Flag of The Republic of Gabon Introduction Gabon is a developing nation in west central Africa. Gabon is roughly the size of the state of Colorado in the United States. More than two-thirds of the land area is uncultivated and considered to be some of the world's finest virgin rainforests. The capital is Libreville.

Political System
Ruled as a single-party state since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions.

Economy
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet 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 oil sector currently accounts for over 50% of GDP.

People and Culture
Gabon is a sparsely populated country; the total population is roughly 1.2 million people. The majority of Gabonese are descended from various Bantu tribes including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Eschira, Bapounou, Obamba). There is also a large expatriate community in Libreville, made up of both Westerners and immigrant laborers from West Africa.

The official language is French, and the literacy rate is estimated at over 60%. Christianity is the major religion in Gabon.

Information for this page is from the CIA Factbook on Gabon

For More Information
If you plan to live or travel in Gabon, please see the latest State Department Consular Information Sheet on Gabon. You can also visit our Community Liaison Office Page.

Below is a list of websites that provide more detailed information on Gabon (some sites are in French).

Note: The US Embassy, Libreville assumes no responsibility for the content on these websites.
CIA Factbook on Gabon	DofS Consular Information Sheet
Index of Websites on Gabon	Lonely Planet Guide
News on Gabon	World Desk Reference

For information on Sao Tome and Principe, see the About Sao Tome and Principe page.

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