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Communications

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)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 273,662 males fit for military service: 139,439 males reach military age (20) annually: 10,966 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

250,000 (1993 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

22,000 (1991 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

3 (repeaters 5)

Televisions [time series]

40,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil; rubber; okoume (a tropical softwood); cattle; small fishing operations (provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons)

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 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $75 million (1993)

Economic overview [time series]

Notwithstanding its serious ongoing economic problems, Gabon enjoys a per capita income more than three times 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 GDP growth has been feeble since 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% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 15% in 1995. Nevertheless, the government must continue to keep a tight rein on spending and wage increases. The IMF and France are considering offering financial assistance in 1996 if Gabon shows progress in privatization and fiscal discipline.

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) 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., 1994 est.) commodities: crude oil 80%, timber 14%, manganese 6%, uranium partners: US 50%, France 16%, Japan 8%, Spain 6%, Germany NA (1994 est.)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$3.8 billion (1993 )

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $6 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 8.2% industry: 44.7% services: 47.1% (1993 est.)

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

$5,200 (1995 est.)

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

2% (1995 est.)

Imports [time series]

$800 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials, manufactures, machinery partners: France 35%, African countries, US, Japan, Netherlands (1994)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

-3% (1991)

Industries [time series]

food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, uranium, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

15% (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%

Unemployment rate [time series]

10%-14% (1993 est.)

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

1 00 S, 11 45 E

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 border countries: 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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

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

Data code [time series]

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Paul BOUNDOUKOU-LATHA chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000

Executive branch [time series]

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

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

[1] (202) 332-0668

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)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPEC, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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; note - the provision of the constitution for the establishment of a senate has not been implemented

Country name (Name of country) [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 July 1996, according to the October 1994 Paris Accords; however, President BONGO has indicated that date might slip); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) PDG 64, National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB) 17, PGP 12, National Recovery Movement (Morena-Original) 2, PUP 4, CLR 1, FAR 4, UPG 1, independents 15

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), Simplice Guedet MANZELA, secretary general; Circle of Liberal Reformers (CLR), General Jean Boniface ASSELE; People's Unity Party (PUP), Louis Gaston MAYILA; Gabonese Socialist Union (USG), Dr. Serge Mba BEKALE; National Recovery Movement - Lumberjacks (Morena-Bucherons/RNB), Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE; Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre-Louis AGONDHO-OKAWE, president; National Recovery Movement (Morena-Origina), note - this party won 2 seats in the 5 December 1993 elections for the National Assembly but is no longer very active; Gabonese Party for Progress (PGP), Pierre Louis AGONDJO OKAWE; African Forum for Reconstruction (FAR), Leon MBOU-YEMBI, secretary general; Gabonese People's Union (UPG), Pierre MAMBOUNDOU

Suffrage [time series]

21 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

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

chief of mission: Ambassador Elizabeth RASPOLIC 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% (male 197,188; female 196,562) 15-64 years: 61% (male 364,033; female 353,451) 65 years and over: 5% (male 30,270; female 31,294) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

28.22 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

13.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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]

90.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 55.59 years male: 52.72 years female: 58.56 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 63.2% male: 73.7% female: 53.3%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

1,172,798 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.47% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.89 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 54 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: 21 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 8 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 15 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 7,456 km paved: 560 km unpaved: 6,896 km (1988 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 3 bulk (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 36,976 GRT/60,319 DWT (1995 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Ports [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

total: 649 km Gabon State Railways (OCTRA) standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Waterways [time series]

1,600 km perennially navigable