Libreville

Libreville , city (1993 est. pop. 362,400), capital of Gabon, a port on the Gabon River estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. Primarily an administrative center, it is also a trade center for a lumbering region. The city was founded in 1843 as a French trading station. Freed slaves were sent there, and in 1848 it was named Libreville [Fr.,=freetown]. It was the chief port of French Equatorial Africa before the development (1934-46) of Pointe-Noire , in the Congo. Gabon's school of administration and school of law are in Libreville. An international airport is nearby.

Libreville Capital and largest city of Gabon, w central Africa, at the mouth of the River Gabon, on the Gulf of Guinea. Founded by the French in 1843, and named Libreville (Fr. Freetown) in 1849, it was initially a refuge for escaped slaves. The city expanded with the development of the country's minerals and is now also an administrative centre. Other industries: timber (hardwoods), palm oil and rubber. Pop. (2002 est.) 541,000.