   #copyright

Gabon

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Countries;
Countries

              République Gabonaise
   Gabonese Republic

   Flag of Gabon Coat of arms of Gabon
   Flag          Coat of arms
   Anthem: La Concorde
   Location of Gabon
   Capital
   (and largest city)    Libreville
                         0°23′N 9°27′E
    Official languages   French
   Government            Republic
    - President          El Hadj Omar Bongo
    - Prime Minister     Jean Eyeghe Ndong
       Independence
    - from France        August 17, 1960
                       Area
    - Total              267,668 km²
                         103,347 sq mi
    - Water (%)          negligible
                    Population
    - July 2005 estimate 1,384,000 ( 150th)
    - Density            5.2/km² ( 216th)
                         13.5/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $9.621 billion ( 136th)
    - Per capita         $7,055 ( 89th)
        HDI  (2003)      0.635 (medium) ( 123rd)
         Currency        CFA franc ( XAF)
         Time zone       WAT ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST)      not observed ( UTC+1)
       Internet TLD      .ga
       Calling code      +241

   Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a country in west central
   Africa. It borders on Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic of the
   Congo and the Gulf of Guinea. Since its independence from France on
   August 17, 1960, the Republic has been ruled by only two autocratic
   Presidents; the incumbent El Hadj Omar Bongo has been in power since
   1967 and is currently (2006) Africa's longest-serving Head of State.
   Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new democratic constitution
   in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral
   process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small
   population, abundant natural resources, and foreign private investment
   have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in the
   region.

History

   The earliest inhabitants of the area were Pygmy peoples. They were
   largely replaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations.
   Several Bantu groups occupied the area that is now Gabon when France
   occupied it in 1885. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories
   of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959.
   These territories became independent on August 17, 1960.

   The first president of Gabon, elected in 1961, was Léon M’ba, with Omar
   Bongo as his vice president. When M'Ba died in 1967, Bongo replaced him
   as president, and has been the head of state ever since, winning each
   contested election with a substantial majority.

Government

   President Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon (left) in Washington, USA
   Enlarge
   President Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon (left) in Washington, USA

   In March 1991 a new constitution was adopted. Among its provisions are
   a bill of rights, the creation of the National Council of Democracy
   that also oversees the guarantee of those rights and a governmental
   advisory board which deals with economic and social issues. Multi-party
   legislative elections were held in 1990-91 even though opposition
   parties had not been declared formally legal.

   President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power since 1967 and the
   longest-serving African head of state, was re-elected to another 7-year
   term according to poll results returned from elections held on November
   27, 2005. According to figures provided by Gabon's Interior Ministry,
   this was achieved with 79.1% of the votes cast. In 2003 the President
   amended the Constitution of Gabon to remove any restrictions on the
   number of terms a president is allowed to serve. 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.

   In provisional results his ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) won
   84 out of 120 parliamentary seats. As with previous Gabonese elections
   in which the opposition parties have contested, there were several
   accusations of electoral fraud, bribery, and calls for a boycott. There
   were also incidences of violence and protest, particularly in the first
   round of voting held two weeks prior. However, several international
   observers including the Economic Community of Central African States
   have reported that the election "met international standards" for
   democratic voting.

   Gabon has a small, professional military of about 5,000 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
   1,800-member guard provides security for the president.

Administrative divisions

   Gabon is divided into 9 provinces and 37 departments.

   The provinces include: Estuaire, Haut-Ogooué, Moyen-Ogooué, Ngounié,
   Nyanga, Ogooué-Ivindo, Ogooué-Lolo, Ogooué-Maritime, and Woleu-Ntem.

Geography

   Map of Gabon
   Enlarge
   Map of Gabon
   Satellite image of Gabon, generated from raster graphics data supplied
   by The Map Library
   Enlarge
   Satellite image of Gabon, generated from raster graphics data supplied
   by The Map Library
   Chancery building, Libreville
   Enlarge
   Chancery building, Libreville

   Gabon is located on the Atlantic coast of central Africa. Clockwise
   from the northwest, it is bounded by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and
   the Republic of Congo.

   Gabon's largest river is the Ogooué. Gabon is also noted for efforts to
   preserve the natural environment with what may be the largest area of
   nature parks in the world.

   Administratively, Gabon is divided into 9 provinces and further divided
   into 37 departments (départements).

   Gabon is more prosperous than most nearby countries, with a per capita
   income of four times the average for Sub-Saharan Africa. This is in
   large part due to offshore oil production that has produced substantial
   wealth, although the distribution of income from this industry is
   extremely unequal. Gabon was a full member of OPEC from 1975 to 1995.

   During the 1990s, devaluation of the CFA franc left Gabon struggling to
   pay its overseas debt; France and the IMF have provided further loans
   and aid in exchange for the implementation of changes to the economy.

Demographics

   Almost all Gabonese are of Bantu origin. Gabon has at least 40 ethnic
   groups with separate languages and cultures. The largest is the Fang.
   Others include the Myene, Bandjabi, Eshira, Bapounou, and Okande.
   Ethnic group boundaries are less sharply drawn in Gabon than elsewhere
   in Africa. French, the official language, is a unifying force. More
   than 10,000 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. Most inhabitants are Christians (55 -
   77 %), mostly members of the Roman Catholic Church. Other minorities
   are animists and Muslims.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabon"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
