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Libreville

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Geography

                Libreville
   Chancery Building, Libreville
   Chancery Building, Libreville
   Map of the Gabon showing Libreville.
   Map of the Gabon showing Libreville.
       Coordinates: 18°6′N 15°57′W
   Capital district Libreville
       Governor
         Area
        - City      km²
      Population
     - City (2005)  578,156

   Libreville (population 578,156 January 1, 2005) is the capital and
   largest city of Gabon. The city is a port on the Gabon River, near the
   Gulf of Guinea, and a trade centre for a timber region. Libreville is
   located at 0°23′24″N, 9°27′0″E.

History

   The area was inhabited by the Mpongwé tribe long before the French
   acquired the land in 1839. The city was founded (as Gabon) in 1843 as a
   trading station. Freed slaves were sent there from the ship L'Elizia,
   and in 1848 it was named Libreville (French for "Freetown"). It was the
   chief port of French Equatorial Africa from 1934 to 1946.

   Libreville was named in imitation of Freetown and grew only slowly as a
   trading post and a minor administrative centre to a population of
   31,000 on independence in 1960. Since independence, the city has grown
   rapidly and now houses nearly half the national population.

Geography

   From north to south, major districts of the city are the residential
   area Batterie IV, Quartier Louis (known for its nightlife), Mont-Bouët
   and Nombakélé (busy commercial areas), Glass (the first European
   settlement in Gabon), Oloumi (a major industrial area) and Lalala, a
   residential area. The city’s port and train station on the Trans-Gabon
   Railway line to Franceville lie in Owendo, south of the main built-up
   area. Inland from these districts lie poorer residential areas.

Transport

   The Libreville International Airport, the headquarters for Air Gabon,
   is around 11 km north of the city.

Culture and education

   Sights in Libreville include the National Museum of Arts and
   Traditions, the French cultural centre, St Marie’s Cathedral, the
   carved wood church of St Michael, Nkembo, the Arboretum de Sibang and
   two cultural villages. Libreville's main market lies in Mont-Bouët.
   Gabon's school of administration and school of law are in Libreville.
   Libreville also hosts the Omar Bongo University (est. 1970), various
   research institutes and a library.

Industry

   The city is home to a shipbuilding industry, brewing industry and
   sawmills. The city exports raw materials such as wood, rubber and cocoa
   from the city's main port, and the deepwater port at Owendo.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libreville"
   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.
