El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - dominated the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009) following independence from France in 1960. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President BONGO's death in 2009, new elections in brought Ali Ben BONGO, son of the former president, 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 prosperous and stable African countries.

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

slightly smaller than Colorado

tropical; always hot, humid

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

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

deforestation; poaching

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

Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality

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

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

1,608,321 (July 2012 est.)

35 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

13.07 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-2.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

LIBREVILLE (capital) 619,000 (2009)

230 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

4.56 children born/woman (2012 est.)

0.29 physicians/1,000 population (2004)

1.25 beds/1,000 population (2008)

urban: 33% of population

rural: 30% of population

total: 33% of population

urban: 67% of population

rural: 70% of population

total: 67% of population

republic; multiparty presidential regime

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

17 August 1960 (from France)

Independence Day, 17 August (1960)

adopted 14 March 1991

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (102 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; county courts

Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA] (former sole party); Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Benoit Mouity NZAMBA]; Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD [Zacherie MYBOTO]; National Rally of Woodcutters or RNB; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; Party of Development and Social Solidarity or PDS [Seraphin Ndoat REMBOGO]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS; Union of Gabonese Patriots or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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

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

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 depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The economy was reliant on oil for about 50% of its GDP, about 70% of revenues, and 87% of goods exports for 2010, although some fields have passed their peak production. A rebound of oil prices from 1999 to 2008 helped growth, but declining production has hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2007, and later that year issued a $1 billion sovereign bond to buy back a sizable portion of its Paris Club debt. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management has stifled the economy. However, President BONGO has made efforts to increase transparency and is taking steps to make Gabon a more attractive investment destination to diversify the economy. BONGO has attempted to boost growth by increasing government investment in human resources and infrastructure. GDP grew more than 6% per year over the 2010-12 period.

$26.71 billion (2012 est.)

$25.17 billion (2011 est.)

$23.61 billion (2010 est.)

$16.8 billion (2012 est.)

32.5% of GDP (2012 est.)

32.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

6.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

23% of GDP (2012 est.)

22.2% of GDP (2011 est.)

3% (31 December 2010 est.)

4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)

15% (31 December 2012 est.)

15% (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.68 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.47 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.918 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$3.534 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.95 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.817 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

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

$3.747 billion (2012 est.)

$3.514 billion (2011 est.)

$10.82 billion (2012 est.)

$10.86 billion (2011 est.)

crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium

US 41.7%, Australia 9.3%, Malaysia 8.5%, Japan 6%, China 5.1%, Spain 4.6% (2011)

$3.496 billion (2012 est.)

$3.194 billion (2011 est.)

machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials

France 32.6%, China 8.3%, US 6.3%, Belgium 5.7%, Cameroon 4.3% (2011)

$2.43 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.177 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.758 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.726 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs per US dollar -

1.604 billion kWh (2009 est.)

1.301 billion kWh (2009 est.)

415,000 kW (2009 est.)

59% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

41% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

244,700 bbl/day (2011 est.)

226,800 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1.309 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

20,700 bbl/day (2008 est.)

15,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)

8,985 bbl/day (2008 est.)

5,890 bbl/day (2008 est.)

80 million cu m (2010 est.)

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

4.592 million Mt (2010 est.)

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 (2007)

gas 294 km; oil 893 km (2010)

1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2010)

Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil

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

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

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