Gabon
A Central African nation on the equator, rich in petroleum and biodiversity.
Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, lying on the equator. It is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, while sharing a maritime border with São Tomé and Príncipe to the west in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of 270,000 square kilometres (100,000 sq mi) and a population of 2.6 million people. There are coastal plains, mountains (the Cristal Mountains and the Chaillu Massif in the centre), and savanna in the east. Libreville is the capital and largest city; other major cities include Port-Gentil and Franceville.
- Capital
- Libreville
- Region
- Middle Africa
- Languages
- French
- Currency
- Central African CFA franc
- Primary Language
- French
- Official Religion
- None (Secular State)
- Dominant Landscape
- Tropical Rainforest and Atlantic Coast
Lore & Background
Gabon's original inhabitants were the Bambenga. Bantu migrants began settling in the area around the 1st millennium BCE or later. The Kingdom of Orungu was established around 1700. France colonised the region in the late 19th century. Since its independence from France in 1960, Gabon has had three presidents. In the 1990s, it introduced a multi-party system and a democratic constitution that aimed for a more transparent electoral process and reformed some governmental institutions. Despite this, the Gabonese Democratic Party remained the dominant party until its removal from power during the 2023 Gabonese coup d'état.
In Their Own Story
The humid air hangs heavy over the Loango National Park, where the morning mist clings to the canopy like a second skin. Here, on the edge of the Atlantic, a herd of forest elephants ambles casually onto the white sands, their massive forms silhouetted against the rising sun. A lone fisherman in a dugout canoe paddles silently nearby, watching as the giants graze on kelp washed ashore—a rare convergence of ocean and jungle that defines the soul of this quiet nation.
Reader's Guide
Gabon is a developing country, ranking 108th in the Human Development Index. It is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa in terms of per capita income; however, large parts of the population are very poor. Omar Bongo came to office in 1967 and created a dynasty which stabilized its power through a client network, Françafrique. The official language is French, and Bantu ethnic groups constitute around 95% of the population. Christianity is the predominant religion, practised by about 80% of the population. With petroleum and foreign private investment, it has the fourth highest HDI (after Mauritius, Seychelles, and South Africa) and the fifth highest GDP per capita (PPP) of the Sub-Saharan African nations. Gabon's nominal GDP per capita was $10,149 in 2023.
Did You Know?
- The country's name derives from the Portuguese word 'gabao' (also spelled 'Gabão'), meaning 'hooded cloak'.
- Gabon's original inhabitants were the Bambenga, rainforest hunter-gatherer peoples.
- The Kingdom of Orungu was a maritime trading centre on the Cape Lopez Peninsula that profited from goods such as ivory, copal, ebony, beeswax, and dyewood.
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