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Gabon
Area: 267,667 sq km (103,347 sq mi)
Population: 1.38 million (2005 est)
Capital City: Libreville (population: 578,000)
People: Fang (largest), Myene, Bapounou, Eschira, Bandjabi, Bateke/Obamba
Language(s): French (official), Fang, Myene, Bateke, Bapounou / Eschira, Badjabi
Religion(s): Christian, Muslim, indigenous
Currency: CFA Franc (fixed to euro)
Major political parties: Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG), Parti Gabonais du Progres (PGP), Rassemblement National Des Bucherons (RNB), Union du Peuple Gabonais (UPG)
Head of State: President El Hadj Omar Bongo (since 1967)
Prime Minister, Head of Government: Jean Eyeghe Ndong (since January 2006)
Membership of international groupings/organisations: African Development Bank (AFDB), African Union (AU), Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie(OIF)., Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).
GEOGRAPHY
Gabon sits on the Equator in western Africa bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of Congo. About 85% of the country is covered with rainforest, and is one of the most mineral rich in Africa.
HISTORY
France ruled what was to become Gabon from 1839. In 1849 slaves freed by the French founded the Gabonese capital Libreville (Free Town). In 1910 Gabon became one of the four territories of the Federation of French Equatorial Africa (AEF) along with Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and the Central African Republic. Gabon achieved independence in 1960, with Leon Mba elected President in 1961. He was deposed in the only coup in Gabon's history in 1964, but was restored after French intervention. His Vice-President and hand picked successor, Albert-Bernard Bongo, took over on his death in 1967 and declared Gabon a one-party state, which it remained until 1990. President Bongo converted to Islam in 1973, taking the name Omar el-Hadj.
Gabon enjoyed political stability throughout the 1970s, due largely to the rapid oil-driven economic growth that has given Gabon one of the largest per capita incomes in sub-Saharan Africa. But by the 1980s the oil boom was over and opposition grew. A government-in-exile was formed in Paris, and in response to a number of strikes, continued deterioration of the economy, and continued pressure for greater democracy, President Bongo convened a National Conference in March 1990 to establish the principles for change.
POLITICS
Following the recommendations of the National Conference, a new constitution was adopted in March 1991. It provided for multipartyism, for an Executive Presidency, with a limit of two terms of five years (but allowing Bongo to complete his existing term which ended in 1994) and a unicameral National Assembly of 119 elected members. A subsequent constitution adopted in April 1997 made significant changes. It provided for a new post of Vice-President, an Upper House, the Senate.and an extension of the Presidential term to seven years, renewable once. The latter restriction was abolished in July 2003 by the National Assembly.
The first multi-party elections for nearly thirty years took place in late 1990, followed by Presidential elections in December 1993. President Bongo and his Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG) won both, and Bongo remained in power despite serious civil disturbances between 1991 and 1993, and further electoral and constitutional reform. Presidential elections were last held in November 2005. Bongo was re-elected for a further 7-year term, with 79% of the vote amid allegations of electoral malpractice. But despite continuing industrial action and riots over increasing unemployment, Bongo's position remains unchallenged. The last legislative elections were held in December 2001 in which the ruling party, Bongo's PDG, won 85 of the 120 seats. The next legislative elections, on a five-year cycle, are due in December 2006. Indirect elections to the Senate were held in February 2003 in which the PDG also won a majority, taking 60 seats out of 91.
Bongo is now Africa's longest-serving Head of State, having remained in continuous control since 1967. He is now 70, but has no reported health problems. He has co-opted the most important opposition leaders, appointed allies to command the military and security services, and has reportedly centralised power more extensively since 2001. Bongo's long-term grip on Gabonese politics was further assured in July 2003, when the National Assembly approved a change in the constitution abolishing the two-term limit on Presidential office.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Gabon's human rights record is reasonable although there are concerns that the independent press comes under government pressure. There have also been allegations of opposition politicians being harassed.
ECONOMY
GDP: US\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\$ 8.3 bn (2005 est)
GDP per head: US\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\$ 6397 (2005 est)
GDP growth rate: 2.8% (2006 est)
Inflation: 1.5% (2006 est)
Major Industries: Petroleum, mining, forestry
Major trading partners: Markets - US, France. Suppliers - France, Germany, Japan, US
Exchange rate: Euro 1 = CFA 655.957 (fixed)
Gabon has a per capita income four times higher than most of sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to oil revenues and a small population.. Oil still accounted for 50.7% of GDP in 2005 despite declining production., as well as 63% of government revenue, and over 80% of total exports. High oil prices helped to offset the drop in production from a peak. In 1997 of 370,000 bpd, to some 258,900 bpd forecast for 2006. .Oil production is projected to fall further to 100,000bpd by 2010 if no new discoveries are made, and reserves will be exhausted in 30 years. New investment in other areas, particularly in the manganese, iron ore and forestry sectors, will also offset the projected decline in oil production. For example, the government signed an agreement in June 2006 with China for the development of the high grade Belinga iron ore deposits, hitherto expected to go to an international consortium.
While timber is Gabon's second largest export, agriculture has been limited due to forest cover and a lack of suitable land. More than half the food needs of the country are imported. 10% of Gabon's area was designated in 2002 as National Park – the highest proportion of any state in the world – in recognition of Gabon's enormous potential as a destination for eco-tourism.
Contraction of the oil sector makes diversification of the economy a priority. The most recent IMF report on Gabon (2006) welcomed the publication of Gabon's first EITI report, its first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper PRSP published in early 2006, and noted that non-oil growth has accelerated. Gabon is due to sign a new Standby Agreement with the IMF by the end of 2006.
DEVELOPMENT
Despite relative wealth, the majority of the Gabonese population remains extremely poor and the country has social indicators barely higher than the sub-Saharan average. Gabon was ranked 123 out of 177 states in the 2005 UNDP Human Development Index. Life expectancy at birth is 54.5 years (2004), Infant Mortality rate is 60 deaths per 1000 live births (2002 est) and 12% of children under 5 were assessed as being under-weight, although adult literacy is fair at over 71%. Gabon's adult HIV/AIDS infection rate is 8.1% (2003 est Against these figures, the 2004 governance indicators published by the World Bank rank Gabon in the bottom third on the control of corruption. Gabon slipped from 74th place in 2004 to 88th place in 2005.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
President Bongo has often acted as a mediator in regional disputes. He chaired the OAU ad hoc committee seeking to resolve the border dispute between Chad and Libya, intervened in mediation in Congo-Brazzaville in 1999, supported CEMAC peacekeepers to the Central African Republic and was involved in brokering the peace agreement in Burundi.
Gabon has traditional ties with Congo-Brazzaville, which has a number of ethnic groups in common with Gabon. President Bongo was educated in Congo-Brazzaville and is married to the daughter of its President Sassou-Nguesso.
In February 2003, tensions resurfaced between Gabon and neighbouring Equatorial Guinea over sovereignty of islands in the oil-rich off-shore waters, a source of friction between them since 1972. Although a UN-brokered settlement was agreed in January 2004, which provided for joint exploitation of the disputed area, the delineation of the maritime boundary has not yet been settled.
Gabon is a member of the Franc Zone, and its currency is tied through France to the Euro. Relations with the former colonial power France remain close although strained by several financial corruption scandals that have been highlighted by the French media. There are some 10,700 French permanent residents in Gabon. France also maintains a long-standing sovereign military base in
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