naki, Honorine Dossou
Min. of Labor & Employment: Ivala, Clotaire Christian
Min. of Merchant Navy: Siby, Felix
Min. of Mines, Energy, Oil, and Hydraulic Resources: Onouviet, Richard
Min. of National Education: Ono, Daniel Ona
Min. in Charge of Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesperson: Obiang, Rene Ndemezo
Min. of Public Health: Boukoubi, Faustin
Min. of Public Works, Equipment, and Construction: Boundono, Egide
Min. of Small Enterprises: Biyoghe-Mba, Paul
Min. of Social Affairs & National Solidarity: Obame, Andre Mba
Min. of Tourism and Handicrafts: Massima, Jean
Min. of Vocational Training and Social Rehabilitation: Ndaki, Barnabe
Min. of Youth and Sports: Mabika, Alfred
Dep. Min. of Public Works, Construction, and Equipment: Maboumba, Frederoc Massavala Dep.
Min. of Economy, Finance, Budget, and Privatization: Madoungou, Senturel Ngoma and: Ndong, Jean Eyeghe
Min. Del. of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ndongou, Jean-Francois:
Dep. Min. of Planning and Development Programs: Assele-Ebinda, Yolanda:
Dep. Min. to the Prime Minister for State Controls, Inspections, and Fight Against Poverty and Corruption: Mabala, Martin:
Dir., Central Bank: Leyimangoye, Jean-Paul:
Ambassador to the US: Boundoukou-Latha, Paul:
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Dangue-Rewaka, Denis:
Gabon maintains an embassy in the United States at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-797-1000).
ECONOMY
Gabon’s economy is dominated by oil. 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. In spite of the decreasing oil revenues, little planning has been done for an after-oil scenario. Gabon public expenditures from the years of significant oil revenues were not spent efficiently. Overspending on the Transgabonais railroad, the oil price shock of 1986, the CFA franc devaluation of 1994, and low oil prices in the late 1990s caused serious debt problems. Gabon has earned a poor reputation with the Paris Club and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the management of its debt and revenues. Successive IMF missions have criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items (in good years and bad), over-borrowing from the Central Bank, and slipping on the schedule for privatization and administrative reform. In September 2005, Gabon successfully concluded a 15-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. Gabon seeks a multi-year successor arrangement.
Gabon’s oil revenues have given it a strong per capita GDP of $5,900, extremely high for the region. On the other hand, a skewed income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. The richest 20% of the population receives over 90% of the income, and about a third of Gabonese live in poverty. The economy is highly dependent on extraction of abundant primary materials. After oil, logging and manganese mining are the other major sectors. Foreign and Gabonese observers have consistently lamented the lack of transformation of primary materials in the Gabonese economy. Various factors have so far stymied more diversification—small market of 1 million people, dependence on French imports, inability to capitalize on regional markets, lack of entrepreneurial zeal among the Gabonese, and the fairly regular stream of oil “rent.” The small processing and service sectors are largely dominated by just a few prominent local investors. At World Bank and IMF insistence, the government embarked on a program of privatization of its state-owned companies and administrative reform, including reducing public sector employment and salary growth, but progress has been slow.
DEFENSE
Gabon has a small, professional military of about 10,000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and national police. Gabonese forces are oriented to the defense of the country and have not been trained for an offensive role. A well-trained, well-equipped 1,500-member guard provides security for the president.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Gabon has followed a nonaligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Angola, Congo/Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in Congo/Brazzaville between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process, and has also played a role in mediating the crisis in Cote d’Ivoire. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) mission to the Central African Republic. Gabon is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, as well as of the World Bank; the African Union (AU); the Central African Customs Union/Central African Economic and Monetary Community (UDEAC/CEMAC); EU/ACP association under the Lome Convention; the Communauté Financiere Africaine (CFA); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); and the Nonaligned Movement. Gabon withdrew from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1995.
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and Gabon are excellent. In 1987, President Bongo made an official visit to Washington, DC. In September 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell made a brief but historic visit to Gabon to highlight environmental protection and conservation in the Central Africa region. This was followed by a visit to the White House by President Bongo in May 2004. The United States imports a considerable percentage of Gabonese crude oil and manganese and exports heavy construction equipment, aircraft, and machinery to Gabon. Through a modest International Military Education and Training program, the United States provides military training to members of the Gabonese armed forces each year. U.S. private capital has been attracted to Gabon since before its independence.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
LIBREVILLE (E) Address: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, BP 4000, Libreville; Phone: [241] 76-20-03/04; Fax: [241] 74-55-07; Workweek: MON-THU 08:00-17:15 and FRI 08:00-14:00; Website: www.libreville.usembassy.gov.
AMB: | R. Barrie Walkley |
AMB OMS: | Wendy Pelaez |
DCM: | Katherine Dhanani |
POL: | VACANT |
CON: | Bridgette Anderson |
MGT: | Mark Moody |
CLO: | Sylvia Matthews |
DAO: | VACANT |
ECO: | Michael Garcia |
EST: | VACANT |
GSO: | Heather Cole |
ICASS Chair: | Jim Matthews |
IMO: | Jim Matthews |
ISO: | VACANT |
PAO: | Michael Garcia |
RSO: | Daniel Messelt |
Last Updated: 12/20/2006
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet : January 12, 2006
Country Description: Gabon is a developing nation in west central Africa. French is the official language; few Gabonese speak English. Facilities for tourism outside the capital city, Libreville, are available, but they are often limited and can be expensive.
Entry/Exit Requirements: A passport and visa are required. Proof of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry. Visas must be obtained in advance, as airport visas are no longer available. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of Gabon, 2034 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, telephone: (202) 797-1000, fax: (202) 332-0668. Travelers may also contact the Gabonese Consulate at 18 East 41st St., Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10017, telephone (212) 683-7371. Overseas, inquiries should be made to the nearest Gabonese embassy or consulate.
Safety and Security: U.S. citizens should maintain security awareness at all times. In Gabon there have been isolated instances of civil unrest, both in the capital city and in the interior. Large gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to demonstrate or protest should be avoided.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, including the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, can be found. Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State’s pamphlets A Safe Trip Abroad at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html and Tips for Travelers to Sub-Saharan Africa at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1178.html.
Crime: In Gabon, petty thievery is common. Violent crime is more common in urban areas, and there have been cases of armed robberies in homes and in restaurants frequented by foreigners. Occasionally Americans or Europeans have been victims of crime.
The U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to take extra precautions when traveling in Libreville. To prevent carjacking, citizens are encouraged to travel with their automobile windows up and doors locked. Marginal neighborhoods, poorly lit streets, and unfamiliar areas of the city should be avoided, especially at night. Walking or running on the beach alone at night should be avoided. When dining in restaurants or visiting markets, it is recommended that one carry only minimal amounts of cash and avoid wearing excessive amounts of jewelry.
Credit cards are not widely accepted except at hotels, and because of the high rates of credit card fraud, their use outside major chain hotels is not recommended. If involved in an attempted robbery or carjacking, Americans are encouraged to comply with the attacker to avoid injury and to report all incidents to the police and the U.S. Embassy. Police response time to reports of crime can be slow. Scams or confidence schemes do occur in Gabon. There have been instances of sexual assault against foreigners.
Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.
Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Gabon’s major cities are limited, but they are generally adequate for routine or basic needs. Medical services in rural areas are generally unavailable. Additionally, some medicines are not available; travelers should carry necessary, properly labeled, medications with them.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC’s Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.
Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Gabon is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Travel by road in Gabon can be hazardous. It is recommended that you drive with your car windows up and the doors locked. Travelers are routinely stopped at police checkpoints within cities and on roads to the interior. Travelers should use extreme caution when driving after dark. Two-lane roads are the norm throughout Gabon. Roads to outlying cities have visible and hidden dangers that are profuse, including large potholes, absence of road signs, poor to non-existent streetlights, and the presence of pedestrians and animals. Construction work is often poorly indicated. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for travel beyond the paved road to Lambarene, especially during the rainy season. Roadside assistance and emergency medical services are available in Libreville, but they may not be dependable. Such services are nonexistent outside of the city. Service stations are available along main roads, but vehicle repair facilities are not always available. Drivers must have a valid international driver’s license (available from AAA and the American Automobile Routing Alliance) when driving in Gabon.
Use of taxis is generally safe but does pose added risks. It is recommended that one use a hotel taxi when possible. Riding in a taxi alone or during late hours of the evening is not recommended and creates additional risk of becoming a victim of crime. Rail services are available, but travelers should be prepared for delays.
Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Gabon, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Gabon’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s Internet web site at http://www.faa.gov.
Special Circumstances: Gabon is a francophone country; travelers who do not speak French will face difficulties associated with the language barrier.
Americans should always carry identification with them in the event they are stopped at a police checkpoint. Photographing military or government buildings is strictly forbidden.
Official corruption is common, but offering bribes is not recommended.
Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country’s laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Gabonese laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Gabon are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.
Children’s Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children’s Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family.
Registration/Embassy Location: Americans living or traveling in Gabon are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located downtown on the Boulevard de la Mer. The mailing address is Centre Ville, B.P. 4000, Libreville, Gabon. The telephone numbers are (241) 76-20-03 or (241) 76-20-04. The fax numbers are (241) 74-55-07 or (241) 76-88-49 and the web site is http://usembassy.state.gov/libreville/
Gabon
GABON
Compiled from the February 2005 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Gabonese Republic
PROFILE
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.
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 (RNBRPG—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
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.
HISTORY
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. Gabon's first European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word "gabao," a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became a center of the slave trade. Dutch, British, and French traders came in the 16th century. France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville—"free town."
An American, Paul du Chaillu, was among the first foreigners to explore the interior of the country in the 1850s. French explorers penetrated Gabon's dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. France occupied Gabon in 1885 but did not administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent in 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.
At the time of Gabon's independence in 1960, two principal political parties existed: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Leon M'Ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame. In the first post-independence election, held under a parliamentary system, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M'Ba was named Prime Minister. Soon after concluding that Gabon had an insufficient number of people for a two-party system, the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates. In the February 1961 election, held under the new presidential system, M'Ba became President and Aubame became Foreign Minister.
This one-party system appeared to work until February 1963, when the larger BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties or resignation. The UDSG cabinet ministers resigned, and M'Ba called an election for February 1964 and a reduced number of National Assembly deputies (from 67 to 47). The UDSG failed to muster a list of candidates able to meet the requirements of the electoral decrees. When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M'Ba in a bloodless coup on February 18, 1964. French troops re-established his government the next day. Elections were held in April 1964 with many opposition participants. BDG-supported candidates won 31 seats and the opposition 16. Late in 1966, the constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the vice president should the president die in office. In March 1967, Leon M'Ba and Omar Bongo (then Albert Bongo) were elected President and Vice President. M'Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became President.
In March 1968, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state by dissolving the BDG and establishing a new party—the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). He invited all Gabonese, regardless of previous political affiliation, to participate. Bongo was elected President in February 1975; in April 1975, the office of vice president was abolished and replaced by the office of prime minister, who had no right to automatic succession. Bongo was re-elected President in December 1979 and November 1986 to 7-year terms. Using the PDG as a tool to submerge the regional and tribal rivalries that divided Gabonese politics in the past, Bongo sought to forge a single national movement in support of the government's development policies.
Economic discontent and a desire for political liberalization provoked violent demonstrations and strikes by students and workers in early 1990. In response to grievances by workers, Bongo negotiated with them on a sector-by-sector basis, making significant wage concessions. In addition, he promised to open up the PDG and to organize a national political conference in March-April 1990 to discuss Gabon's future political system. The PDG and 74 political organizations attended the conference. Participants essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies, and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties, consisting of the breakaway Morena Fundamental and the Gabonese Progress Party.
The April 1990 conference approved sweeping political reforms, including creation of a national Senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, freedom of assembly and press, and cancellation of the exit visa requirement. In an attempt to guide the political system's transformation to multiparty democracy, Bongo resigned as PDG chairman and created a transitional government headed by a new Prime Minister, Casimir Oye-Mba. The Gabonese Social Democratic Grouping (RSDG), as the resulting government was called, was smaller than the previous government and included representatives from several opposition parties in its cabinet. The RSDG drafted a provisional constitution in May 1990 that provided a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary but retained strong executive powers for the president. After further review by a constitutional committee and the National Assembly, this document came into force in March 1991. Under the 1991 constitution, in the event of the president's death, the prime minister, the National Assembly president, and the defense minister were to share power until a new election could be held.
Opposition to the PDG continued, however, and in September 1990, two coup d'etat attempts were uncovered and aborted. Despite anti-government demonstrations after the untimely death of an opposition leader, the first multiparty National Assembly elections in almost 30 years took place in September-October 1990, with the PDG garnering a large majority.
Following President Bongo's re-election in December 1993 with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. This arrangement soon broke down, however, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. The PDG won a landslide victory in the legislative election, but several major cities, including Libreville, elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election.
President Bongo coasted to an easy re-election in December 1998 with 66% of the vote against a divided opposition. While Bongo's major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, international observers characterized the result as representative even if the election suffered from serious administrative problems. There was no serious civil disorder or protests following the election, in contrast to the 1993 election. Legislative elections held in 2001-02, which were boycotted by a number of smaller opposition parties and were widely criticized for their administrative weaknesses, produced a National Assembly almost completely dominated by the PDG and allied independents.
A constitutional revision of 2003 clears the way for Bongo to run for presidential office as often as he would like. Bongo is expected to be a candidate again in 2005.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003), Gabon is a republic with a presidential form of government. The National Assembly has 120 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The president is elected by universal suffrage for a 7-year term. The president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court. The president also has other strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, and conduct referenda. A 2003 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits and facilitated a presidency for life.
In 1990 the government made major changes to Gabon's political system. A transitional constitution was drafted in May 1990 as an outgrowth of the national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee. Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights; creation of a National Council of Democracy to oversee the guarantee of those rights; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues; and an independent judiciary. After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee, and the President, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991. Multi-party legislative elections were held in 1990-91, despite the fact that opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
The elections produced the first representative, multiparty National Assembly. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law governing the legalization of opposition parties. After President Bongo was re-elected in a disputed election in 1993 with 51% of votes cast, social and political disturbances led to the 1994 Paris Conference and Accords, which provided a framework for the next elections. Local and legislative elections were delayed until 1996-97. In 1997, constitutional amendments were adopted to create an appointed Senate and the position of vice president, and to extend the president's term to 7 years.
Facing a divided opposition, President Bongo was re-elected in December 1998. Although the main opposition parties claimed the elections had been manipulated, there was none of the civil disturbance that followed the 1993 election. Peaceful though flawed legislative elections in 2001-02 produced a new National Assembly dominated by the President's party and its allies.
For administrative purposes, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are further divided into 36 prefectures and 8 separate subprefectures. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the subprefects.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 12/14/04
President: Bongo Odimba , El Hadj Omar
Vice President: Di Ndinge , Didjob Divungi
Prime Minister: Ntoutoume-Emane , Jean-Francois
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Town and Country Planning: Metogho , Emmanuel Ondo
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the City: Miyakou , Antoine de Padoue Mboumbou
Min. of State for Agriculture, Livestock, & Rural Development: Moussavou , Pierre claver Maganga
Min. of State for Commerce and Industial Development: Pendy-Bouyiki , Jean-Remy
Min. of State for Economy, Finance, Budget, & Privatization: Toungui , Paul
Min. of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ping , Jean
Min. of State for Housing, Town Planning and Land Register: Adiahenot , Jacques
Min. of State for Human Rights: Abessole , Paul Mba
Min. of State for Planning and Development Programs: Oye Mba , Casimir
Min. of State for Transportation and Civil Aviation: Missambo , Paulette
Min. of Civil Service, Administrative Reform, and State Modernization: Missongo , Desire Pascal
Min. of Communication, Postal Services, and Information Technologies: Berre , Andre Dieudonne
Min. of Culture and Arts: Amoughe Mba , Pierre
Min. of Defense: Bongo , Ali-Ben
Min. of Family, Child Welfare, and Women's Affairs: Ngoma , Angelique
Min. of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, in charge of the Environment: Doumba , Emile
Min. of Higher Education & Scientific Research: Boukossou , Vincent Moulengui
Min. of Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization: Ngari , Idriss
Min. of Justice: Naki , Honorine Dossou
Min. of Labor & Employment: Ivala , Clotaire Christian
Min. of Merchant Navy: Siby , Felix
Min. of Mines, Energy, Oil, and Hydraulic Resources: Onouviet , Richard
Min. of National Education: Ono , Daniel Ona
Min. in Charge of Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesperson: Obiang , Rene Ndemezo
Min. of Public Health: Boukoubi , Faustin
Min. of Public Works, Equipment, and Construction: Boundono , Egide
Min. of Small Enterprises: Biyoghe-Mba , Paul
Min. of Social Affairs & National Solidarity: Obame , Andre Mba
Min. of Tourism and Handicrafts: Massima , Jean
Min. of Vocational Training and Social Rehabilitation: Ndaki , Barnabe
Min. of Youth and Sports: Mabika , Alfred
Dep. Min. of Public Works, Construction, and Equipment: Maboumba , Frederoc Massavala
Dep. Min. of Economy, Finance, Budget, and Privatization: Madoungou , Senturel Ngoma and: Ndong , Jean Eyeghe
Min. Del. of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ndongou , Jean-Francois
Dep. Min. of Planning and Development Programs: Assele-Ebinda , Yolanda
Dep. Min. to the Prime Minister for State Controls, Inspections, and Fight Against Poverty and Corruption: Mabala , Martin
Dir., Central Bank: Leyimangoye , Jean-Paul
Ambassador to the US: Boundoukou-Latha , Paul
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Dangue-Rewaka , Denis
Gabon maintains an embassy in the United States at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-797-1000).
ECONOMY
Gabon's economy is dominated by oil. 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. In spite of the decreasing oil revenues, little planning has been done for an after-oil scenario. Gabon public expenditures from the years of significant oil revenues were not spent efficiently. Overspending on the Transgabonais railroad, the oil price shock of 1986, the CFA franc devaluation of 1994, and low oil prices in the late 1990s caused serious debt problems. Gabon has earned a poor reputation with the Paris Club and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the management of its debt and revenues. Successive IMF missions have criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items (in good years and bad), over-borrowing from the Central Bank, and slipping on the schedule for privatization and administrative reform.
Gabon's oil revenues have given it a strong per capita GDP of more than $4,500, extremely high for the region. On the other hand, a skewed income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. Approximately 5% of the population receives over 90% of the income/wealth. The economy is highly dependent on extraction of abundant primary materials. After oil, logging and manganese mining are the other major sectors. Foreign and Gabonese observers have consistently lamented the lack of transformation of primary materials in the Gabonese economy. Various factors have so far stymied more diversification—small market of 1 million people, dependence on French imports, inability to capitalize on regional markets, lack of entrepreneurial zeal among the Gabonese, and the fairly regular stream of oil "rent". The small processing and service sectors are largely dominated by just a few prominent local investors. At World Bank and IMF insistence, the government embarked on a program of privatization of its state-owned companies and administrative reform, including reducing public sector employment and salary growth, but progress has been slow. A 15-month Stand-By Arrangement between the government and the IMF was negotiated in June 2004.
DEFENSE
Gabon has a small, professional military of about 8,000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and national police. Gabonese forces are oriented to the defense of the country and have not been trained for an offensive role. A well-trained, well-equipped 1,500-member guard provides security for the president.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Gabon has followed a nonaligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Angola, Congo/Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in Congo/Brazzaville between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process, and has also played a role in mediating the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) mission to the Central African Republic.
Gabon is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, as well as of the World Bank; the African Union (AU); the Central African Customs Union/Central African Economic and Monetary Community (UDEAC/CEMAC); EU association under Lome Convention; the Communauté Financiere Africaine (CFA); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); and the Nonaligned Movement. Gabon withdrew from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1995.
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and Gabon are excellent. In 1987, President Bongo made an official visit to Washington, DC. In September 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell made a brief but historic visit to Gabon to highlight environmental protection and conservation in the Central Africa region. This was followed by a visit to the White House by President Bongo in May 2004. The United States imports a considerable percentage of Gabonese crude oil and manganese and exports heavy construction equipment, aircraft, and machinery to Gabon. The major U.S. assistance program in Gabon is a Peace Corps contingent of about 65 volunteers who teach English, promote health programs, and provide environmental education. Through a modest International Military Education and Training program, the United States provides military training to members of the Gabonese armed forces each year. U.S. private capital has been attracted to Gabon since before its independence.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
LIBREVILLE (E) Address: Boulevard du Bord de Mer; Phone: [241] 76-20-03/04; Fax: [241] 74-55-07; Workweek: M-Th 8-17:15-Fr 8-14:00
AMB: | Walkley, Barrie R |
AMB OMS: | Keller, Patty |
DCM: | Laeuchli, Samuel |
POL: | Fedzer, Glenn |
MGT: | Martin, Barbara J. |
CLO: | Codispoti, Gabriella |
DAO: | Kringel, Neal |
ECO: | Sullivan, Lashandra |
FIN: | Martin, Barbara J. |
GSO: | Lipscomb, Alexander |
ICASS Chair: | Swedberg, Dale |
IMO: | Swedberg, Dale |
ISSO: | Codispoti, Aaron M. |
RSO: | Codispoti, Aaron M. |
State ICASS: | Swedberg, Dale |
Last Updated: 1/10/2005 |
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet
December 15, 2004
Country Description: Gabon is a developing nation in west central Africa. French is the official language; few Gabonese speak English. Facilities for tourism outside the capital city, Libreville, are available, but they are often limited and can be expensive.
Entry/Exit Requirements: A passport and visa are required. Proof of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry. Visas must be obtained in advance, as airport visas are no longer available. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of Gabon, 2034 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, telephone: (202) 797-1000, fax: (202) 332-0668. Travelers may also contact the Gabonese Consulate at 18 East 41st St., Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10017, telephone (212) 683-7371. Information may also be obtained by contacting the Gabonese Mission to the U.N. at (212) 686-9720. Overseas, inquiries should be made to the nearest Gabonese embassy or consulate. See our Foreign Entry Requirements brochure for more information on Gabon and other countries. Call the Embassy of Gabon for the most current visa information.
Safety and Security: U.S. citizens should maintain security awareness at all times. In Gabon there have been isolated instances of civil unrest, both in the capital city and in the interior. Large gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to demonstrate or protest should be avoided.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings and Public Announcements can be found.
Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-317-472-2328. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
The Department of State urges American citizens to take responsibility for their own personal security while traveling overseas. For general information about appropriate measures travelers can take to protect themselves in an overseas environment, see the Department of State's pamphlet A Safe Trip Abroad.
Crime: In Gabon, petty thievery is common. Violent crime is more common in urban areas, and there have been cases of armed robberies in homes and in restaurants frequented by foreigners. Occasionally Americans or westerners have been victims of crime.
The U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to take extra precautions when traveling in Libreville. To prevent carjacking, citizens are encouraged to travel with their automobile windows up and doors locked. Marginal neighborhoods, poorly lit streets, and unfamiliar areas of the city should be avoided, especially at night. Walking or running on the beach alone at night should be avoided. When dining in restaurants or visiting markets, it is recommended that one carry only minimal amounts of cash and avoid wearing excessive amounts of jewelry.
The Embassy encourages citizens to choose restaurants with locked entrances and security guards to minimize the risk of armed attacks. Credit cards are not widely accepted except at hotels, and because of the high rates of credit card fraud, their use outside major chain hotels is not recommended. If involved in an attempted robbery or carjacking, Americans are encouraged to comply with the attacker to avoid injury and to report all incidents to the police and the U.S. Embassy. Police response time to reports of crime can be slow. Scams or confidence schemes do occur in Gabon. There have been instances of sexual assault against foreigners.
Information for Victims of Crime: The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while over-seas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, to contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed. See our information on Victims of Crime at http://travel.state.gov/travel/brochure_victim_assistance.html.
Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in Gabon's major cities are limited, but they are generally adequate for routine or basic needs. Medical services in rural areas are generally unavailable. Additionally, some medicines are not available; travelers should carry necessary, properly labeled, medicines and medications with them.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hot-line for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web-site at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.
Medical Insurance: The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions: While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Gabon is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Travel by road in Gabon can be hazardous. It is recommended that you drive with your car windows up and the doors locked. Travelers are routinely stopped at police checkpoints within cities and on roads to the interior. Travelers should use extreme caution when driving after dark. Two-lane roads are the norm throughout Gabon. Roads to outlying cities have visible and hidden dangers that are profuse, including large potholes, absence of road signs, poor to non-existent streetlights, and the presence of pedestrians and animals. Construction work is often poorly indicated. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for travel beyond the paved road to Lambarene, especially during the rainy season. Roadside assistance and emergency medical services are available in Libreville, but they may not be dependable. Such services are nonexistent outside of the city. Service stations are available along main roads, but vehicle repair facilities are not always available. Drivers must have a valid international driver's license (available from AAA and the American Automobile Routing Alliance) when driving in Gabon.
Use of taxis is generally safe but does pose added risks. It is recommended that one use a hotel taxi when possible. Riding in a taxi alone or during late hours of the evening is not recommended and creates additional risk of becoming a victim of crime. Rail services are available, but travelers should be prepared for delays. Please refer to our Road Safety page for more information http://www.travel.state.gov/road_safety.html.
Aviation Safety Oversight: As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Gabon, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Gabon's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's internet web site at http://www.faa.gov/avr/iasa/index.cfm.
Special Circumstances: Gabon is a francophone country; travelers who do not speak French will face difficulties associated with the language barrier. Americans should always carry identification with them in the event they are stopped at a police checkpoint. Official corruption is common, and it is not recommended to offer bribes. Photographing military or government buildings is strictly forbidden.
Criminal Penalties: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offences. Persons violating Gabon's laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Gabon are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.
Children's Issues: For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://travel.state.gov/family/index.html.
Registration/Embassy Location: Americans living or traveling in Gabon are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Depart-ment's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov, and to obtain updated information on travel and security within Gabon. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located downtown on the Boulevard de la Mer. The mailing address is Centre Ville, B.P. 4000, Libreville, Gabon. The telephone numbers are (241) 76-20-03 or (241) 76-20-04. The fax numbers are (241) 74-55-07 or (241) 76-88-49 and the web site is http://usembassy.state.gov/libreville/.
Gabon
GABON
Compiled from the January 2006 Background Note and supplemented with additional information from the State Department and the editors of this volume. See the introduction to this set for explanatory notes.
Official Name:
Gabonese Republic
PROFILE
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 (2003 census):
1.5 million
Annual growth rate (based on 2003 census):
4.2%.
Ethnic groups:
Fang (largest), Myene, Bapounou, Eshira, Bandjabi, Bakota, Nzebi, Bateke/Obamba.
Religion:
Christian (55%-75%), Muslim, animist.
Language:
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
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.
HISTORY
During the last seven centuries, Bantu ethnic groups arrived in the area from several directions to escape enemies or find new land. Little is known of tribal life before European contact, but tribal art suggests rich cultural heritages. Gabon's first European visitors were Portuguese traders who arrived in the 15th century and named the country after the Portuguese word "gabao," a coat with sleeve and hood resembling the shape of the Komo River estuary. The coast became a center of the slave trade. Dutch, British, and French traders came in the 16th century. France assumed the status of protector by signing treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs in 1839 and 1841. American missionaries from New England established a mission at Baraka (now Libreville) in 1842. In 1849, the French captured a slave ship and released the passengers at the mouth of the Komo River. The slaves named their settlement Libreville—"free town." An American, Paul du Chaillu, was among the first foreigners to explore the interior of the country in the 1850s. French explorers penetrated Gabon's dense jungles between 1862 and 1887. The most famous, Savorgnan de Brazza, used Gabonese bearers and guides in his search for the headwaters of the Congo River. France occupied Gabon in 1885 but did not administer it until 1903. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. The territories became independent in 1960 as the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.
At the time of Gabon's independence in 1960, two principal political parties existed: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Leon M'Ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame. In the first post-independence election, held under a parliamentary system, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M'Ba was named Prime Minister. Soon after concluding that Gabon had an insufficient number of people for a two-party system, the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates. In the February 1961 election, held under the new presidential system, M'Ba became President and Aubame became Foreign Minister.
This one-party system appeared to work until February 1963, when the larger BDG element forced the UDSG members to choose between a merger of the parties or resignation. The UDSG cabinet ministers resigned, and M'Ba called an election for February 1964 and a reduced number of National Assembly deputies (from 67 to 47). The UDSG failed to muster a list of candidates able to meet the requirements of the electoral decrees. When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M'Ba in a bloodless coup on February 18, 1964. French troops re-established his government the next day. Elections were held in April 1964 with many opposition participants. BDG-supported candidates won 31 seats and the opposition 16. Late in 1966, the constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the vice president should the president die in office. In March 1967, Leon M'Ba and Omar Bongo (then Albert Bongo) were elected President and Vice President. M'Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became President.
In March 1968, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state by dissolving the BDG and establishing a new party—the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). He invited all Gabonese, regardless of previous political affiliation, to participate. Bongo was elected President in February 1975; in April 1975, the office of vice president was abolished and replaced by the office of prime minister, who had no right to automatic succession. Bongo was re-elected President in December 1979 and November 1986 to 7-year terms. Using the PDG as a tool to submerge the regional and tribal rivalries that divided Gabonese politics in the past, Bongo sought to forge a single national movement in support of the government's development policies.
Economic discontent and a desire for political liberalization provoked violent demonstrations and strikes by students and workers in early 1990. In response to grievances by workers, Bongo negotiated with them on a sector-by-sector basis, making significant wage concessions. In addition, he promised to open up the PDG and to organize a national political conference in March-April 1990 to discuss Gabon's future political system. The PDG and 74 political organizations attended the conference. Participants essentially divided into two loose coalitions, the ruling PDG and its allies, and the United Front of Opposition Associations and Parties, consisting of the breakaway Morena Fundamental and the Gabonese Progress Party.
The April 1990 conference approved sweeping political reforms, including creation of a national Senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, freedom of assembly and press, and cancellation of the exit visa requirement. In an attempt to guide the political system's transformation to multiparty democracy, Bongo resigned as PDG chairman and created a transitional government headed by a new Prime Minister, Casimir Oye-Mba. The Gabonese Social Democratic Grouping (RSDG), as the resulting government was called, was smaller than the previous government and included representatives from several opposition parties in its cabinet. The RSDG drafted a provisional constitution in May 1990 that provided a basic bill of rights and an independent judiciary but
retained strong executive powers for the president. After further review by a constitutional committee and the National Assembly, this document came into force in March 1991. Under the 1991 constitution, in the event of the president's death, the prime minister, the National Assembly president, and the defense minister were to share power until a new election could be held.
Opposition to the PDG continued, however, and in September 1990, two coup d'etat attempts were uncovered and aborted. Despite anti-government demonstrations after the untimely death of an opposition leader, the first multiparty National Assembly elections in almost 30 years took place in September-October 1990, with the PDG garnering a large majority.
Following President Bongo's re-election in December 1993 with 51% of the vote, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement. These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity. This arrangement soon broke down, however, and the 1996 and 1997 legislative and municipal elections provided the background for renewed partisan politics. The PDG won a landslide victory in the legislative election, but several major cities, including Libreville, elected opposition mayors during the 1997 local election.
President Bongo coasted to easy reelections in December 1998 and November 2005.with large majorities of the vote against a divided opposition. While Bongo's major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, some international observers characterized the results as representative despite any perceived irregularities. Legislative elections held in 2001-02, which were boycotted by a number of smaller opposition parties and were widely criticized for their administrative weaknesses, produced a National Assembly almost completely dominated by the PDG and allied independents.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003), Gabon is a republic with a presidential form of government. The National Assembly has 120 deputies elected for a 5-year term. The president is elected by universal suffrage for a 7-year term. The president can appoint and dismiss the prime minister, the cabinet, and judges of the independent Supreme Court. The president also has other strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, and conduct referenda. A 2003 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits and facilitated a presidency for life.
In 1990 the government made major changes to Gabon's political system. A transitional constitution was drafted in May 1990 as an outgrowth of the national political conference in March-April and later revised by a constitutional committee. Among its provisions were a Western-style bill of rights; creation of a National Council of Democracy to oversee the guarantee of those rights; a governmental advisory board on economic and social issues; and an independent judiciary. After approval by the National Assembly, the PDG Central Committee, and the President, the Assembly unanimously adopted the constitution in March 1991. Multiparty legislative elections were held in 1990-91, despite the fact that opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
The elections produced the first representative, multiparty National Assembly. In January 1991, the Assembly passed by unanimous vote a law governing the legalization of opposition parties. After President Bongo was re-elected in a disputed election in 1993 with 51% of votes cast, social and political disturbances led to the 1994 Paris Conference and Accords, which provided a framework for the next elections. Local and legislative elections were delayed until 1996-97. In 1997, constitutional amendments were adopted to create an appointed Senate and the position of vice president, and to extend the president's term to 7 years.
Facing a divided opposition, President Bongo was re-elected in December 1998. Although the main opposition parties claimed the elections had been manipulated, there was none of the civil disturbance that followed the 1993 election. Peaceful though flawed legislative elections in 2001-02 produced a new National Assembly dominated by the President's party and its allies.
In November 2005, President Bongo was elected for his sixth term. He won re-election easily, but opponents claim that the balloting process was marred by irregularities. There were some instances of violence following the announcement of Bongo's win, but Gabon generally remained peaceful.
For administrative purposes, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces, which are further divided into 36 prefectures and 8 separate subprefectures. The president appoints the provincial governors, the prefects, and the subprefects.
Principal Government Officials
Last Updated: 12/14/2004
President: Bongo Odimba, El Hadj Omar
Vice President: Di Ndinge, Didjob Divungi
Prime Minister: Ntoutoume-Emane, Jean Francois
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Town and Country Planning: Metogho ,Emmanuel Ondo
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the City: Miyakou, Antoine de Padoue Mboumbou
Min. of State for Agriculture, Livestock, & Rural Development: Moussavou, Pierre claver Maganga
Min. of State for Commerce and Industial Development: Pendy-Bouyiki, Jean Remy
Min. of State for Economy, Finance, Budget, & Privatization: Toungui, Paul
Min. of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ping, Jean
Min. of State for Housing, Town Planning and Land Register: Adiahenot, Jacques
Min. of State for Human Rights: Abessole, Paul Mba
Min. of State for Planning and Development Programs: Oye Mba, Casimir
Min. of State for Transportation and Civil Aviation: Missambo, Paulette
Min. of Civil Service, Administrative Reform, and State Modernization: Missongo, Desire Pascal
Min. of Communication, Postal Services, and Information Technologies: Berre, Andre Dieudonne
Min. of Culture and Arts: Amoughe Mba, Pierre
Min. of Defense: Bongo, Ali-Ben
Min. of Family, Child Welfare, and Women's Affairs: Ngoma, Angelique
Min. of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, in charge of the Environment: Doumba, Emile
Min. of Higher Education & Scientific Research: Boukossou, Vincent Moulengui
Min. of Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization: Ngari, Idriss
Min. of Justice: Naki, Honorine Dossou
Min. of Labor & Employment: Ivala, Clotaire Christian
Min. of Merchant Navy: Siby, Felix
Min. of Mines, Energy, Oil, and Hydraulic Resources: Onouviet, Richard
Min. of National Education: Ono, Daniel Ona
Min. in Charge of Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesperson: Obiang, Rene Ndemezo
Min. of Public Health: Boukoubi, Faustin
Min. of Public Works, Equipment, and Construction: Boundono, Egide
Min. of Small Enterprises: Biyoghe-Mba, Paul
Min. of Social Affairs & National Solidarity: Obame, Andre Mba
Min. of Tourism and Handicrafts: Massima, Jean
Min. of Vocational Training and Social Rehabilitation: Ndaki, Barnabe
Min. of Youth and Sports: Mabika, Alfred
Dep. Min. of Public Works, Construction, and Equipment: Maboumba, Frederoc Massavala
Dep. Min. of Economy, Finance, Budget, and Privatization: Madoungou, Senturel Ngoma and: Ndong, Jean Eyeghe
Min. Del. of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, & Francophonie Affairs: Ndongou, Jean-Francois:
Dep. Min. of Planning and Development Programs: Assele-Ebinda, Yolanda:
Dep. Min. to the Prime Minister for State Controls, Inspections, and Fight Against Poverty and Corruption: Mabala, Martin:
Dir., Central Bank: Leyimangoye, Jean Paul:
Ambassador to the US: Boundoukou Latha, Paul:
Permanent Representative to the UN, New York: Dangue-Rewaka, Denis:
Gabon maintains an embassy in the United States at 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 (tel. 202-797-1000).
ECONOMY
Gabon's economy is dominated by oil. 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. In spite of the decreasing oil revenues, little planning has been done for an after-oil scenario. Gabon public expenditures from the years of significant oil revenues were not spent efficiently. Overspending on the Transgabonais railroad, the oil price shock of 1986, the CFA franc devaluation of 1994, and low oil prices in the late 1990s caused serious debt problems. Gabon has earned a poor reputation with the Paris Club and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the management of its debt and revenues. Successive IMF missions have criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items (in good years and bad), over-borrowing from the Central Bank, and slipping on the schedule for privatization and administrative reform. In September 2005, Gabon successfully concluded a 15-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. Gabon seeks a multiyear successor arrangement.
Gabon's oil revenues have given it a strong per capita GDP of more than $4,500, extremely high for the region. On the other hand, a skewed income distribution and poor social indicators are evident. Approximately 5% of the population receives over 90% of the income/wealth. The economy is highly dependent on extraction of abundant primary materials. After oil, logging and manganese mining are the other major sectors. Foreign and Gabonese observers have consistently lamented the lack of transformation of primary materials in the Gabonese economy. Various factors have so far stymied more diversification—small market of 1 million people, dependence on French imports, inability to capitalize on regional markets, lack of entrepreneurial zeal among the Gabonese, and the fairly regular stream of oil "rent". The small processing and service sectors are largely dominated by just a few prominent local investors. At World Bank and IMF insistence, the government embarked on a program of privatization of its state-owned companies and administrative reform, including reducing public sector employment and salary growth, but progress has been slow.
DEFENSE
Gabon has a small, professional military of about 8,000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force, gendarmerie, and national police. Gabonese forces are oriented to the defense of the country and have not been trained for an offensive role. A welltrained, well-equipped 1,500-member guard provides security for the president.
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Gabon has followed a nonaligned policy, advocating dialogue in international affairs and recognizing both parts of divided countries. Since 1973, the number of countries establishing diplomatic relations with Gabon has doubled. In inter-African affairs, Gabon espouses development by evolution rather than revolution and favors regulated free enterprise as the system most likely to promote rapid economic growth. Concerned about stability in Central Africa and the potential for intervention, Gabon has been directly involved with mediation efforts in Chad, the Central African Republic, Angola, Congo/Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. In December 1999, through the mediation efforts of President Bongo, a peace accord was signed in Congo/Brazzaville between the government and most leaders of an armed rebellion. President Bongo has remained involved in the continuing Congolese peace process, and has also played a role in mediating the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire. Gabon has been a strong proponent of regional stability, and Gabonese armed forces played an important role in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) mission to the Central African Republic.
Gabon is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and related agencies, as well as of the World Bank; the African Union (AU); the Central African Customs Union/Central African Economic and Monetary Community (UDEAC/CEMAC); EU association under Lome Convention; the Communauté Financiere Africaine (CFA); the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC); and the Nonaligned Movement. Gabon withdrew from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1995.
U.S.-GABONESE RELATIONS
Relations between the United States and Gabon are excellent. In 1987, President Bongo made an official visit to Washington, DC. In September 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell made a brief but historic visit to Gabon to highlight environmental protection and conservation in the Central Africa region. This was followed by a visit to the White House by President Bongo in May 2004. The United States imports a considerable percentage of Gabonese crude oil and manganese and exports heavy construction equipment, aircraft, and machinery to Gabon.
The major U.S. assistance program in Gabon is a Peace Corps contingent of about 65 volunteers who teach English, promote health programs, and provide environmental education. Through a modest International Military Education and Training program, the United States provides military training to members of the Gabonese armed forces each year. U.S. private capital has been attracted to Gabon since before its independence.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
LIBREVILLE (E) Address: Boulevard du Bord de Mer; Phone: [241] 76-20-03/04; Fax: [241] 74-55-07; Workweek: M-Th 8-17:15 -Fr 8-14:00
AMB: | R. Barrie Walkley |
AMB OMS: | Patrcia Keller |
DCM: | Katherine Dhanani |
POL: | Glenn Fedzer |
COM: | Michael Garcia |
CON: | Bridgette Anderson |
MGT: | Mark Moody |
AFSA: | Matthew Cassetta |
CLO: | —VACANT— |
DAO: | LTC Neal Kringel |
GSO: | Alexander Lipscomb |
IMO: | Jim Matthews |
ISO: | Dale Joneswaddel |
PAO: | Bridgette S. Anderson |
RSO: | Daniel Messelt |
Last Updated: 1/6/2006 |
TRAVEL
Consular Information Sheet
January 12, 2006
Country Description:
Gabon is a developing nation in west central Africa. French is the official language; few Gabonese speak English. Facilities for tourism outside the capital city, Libreville, are available, but they are often limited and can be expensive.
Entry/Exit Requirements:
A passport and visa are required. Proof of yellow fever vaccination may be required for entry. Visas must be obtained in advance, as airport visas are no longer available. Travelers should obtain the latest information and details from the Embassy of Gabon, 2034 20th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, telephone: (202) 797-1000, fax: (202) 332-0668. Travelers may also contact the Gabonese Consulate at 18 East 41st St., Ninth Floor, New York, NY 10017, telephone (212) 683-7371. Overseas, inquiries should be made to the nearest Gabonese embassy or consulate.
Safety and Security:
U.S. citizens should maintain security awareness at all times. In Gabon there have been isolated instances of civil unrest, both in the capital city and in the interior. Large gatherings or any other event where crowds have congregated to demonstrate or protest should be avoided.
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Travel Warnings and Public Announcements, including the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, can be found.
Up-to-date information on safety and security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S., or for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Crime:
In Gabon, petty thievery is common. Violent crime is more common in urban areas, and there have been cases of armed robberies in homes and in restaurants frequented by foreigners. Occasionally Americans or Europeans have been victims of crime.
The U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to take extra precautions when traveling in Libreville. To prevent carjacking, citizens are encouraged to travel with their automobile windows up and doors locked. Marginal neighborhoods, poorly lit streets, and unfamiliar areas of the city should be avoided, especially at night. Walking or running on the beach alone at night should be avoided. When dining in restaurants or visiting markets, it is recommended that one carry only minimal amounts of cash and avoid wearing excessive amounts of jewelry.
Credit cards are not widely accepted except at hotels, and because of the high rates of credit card fraud, their use outside major chain hotels is not recommended. If involved in an attempted robbery or carjacking, Americans are encouraged to comply with the attacker to avoid injury and to report all incidents to the police and the U.S. Embassy. Police response time to reports of crime can be slow. Scams or confidence schemes do occur in Gabon. There have been instances of sexual assault against foreigners.
Information for Victims of Crime:
The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are the victim of a crime while overseas, in addition to reporting to local police, please contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance. The Embassy/Consulate staff can, for example, assist you to find appropriate medical care, contact family members or friends and explain how funds could be transferred. Although the investigation and prosecution of the crime is solely the responsibility of local authorities, consular officers can help you to understand the local criminal justice process and to find an attorney if needed.
Medical Facilities and Health Information:
Medical facilities in Gabon's major cities are limited, but they are generally adequate for routine or basic needs. Medical services in rural areas are generally unavailable. Additionally, some medicines are not available; travelers should carry necessary, properly labeled, medications with them.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's Internet site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith.
Medical Insurance:
The Department of State strongly urges Americans to consult with their medical insurance company prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policy applies overseas and whether it will cover emergency expenses such as a medical evacuation.
Traffic Safety and Road Conditions:
While in a foreign country, U.S. citizens may encounter road conditions that differ significantly from those in the United States. The information below concerning Gabon is provided for general reference only, and may not be totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
Travel by road in Gabon can be hazardous. It is recommended that you drive with your car windows up and the doors locked. Travelers are routinely stopped at police checkpoints within cities and on roads to the interior. Travelers should use extreme caution when driving after dark. Two-lane roads are the norm throughout Gabon. Roads to outlying cities have visible and hidden dangers that are profuse, including large potholes, absence of road signs, poor to non-existent streetlights, and the presence of pedestrians and animals. Construction work is often poorly indicated. Four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for travel beyond the paved road to Lambarene, especially during the rainy season. Roadside assistance and emergency medical services are available in Libreville, but they may not be dependable. Such services are nonexistent outside of the city. Service stations are available along main roads, but vehicle repair facilities are not always available. Drivers must have a valid international driver's license (available from AAA and the American Automobile Routing Alliance) when driving in Gabon.
Use of taxis is generally safe but does pose added risks. It is recommended that one use a hotel taxi when possible. Riding in a taxi alone or during late hours of the evening is not recommended and creates additional risk of becoming a victim of crime. Rail services are available, but travelers should be prepared for delays.
Aviation Safety Oversight:
As there is no direct commercial air service between the United States and Gabon, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed Gabon's Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with ICAO international aviation safety standards. For more information, travelers may visit the FAA's Internet web site at http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.
Special Circumstances:
Gabon is a francophone country; travelers who do not speak French will face difficulties associated with the language barrier.
Americans should always carry identification with them in the event they are stopped at a police checkpoint. Photographing military or government buildings is strictly forbidden.
Official corruption is common, but offering bribes is not recommended.
Criminal Penalties:
While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is subject to that country's laws and regulations, which sometimes differ significantly from those in the United States and may not afford the protections available to the individual under U.S. law. Penalties for breaking the law can be more severe than in the United States for similar offenses. Persons violating Gabonese laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Gabon are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines. Engaging in illicit sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime, prosecutable in the United States.
Children's Issues:
For information on international adoption of children and international parental child abduction, see the Office of Children's Issues website at http://www.travel.state.gov/family/family_1732.html.
Registration/Embassy Location:
Americans living or traveling in Gabon are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration website, http://travelregistration.state.gov. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located downtown on the Boulevard de la Mer. The mailing address is Centre Ville, B.P. 4000, Libreville, Gabon. The telephone numbers are (241) 76-20-03 or (241) 76-20-04. The fax numbers are (241) 74-55-07 or (241) 76-88-49 and the web site is http://usembassy.state.gov/libreville/.
Gabon
Gabon
Basic Data | |
Official Country Name: | Gabonese Republic |
Region: | Africa |
Population: | 1,208,436 |
Language(s): | French, Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
Literacy Rate: | 63.2% |
History & Background
Gabon gained its independence from France in 1960. It was ruled by autocratic presidents from then until the early 1990s when a new constitution provided institutional reform and a better electoral process. Oil was discovered in the early 1970s and now represents 50 percent of the economy; consequently, Gabon is one of the more prosperous countries in Africa with a GDP per capita estimated at $6,500 in 1999. The illiteracy rate was estimated to be 29.2 percent (males 20.2 percent, females 37.8 percent) in the year 2000. Also in 2000, the population was estimated at 1,208,436 people.
The first elementary schools in Gabon were established by American and French missionaries in the 1840s. To this day, Catholic and Protestant schools remain an important part of the educational system.
France applied the same educational policies in Gabon as elsewhere in Francophone Africa. Consequently, the institutions were similar and had a similar purpose: to assimilate the people and make them good French men and women who would spread French civilization and defend France's interests in the colony. Starting in 1883, France required that only French be used for instruction in the schools and that 50 percent of class time be devoted to teaching French language and culture. In the twenty-first century, French is still the official language.
Furthermore, opportunities for education were minimal and very few pupils were enrolled in schools. In 1931, Gabon, a country of about 400,000 people, had 3237 pupils in elementary school, most of them in the first three grades. After World War II, secondary schools were finally opened so students could receive the same diplomas as those awarded in France. At independence, however, Gabon still did not have enough educated citizens to meet its needs. The government, therefore, organized schools to train secondary school graduates for careers in government, forestry, and teaching in the lower secondary grades.
Educational System—Overview
In present-day Gabon, education is compulsory for 10 years from the ages of 6 to 16. The system is modeled on education in France and French is the language of instruction. However, primary education lasts six years rather than the five it does in France because students need an extra year to begin learning French.
Preprimary & Primary Education
Gabon offers minimal preprimary education. Primary education starts at six and lasts for six years. In 1995-1996, there were 1,147 schools with 4,943 teachers teaching 250,693 students, 50 percent of whom were female. The student-teacher ratio is a very high: 51 students for every teacher. In 1994, approximately 38 percent of the elementary school students were repeating a grade and only 61 percent of the students who began first grade together reached the fifth grade.
Secondary Education
Secondary education lasts 7 years from the ages of 12 to 18. It is divided into two cycles: the first lasts four years and the second three years. In 1995-1996, there were 80,552 secondary students, of whom 47 percent were female, taught by 3,094 teachers, of whom only 18 percent were female. Most of the students were in general secondary education; only 7,588 students were enrolled in vocational education and 76 in teacher training.
Higher Education
Founded in 1970 and renamed in 1978, the Université Omar Bongo in Libreville has faculties of law, of letters and human sciences, and of medicine and health sciences, as well as schools of education, forestry and hydraulics, technical teacher training, and management studies. The academic year runs from October to June. The baccalauréat (secondary school certificate) is required for admission. French is the language of instruction. Students obtain a Licence-ès-Lettres in three years and a Maîtrise-ès-Lettres in four. The university also awards medical and engineering degrees. In 1998, the university had about 2400 students with an academic staff of about 300.
Gabon also has an Ecole Normale Supérieure (Higher School of Teacher Training), an Institut National des Sciences de Gestion (National Institut of Management), the Ecole Nationale D'Etudes Forestières at Cap Estérias (National School of Forestry), an Ecole Nationale de Secrétariat (National School of Secretarial Studies), and an Ecole Normale Supérieure de l'Enseignement Technique (Technical Teacher Training School).
The Université des Sciences et Techniques in Masuku, founded in 1986, has a faculty of sciences and an engineering school. In 1998, it enrolled about 550 students with an academic staff of about 110. In 1994-1995, there were 4,655 students in higher education institutions, of whom only 1,785 were women. From a different perspective, women represented 22.3 percent of the education students, 32.6 percent of the humanities students, 35.9 percent of the social science students, and 58.5 percent of the medical sciences students.
Administration, Finance, & Educational Research
France has had a great influence on the nature and organization of the institutions in Gabon. As in France, the Ministry of Education is responsible for both public and private education throughout the country.
Nonformal Education
The Campus Numérique Francophone de Libreville (The Francophone Digital Campus of Libreville) was being developed in 2001. One of its goals is to help university professors locally produce modules, seminars, publications, databases, and archives to support distance education courses as well as supplementary materials for local courses on the Internet in French. It also provides assistance to professors in the production of programs. It will bring together faculty from different parts of the university and help in the creation of university Intranets and in the development of tools to navigate the Web intelligently.
Teaching Profession
Students who have completed the maîtrise-ès-arts (Master of Arts) degree may take the entrance exam for the Ecole Normale Supérieure to prepare the C.A.P.E.S. exam to be certified as a teacher in the lycée or upper-secondary grades or for the C.A.P.C. exam to be certified as a teacher in the collège or lower-secondary grades. Students who want to teach in the Lycées Techniques (Technical Secondary Schools) study for five years after the baccalauréat in the Ecole Normale Supérieure d'Enseignement Technique.
Summary
There is a tradition of student activism in Gabon. In spring 2000, students at the Université Omar Bongo boycotted classes for three months and participated in street demonstrations to protest the lack of computers and Internet access. During the demonstrations, some of the few existing computers were damaged. Students decided to end the boycott so as not to have to repeat the academic year, but they promised to renew the boycott in the future if computer access did not improve. One student leader declared that students wanted to enter the third millenium computer literate.
A more fundamental issue of course is the high grade repetition rate and the significant numbers of students who do not complete their education beyond the lower elementary grades. Both of these problems are related, and instruction in French, a language most of the students do not speak at home, may be one of the causes.
Bibliography
Campus Numérique Francophone de Libreville, 20 January 2001. Available from http://ww.ga.refer.org.
Fatunde, Tunde. "Computer-deprived students end boycott but remain defiant." The Times Higher Education Supplement, 30 April 1999.
Europa. The Europa World Yearbook 2000, Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications, 1999.
International Association of Universities. International Handbook of Universities, Fifteenth Ed. New York: Grove's Dictionaries Inc, 1998.
Gardiner, David E. "Gabon Republic." In The International Encyclopedia of Education, vol. 5. San Franciso: Jossey-Bass, 1977.
UNESCO. Statistical Yearbook/Annuaire Statistique 1999. Paris and Lanham, MD: UNESCO Publishing and Bernan Press, 2000.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The World Factbook 2000. Directorate of Intelligence, 1 January 2000. Available from http://www.cia.gov.
Université Omar Bongo, 15 January 2001. Available from http://membres.spree.com/education/uobsite.
—Gilles Labrie