Gabon

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

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

Manpower availability

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

Radio broadcast stations

AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

250,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

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

22,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

3 (repeaters 5)

Televisions

40,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Agriculture

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $75 million (1993)

Economic overview

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

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

Exchange rates

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

$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.)

External debt

$3.8 billion (1993 )

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

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

GDP composition by sector

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

GDP per capita

$5,200 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

2% (1995 est.)

Imports

$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

-3% (1991)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15% (1995 est.)

Labor force

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

Unemployment rate

10%-14% (1993 est.)

Area

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

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Coastline

885 km

Environment

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

1 00 S, 11 45 E

International disputes

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

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

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

Land use

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

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

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

Natural resources

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

Terrain

narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Libreville

Constitution

adopted 14 March 1991

Data code

GB

Diplomatic representation in US

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

Executive branch

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

FAX

[1] (202) 332-0668

FAX

[241] 74 55 07

Flag

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

Independence

17 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

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

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Legal system

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

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

Name of country

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

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

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

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

Political parties and leaders

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

21 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

US diplomatic representation

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

Age structure

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

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

Death rate

13.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

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

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural) adjective: Gabonese

Net migration rate

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

Population

1,172,798 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.47% (1996 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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

3.89 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

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.)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

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

Pipelines

crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Ports

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

Railways

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

Waterways

1,600 km perennially navigable