Gabon

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Introduction

Background

Following, independence from France in 1960, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-ruling heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential election in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon's small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.President Ali BONGO Ondimba’s controversial August 2016 reelection sparked unprecedented opposition protests that resulted in the burning of the parliament building. The election was contested by the opposition after fraudulent results were flagged by international election observers. Gabon’s Constitutional Court reviewed the election results but ruled in favor of President BONGO, upholding his win and extending his mandate to 2023.

Geography

Location

Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Geographic coordinates

1 00 S, 11 45 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km
country comparison to the world: 78

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Colorado

Land boundaries

total: 3,261 km
border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 km

Coastline

885 km

Maritime claims

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

Climate

tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain

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

Elevation

mean elevation: 377 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Land use

agricultural land: 19% (2011 est.)
arable land: 1.2% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0.6% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 17.2% (2011 est.)
forest: 81% (2011 est.)
other: 0% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

40 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest

Natural hazards

none

Environment - current issues

deforestation (the forests that cover three-quarters of the country are threatened by excessive logging); burgeoning population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poaching

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity

People and Society

Population

2,119,036 (July 2018 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
country comparison to the world: 145

Nationality

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese

Ethnic groups

Gabonese-born 80.1% (includes Fang 23.2%, Shira-Punu/Vili 18.9%, Nzabi-Duma 11.3%, Mbede-Teke 6.9%, Myene 5%, Kota-Kele 4.9%, Okande-Tsogo 2.1%, Pygmy .3%, other 7.5%), Cameroonian 4.6%, Malian 2.4%, Beninese 2.1%, acquired Gabonese nationality 1.6%, Togolese 1.6%, Senegalese 1.1%, Congolese (Brazzaville) 1%, other 5.5% (includes Congolese (Kinshasa), Equatorial Guinean, Nigerian) (2012)

Languages

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

Religions

Roman Catholic 42.3%, Protestant 12.3%, other Christian 27.4%, Muslim 9.8%, animist 0.6%, other 0.5%, none/no answer 7.1% (2012 est.)

Demographic profile

Gabon’s oil revenues have given it one of the highest per capita income levels in sub-Saharan Africa, but the wealth is not evenly distributed and poverty is widespread. Unemployment is especially prevalent among the large youth population; more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25. With a fertility rate still averaging more than 4 children per woman, the youth population will continue to grow and further strain the mismatch between Gabon’s supply of jobs and the skills of its labor force.Gabon has been a magnet to migrants from neighboring countries since the 1960s because of the discovery of oil, as well as the country’s political stability and timber, mineral, and natural gas resources. Nonetheless, income inequality and high unemployment have created slums in Libreville full of migrant workers from Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, and elsewhere in West Africa. In 2011, Gabon declared an end to refugee status for 9,500 remaining Congolese nationals to whom it had granted asylum during the Republic of the Congo’s civil war between 1997 and 2003. About 5,400 of these refugees received permits to reside in Gabon.

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.45%(male 405,676 /female 387,900)
15-24 years: 22.08%(male 245,490 /female 222,343)
25-54 years: 31.6%(male 355,348 /female 314,344)
55-64 years: 4.96%(male 54,679 /female 50,356)
65 years and over: 3.91%(male 40,721 /female 42,179) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Descriptive text is not available for this image

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 67.4 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 59.9 (2015 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 7.6 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 13.2 (2015 est.)

Median age

total: 20.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 20.8 years
female: 20.2 years
country comparison to the world: 187

Population growth rate

2.73% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15

Birth rate

26.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46

Death rate

6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157

Net migration rate

7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15

Population distribution

the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest

Urbanization

urban population: 89.7% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 2.61% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

824,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2019)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.3 years (2012 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality rate

252 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

Infant mortality rate

total: 32.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 36.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.3 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 56

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 68 years (2018 est.)
male: 66.3 years
female: 69.6 years
country comparison to the world: 169

Total fertility rate

3.52 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 42

Contraceptive prevalence rate

31.1% (2012)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97.2% of population
rural: 66.7% of population
total: 93.2% of population
unimproved: urban: 2.8% of population
rural: 33.3% of population
total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

3.1% (2016)

Physicians density

0.36 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density

6.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 43.4% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 31.5% of population (2015 est.)
total: 41.9% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved: urban: 56.6% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 68.5% of population (2015 est.)
total: 58.1% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3.8% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

53,000 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 59

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,200 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

15% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 127

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

6.4% (2012)
country comparison to the world: 76

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 151

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.2%
male: 85.3%
female: 81% (2015)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 35.7%
male: 30.5%
female: 41.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon
local long form: Republique Gabonaise
local short form: Gabon
etymology: name originates from the Portuguese word "gabao" meaning "cloak," which is roughly the shape that the early explorers gave to the estuary of the Komo River by the capital of Libreville

Government type

presidential republic

Capital

name: Libreville
geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: original site settled by freed slaves and the name means "free town" in French; named in imitation of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

17 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday

Independence Day, 17 August (1960)

Constitution

history: previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the Council of Ministers, or by one third of either house of Parliament; passage requires Constitutional Court evaluation, at least two-thirds majority vote of two thirds of the Parliament membership convened in joint session, and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on Gabon’s democratic form of government cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2011 (2017)

Legal system

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Gabon
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Ali BONGO Ondimba (since 16 October 2009)
head of government: Prime Minister Julien NKOGHE BEKALE (since 15 January 2019)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 27 August 2016 (next to be held in August 2023); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:
Senate or Senat (102 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal councils and departmental assemblies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms)
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (143 seats; members elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 5-year terms)
elections:
Senate - last held on 13 December 2014 (next to be held in January 2020)
National Assembly - held in 2 rounds on 6 and 27 October 2018 (next to be held in 2023)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 81, CLR 7, PSD 2, ADERE-UPG 1, UPG 1, PGCI 1, independent 7; composition - men 84, women 18, percent of women 17.6%
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 98, The Democrats or LD 11, RV 8, Social Democrats of Gabon 5, RH&M 4, other 9, independent 8; composition - men 123, women 20, percent of women 14%; note - total Parliament percent of women 15.5%

Judicial branch

highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 4 permanent specialized supreme courts - Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation, Administrative Supreme Court or Conseil d'Etat, Accounting Supreme Court or Cour des Comptes, Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, and the non-permanent Court of State Security, initiated only for cases of high treason by the president and criminal activity by executive branch officials)
judge selection and term of office: appointment and tenure of Supreme, Administrative, Accounting, and State Security courts NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly; judges serve single renewable 7-year terms
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; county courts; military courts

Political parties and leaders

Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [Gen. Jean-Boniface ASSELE]
Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [DIDJOB Divungui di Ndinge]
Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO Ondimba]
Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI [Luccheri GAHILA]
Legacy and Modernity Party or RH&M
Rally for Gabon or RPG
Restoration of Republican Values or RV
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]
Social Democrats of Gabon
The Democrats or LD
Union for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA]
Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Richard MOULOMBA]
Union of Forces for Change or UFC [Jean PING]

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

Ambassador Michael MOUSSA-ADAMO (since September 9, 2011)
chancery: 2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000
FAX: [1] (301) 332-0668

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robert E. WHITEHEAD (since March 2019); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe
telephone: [241] 01-45-71-00
embassy: Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville
mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270
FAX: [241] 01-74-55-07

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue; green represents the country's forests and natural resources, gold represents the equator (which transects Gabon) as well as the sun, blue represents the sea

National symbol(s)

black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue

National anthem

name: "La Concorde" (The Concorde)
lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS
note: adopted 1960

Economy

Economy - overview

Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most sub-Saharan African nations, but because of high income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon relied on timber and manganese exports until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. From 2010 to 2016, oil accounted for approximately 80% of Gabon’s exports, 45% of its GDP, and 60% of its state budget revenues.Gabon faces fluctuating international prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. A rebound of oil prices from 2001 to 2013 helped growth, but declining production, as some fields passed their peak production, has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. GDP grew nearly 6% per year over the 2010-14 period, but slowed significantly from 2014 to just 1% in 2017 as oil prices declined. Low oil prices also weakened government revenue and negatively affected the trade and current account balances. In the wake of lower revenue, Gabon signed a 3-year agreement with the IMF in June 2017.Despite an abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management and over-reliance on oil has stifled the economy. Power cuts and water shortages are frequent. Gabon is reliant on imports and the government heavily subsidizes commodities, including food, but will be hard pressed to tamp down public frustration with unemployment and corruption.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$36.66 billion (2017 est.)
$36.5 billion (2016 est.)
$35.75 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 123

GDP (official exchange rate)

$14.93 billion (2017 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.5% (2017 est.)
2.1% (2016 est.)
3.9% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$18,100 (2017 est.)
$18,400 (2016 est.)
$18,500 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
country comparison to the world: 98

Gross national saving

25.6% of GDP (2017 est.)
24.3% of GDP (2016 est.)
29.2% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 37.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.1% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 29% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.6% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 46.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -26.8% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 5% (2017 est.)
industry: 44.7% (2017 est.)
services: 50.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish

Industries

petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement

Industrial production growth rate

1.8% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135

Labor force

557,800 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 64%
industry: 12%
services: 24% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

28% (2015 est.)
20.4% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204

Population below poverty line

34.3% (2015 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 32.7% (2005)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

42.2 (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52

Budget

revenues: 2.634 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 2.914 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

17.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Public debt

62.7% of GDP (2017 est.)
64.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68

Fiscal year

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.7% (2017 est.)
2.1% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125

Central bank discount rate

3% (31 December 2010)
4.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 110

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15% (31 December 2017 est.)
14% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40

Stock of narrow money

$2.357 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.053 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Stock of broad money

$2.357 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.053 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138

Stock of domestic credit

$2.91 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$3.097 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 141

Market value of publicly traded shares

NA

Current account balance

-$725 million (2017 est.)
-$1.389 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131

Exports

$5.564 billion (2017 est.)
$4.364 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Exports - partners

China 36.4%, US 10%, Ireland 8.5%, Netherlands 6.3%, South Korea 5.1%, Australia 5%, Italy 4.6% (2017)

Exports - commodities

crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium

Imports

$2.829 billion (2017 est.)
$2.652 billion (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials

Imports - partners

France 23.6%, Belgium 19.6%, China 15.2% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$981.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$804.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133

Debt - external

$6.49 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.321 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127

Exchange rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -
605.3 (2017 est.)
593.01 (2016 est.)
593.01 (2015 est.)
591.45 (2014 est.)
494.42 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

population without electricity: 200,000 (2017)
electrification - total population: 91.4% (2016)
electrification - urban areas: 96.7% (2016)
electrification - rural areas: 55% (2016)

Electricity - production

2.244 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Electricity - consumption

2.071 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Electricity - imports

344 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - installed generating capacity

671,000 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Electricity - from fossil fuels

51% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

49% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 41

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

Crude oil - production

196,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35

Crude oil - exports

214,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

Crude oil - proved reserves

2 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

Refined petroleum products - production

16,580 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Refined petroleum products - consumption

24,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Refined petroleum products - exports

4,662 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91

Refined petroleum products - imports

10,680 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146

Natural gas - production

401 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74

Natural gas - consumption

401 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128

Natural gas - proved reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

4.293 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 21,235
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 2,663,243
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 150 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 142

Telephone system

general assessment: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations; competition among telecoms, independent regulatory authority and reduction in cost  connecting makes for strong telecommunications (2018)
domestic: fiixed-line is 1 per 100 subscriptions; a growing mobile cellular network with multiple providers is making telephone service more widely available with mobile cellular teledensity at 150 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE and Libreville-Port Gentil Cable fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

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

Internet country code

.ga

Internet users

total: 835,408
percent of population: 48.1% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 14,967
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Military and Security

Military expenditures

1.53% of GDP (2018)
1.81% of GDP (2017)
1.43% of GDP (2016)
1.19% of GDP (2015)
1.14% of GDP (2014)
country comparison to the world: 74

Military and security forces

Gabonese Defense Forces (Forces de Defense Gabonaise): Land Force (Force Terrestre), Gabonese Navy (Marine Gabonaise), Gabonese Air Forces (Forces Aerienne Gabonaises, FAG) (2012)

Military service age and obligation

20 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 5 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 7 (2015)
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 137,331 (2015)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TR (2016)

Airports

44 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 97

Airports - with paved runways

total: 14 (2019)
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 30 (2013)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 9 (2013)
under 914 m: 14 (2013)

Pipelines

807 km gas, 1639 km oil, 3 km water (2013)

Railways

total: 649 km (2014)
standard gauge: 649 km1.435-m gauge (2014)
country comparison to the world: 106

Roadways

total: 14,300 km (2001)
paved: 900 km (2001)
unpaved: 13,400 km (2001)
country comparison to the world: 124

Waterways

1,600 km(310 km on Ogooue River) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 48

Merchant marine

total: 29
by type: general cargo 11, oil tanker 1, other 17 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 127

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Libreville, Owendo, Port-Gentil
oil terminal(s): Gamba, Lucina

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and lesser islands and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Gabon is primarily a destination and transit country for adults and children from West and Central African countries subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; boys are forced to work as street vendors, mechanics, or in the fishing sector, while girls are subjected to domestic servitude or forced to work in markets or roadside restaurants; West African women are forced into domestic servitude or prostitution; men are reportedly forced to work on cattle farms; some foreign adults end up in forced labor in Gabon after initially seeking the help of human smugglers to help them migrate clandestinely; traffickers operate in loose, ethnic-based criminal networks, with female traffickers recruiting and facilitating the transport of victims from source countries; in some cases, families turn child victims over to traffickers, who promise paid jobs in Gabon
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List – Gabon does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; Gabon’s existing laws do not prohibit all forms of trafficking, and the government failed to pass a legal amendment drafted in 2013 to criminalize the trafficking of adults; anti-trafficking law enforcement decreased in 2014, dropping from 50 investigations to 16, and the only defendant to face prosecution fled the country; government efforts to identify and refer victims to protective services declined from 50 child victims in 2013 to just 3 in 2014, none of whom was referred to a care facility; the government provided support to four centers offering services to orphans and vulnerable children – 14 child victims identified by an NGO received government assistance; no adult victims have been identified since 2009 (2015)

Flag of Gabon

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