Gabon

Capital and largest city (2014 est.): Libreville, 695,000
Monetary unit: CFA Franc
National name: République Gabonaise
Languages: French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Ethnicity/race: Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Religions: Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
National Holiday: Independence Day, August 17
Literacy rate: 82.3% (2012 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2014 est.): $34.28 billion; per capita $21,600. Real growth rate: 5.1%. Inflation: 7% (2014). Unemployment: 21% (2006 est.). Arable land: 1.27%. Agriculture: cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish. Labor force: 636,000 (2014); agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25%. Industries: petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower. Exports: $8.4016 billion (2014 est.): crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium. Imports: $4.76 billion (2014 est.): machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials. Major trading partners: U.S., China, France, Trinidad and Tobago, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, China, India, Japan, Côte d’Ivoire (2013).
Member of French Community
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 17,000 (2012); mobile cellular: 2.93 million (2012). Broadcast media: state owns and operates 2 TV stations and 2 radio broadcast stations; a few private radio and TV stations; transmissions of at least 2 international broadcasters are accessible; satellite service subscriptions are available (2007). Internet hosts: 127 (2012). Internet users: 98,800 (2009).
Transportation: Railways: total: 649 km (2009). Highways: total: 9,170 km; paved: 1,097 km; unpaved: 8,073 km (2007 est.). Waterways: 1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2010). Ports and harbors: Gamba, Libreville, Lucina, Owendo, Port-Gentil. Airports: 44 (2013).

Fun Facts

• Its area is slightly less than Colorado
• Gabon is home to hundreds of dolomite and limestone caves many of which are yet to be explored.
• The minimum age to vote in Gabon is 21 years of age.
• Mask making and ritual face paint are important parts of Gabonese culture, and styles vary dramatically between groups.
• Gabon is home to 80% of Africa’s Gorilla population.
• The popular US TV show “Survivor” took place in Gabon in 2008.
• People over the age of 65 years form only 3.9% of the population of Gabon.