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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

15,000 telephones; telephone density - 13/1,000 persons local: NA intercity: adequate system, comprising cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiocommunication stations, and 12 domestic satellite links international: 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 3 (repeaters 5) televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, National Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $154 million, 2.4% of GDP (1993) THE GAMBIA

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 272,025; males fit for military service 138,197; males reach military age (20) annually 10,516 (1995 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

cash crops - cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock raising not developed; importer of food; small fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a tropical softwood) is the most important timber product

Budget [time series]

revenues: $1.3 billion expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $311 million (1993 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $68 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $2.342 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 315,000 kW production: 910 million kWh consumption per capita: 757 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Exports [time series]

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est) commodities: crude oil 80%, timber 10%, manganese 6%, uranium 2% partners: US 38%, France 26%, Japan, Germany

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$3.3 billion (1993 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$832 million (c.i.f., 1993 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery partners: France 42%, African countries 23%, US, Japan

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -3% (1991)

Industries [time series]

food and beverages, lumbering and plywood, textiles, cement, petroleum refining, mining - manganese, uranium, gold, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

35% (1994 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power parity - $5.6 billion (1994 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$4,900 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

1.9% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Notwithstanding its serious ongoing economic problems, Gabon enjoys a per capita income more than twice that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Real growth was feeble in 1992 and Gabon continues to face the problem of fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, manganese, and uranium exports. Despite an abundance of natural wealth, and a manageable rate of population growth, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% in January 1994 did not set off an expected inflationary spiral but the government must continue to keep a tight reign on spending and wage increases.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 267,670 sq km land area: 257,670 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than Colorado

Climate [time series]

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline [time series]

885 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: deforestation; poaching natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Tropical Timber 94

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

total 2,551 km, Cameroon 298 km, Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 78% other: 2%

Location [time series]

Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore

Terrain [time series]

narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem

Capital [time series]

Libreville

Constitution [time series]

adopted 14 March 1991

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007, Suite 200 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967); election last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held 1998); results - President Omar BONGO was reelected with 51% of the vote head of government: Prime Minister Paulin OBAME Nguema (since 9 December 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[241] 74 55 07

Flag [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue

Independence [time series]

17 August 1960 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system [time series]

based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; compulsory ICJ jurisdiction not accepted

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Gabonese Republic conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)) [time series]

elections last held on 5 December 1993 (next to be held by 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PDG 62, Morena-Bucherons/RNB 19, PGP 18, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 7, APSG 6, USG 4, CRP 1, independents 3

National holiday [time series]

Renovation Day, 12 March (1968) (Gabonese Democratic Party established)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG, former sole party), Jaques ADIAHENOT, Secretary General; National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB), Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE, leader; Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre-Louis AGONDHO-OKAWE, President; National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original), Pierre ZONGUE-NGUEMA, Chairman; Association for Socialism in Gabon (APSG), leader NA; Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), leader NA; Circle for Renewal and Progress (CRP), leader NA; Union for Democracy and Development (UDD), leader NA; Rally of Democrats (RD), leader NA; Forces of Change for Democratic Union, leader NA

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph C. WILSON IV embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville mailing address: B. P. 4000, Libreville telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, 74 34 92

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 34% (female 193,859; male 194,761) 15-64 years: 61% (female 347,839; male 359,997) 65 years and over: 5% (female 30,218; male 29,075) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

28.34 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

13.72 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eshira, Bapounou, Bateke), other Africans and Europeans 100,000, including 27,000 French

Infant mortality rate [time series]

92.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

120,000 salaried by occupation: agriculture 65.0%, industry and commerce 30.0%, services 2.5%, government 2.5%

Languages [time series]

French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 55.14 years male: 52.31 years female: 58.06 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 61% male: 74% female: 48%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

1,155,749 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.46% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian 55%-75%, Muslim less than 1%, animist

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.93 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 69 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 28 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 8 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 23

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 7,500 km paved: 560 km unpaved: crushed stone 960 km; earth 5,980 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,600 km perennially navigable

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 1 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,281 GRT/12,665 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Ports [time series]

Cape Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 649 km single track (Transgabonese Railroad) standard gauge: 649 km 1.437-m gauge