Gabon - GA - GAB - GAB - Africa

chief of mission: Ambassador Vernelle Trim FITZPATRICK (since 26 January 2024); note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe

embassy: Sabliere, B.P. 4000, Libreville

mailing address: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270

telephone: [241] 011-45-71-00

FAX: [241] 011-45-71-05

email address and website:
ACSLibreville@state.gov

https://ga.usembassy.gov/

0-14 years: 34.6% (male 429,133/female 421,120)

15-64 years: 61.1% (male 787,480/female 711,913)

65 years and over: 4.3% (2024 est.) (male 53,410/female 52,049)

1 00 S, 11 45 E

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female

total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

none

slightly smaller than Colorado

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2024)

Gabon, a sparsely populated country known for its dense rainforests and vast petroleum reserves, is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in central Africa. Approximately 40 ethnic groups are represented, the largest of which is the Fang, a group that covers the northern third of Gabon and expands north into Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon. From about the early 1300s, various kingdoms emerged in present-day Gabon and the surrounding area, including the Kingdoms of Loango and Orungu. Because most early Bantu languages spoken in these kingdoms did not have a written form, much of Gabon's early history was lost over time. Portuguese traders who arrived in the mid-1400s gave the area its name of Gabon. At that time, indigenous trade networks began to engage with European traders, exchanging goods such as ivory and wood. For a century beginning in the 1760s, trade came to focus mostly on enslaved people. While many groups in Gabon participated in the slave trade, the Fang were a notable exception. As the slave trade declined in the late 1800s, France colonized the country and directed a widespread extraction of Gabonese resources. Anti-colonial rhetoric by Gabon’s educated elites increased significantly in the early 1900s, but no widespread rebellion materialized. French decolonization after World War II led to the country’s independence in 1960.

Within a year of independence, the government changed from a parliamentary to a presidential system, and Leon M’BA won the first presidential election in 1961. El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba was M’BA’s vice president and assumed the presidency after M’BA’s death in 1967. BONGO went on to dominate the country's political scene for four decades (1967-2009). In 1968, he declared Gabon a single-party state and created the still-dominant Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). In the early 1990s, he reintroduced a multiparty system under a new constitution in response to growing political opposition. He was reelected by wide margins in 1995, 1998, 2002, and 2005 against a divided opposition and amidst allegations of fraud. After BONGO's death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali BONGO Ondimba, to power, and he was reelected in 2016. He won a third term in the August 2023 election but was overthrown in a military coup a few days later. Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions that arrested BONGO, canceled the election results, and dissolved state institutions. In September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president of Gabon.

 

deforestation from excessive logging; growing population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poaching

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

1.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
1.8% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)

33.4% (2017 est.)

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

lowest 10%: 2.2% (2017 est.)

highest 10%: 27.7% (2017 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

crude petroleum, ships, manganese ore, refined petroleum, wood (2023)

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 26%, Indonesia 8%, Spain 7%, Israel 6%, Congo, Republic of the 5% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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

oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat (2023)

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Gabonese Armed Forces (Force Armées Gabonaise or FAG; aka National Defense and Security Forces of Gabon or des Forces Nationales de Défense et de Sécurité (FNDS) du Gabon): Army (Armée de Terre, AT), Navy (Marine Nationale, MN), Air Force (l'Armée de l'Air, AA), Light Aviation (L’Aviation Légère des Armées, ALA), Fire Brigade (du Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers); National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Gabonaise, GENA); Republican Guard (Garde Républicaine, GR); Military Health Service (Service de Santé Militaire, SSM); Military Engineering (Génie Militaire) (2025)

note 1: the National Police Forces, under the Ministry of Interior, and the National Gendarmerie (GENA), under the Ministry of Defense, are responsible for law enforcement and public security; elements of the armed forces and the Republican Guard, an elite unit that protects the president under his direct authority, sometimes perform internal security functions

note 2: the GENA is organized into regionally-based “legions,” mobile forces, a national parks security unit, and a special intervention group

revenues: $2.939 billion (2021 est.)

expenditures: $2.732 billion (2021 est.)

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

name: Libreville

geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the city was founded in 1849 by freed slaves, and the name means "free town" in French

ships, refined petroleum, iron pipes, cars, packaged medicine (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

tropical; always hot, humid

885 km

history: previous 1961, 1991; latest approved in November 2024 referendum

amendment process: 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

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
606.57 (2023 est.)
623.76 (2022 est.)
554.531 (2021 est.)
575.586 (2020 est.)
585.911 (2019 est.)

chief of state: President Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 12 April 2025)

head of government: Prime Minister Raymond NDONG SIMA (since 7 September 2023)

 

cabinet: formerly the Council of Ministers, appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president

elections/appointments: formerly, the president directly elected by plurality vote for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 26 August 2023; prime minister appointed by the president; note - in August 2023, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema led a military group called Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions in a coup in which President Ali BONGO Ondimba was arrested and detained, election results were canceled, and state institutions were dissolved; in September 2023, OLIGUI was sworn in as transitional president; a general election is planned for August 2025; note - November 2024 voters in Gabon voted on a referendum to extend the presidential term to seven years and replace the prime minister with a vice president, elections slated for August 2025

election results: 2025: Brice OLIGUI Nguema elected president; percent of vote- Brice OLIGUI Nguema (Ind.) 90.35%, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze (EPG) 3.02%, other 6.63%

2016: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%

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

17 August 1960 (from France)

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

highest court(s): 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

total: 3,261 km

border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km; Republic of the Congo 2,567 km; Equatorial Guinea 345 km

agricultural land: 8.4% (2022 est.)

arable land: 1.3% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0.7% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 6.4% (2022 est.)

forest: 91.2% (2022 est.)

other: 0.4% (2022 est.)

mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law

legislature name: Transitional Parlement (Parliament de la transition)

legislative structure: bicameral

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 85.5%

male: 86.2%

female: 84.7% (2021)

territorial sea: 12 nm

contiguous zone: 24 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), 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, MINUSCA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Independence Day, 17 August (1960)

noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)

adjective: Gabonese

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

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

natural-resource-rich, upper-middle-income, Central African economy; significant reliance on oil and mineral exports; highly urbanized population; high levels of poverty and unemployment; uncertainty on institutional and development reform progress following 2023 military coup

Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG 
Restoration of Republican Values or RV
The Democrats or LD

Paul Mba Abessole

total: 649 km (2014)

standard gauge: 649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

18 years of age; universal

general assessment: the telecom market was liberalized in 1999 when the government awarded three mobile telephony licenses and two ISP licenses and established an independent regulatory authority; in contrast with the mobile market, Gabon’s fixed-line and internet sectors have remained underdeveloped due to a lack of competition and high prices; the country has sufficient international bandwidth on the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine cable; the arrival of the ACE submarine cable, combined with progressing work on the CAB cable, has increased back haul capacity supporting mobile data traffic (2022)

domestic: fixed-line 1 per 100 subscriptions; mobile cellular subscriptions are 134 per 100 persons (2021)

international: country code - 241; landing points 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)

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

presidential republic

conventional long form: Gabonese Republic

conventional short form: Gabon

local long form: République Gabonaise

local short form: Gabon

etymology: name originates from the Portuguese word gabão, meaning "cloak," possibly used by early explorers to describe the shape of the Komo River estuary

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

Africa

40 sq km (2012)

chief of mission: Ambassador Noël Nelson MESSONE (12 December 2022)

chancery: 2034 20th Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20009

telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000

FAX: [1] (301) 332-0668

email address and website:
info@gaboneembassyusa.org

https://gabonembassyusa.org/en/

consulate(s) general: New York

percent of population: 74% (2022 est.)

.ga

$19.388 billion (2023 est.)

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List — Gabon does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but the government has devoted sufficient resources to a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute significant efforts to meet the minimum standards; therefore, Gabon was granted a waiver per the Trafficking Victims Protection Act from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 and remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year; for more details, go to:  https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/gabon/

Fitch rating: CCC (2020)

Moody's rating: Caa1 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating: N/A (2016)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

166 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

urban population: 91% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 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

improved:

urban: 97.2% of population

rural: 55.3% of population

total: 93.1% of population

unimproved:

urban: 2.8% of population

rural: 44.7% of population

total: 6.9% of population (2020 est.)

name: "La Concorde" (The Concorde)

lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS

note: adopted 1960

870,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2023)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

0.52 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

6.3 beds/1,000 population

black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue

19.6 years (2012 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

31.1% (2012)

household consumption: 34.5% (2023 est.)

government consumption: 11.5% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital: 18.1% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories: 0% (2023 est.)

exports of goods and services: 63.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services: -27.8% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

total dependency ratio: 63.7 (2024 est.)

youth dependency ratio: 56.7 (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio: 7 (2024 est.)

potential support ratio: 14.2 (2024 est.)

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

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 as shown in this population distribution map

electrification - total population: 93.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas: 98.5%

electrification - rural areas: 29%

TR

improved:

urban: 81.3% of population

rural: 55.1% of population

total: 78.7% of population

unimproved:

urban: 18.7% of population

rural: 44.9% of population

total: 21.3% of population (2020 est.)

Fang 23.5%, Shira-Punu'Vii 20.6%, Nzabi-Duma 11.2%, Mbede-Teke 5.6%, Myene 4.4%, Kota-Kele 4.3%, Okande-Tsogho 1.6%, other 12.6%, foreigner 16.2% (2021 est.)

Protestant 46.4% (Revival Church 37%, other Protestant 9.4%), Roman Catholic 29.8%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 10.8%, traditional/animist 1.1%, other 0.9%, none 7% (2019-21 est.)

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

France 14%, China 13%, S. Korea 13%, USA 7%, India 4% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

highest point: Mont Bengoue 1,050 m

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation: 377 m

2.7% of GDP (2021)

the Gabonese military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for both external and internal security; the military may also participate in the economic and social development work of the nation; in August 2023, officers from the Republican Guard seized control of the government and placed the president under arrest; the coup leader and chief of the Republican Guard, Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema, was subsequently announced as the leader of a transitional government (2024)

approximately 7,000 active-duty troops including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2024)

the Gabonese military has a mix of older and more modern weapons and equipment from a variety of suppliers including Brazil, China, France, Germany, Russia/former Soviet Union, and South Africa (2024)

municipal: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 238,102 tons (1995 est.)

particulate matter emissions: 26.29 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 5.32 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions: 1.13 megatons (2020 est.)

Congo Basin

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)

total World Heritage Sites: 2 (1 natural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales: Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda (m); Ivindo National Park (n)

imports: 75,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

fossil fuels: 51.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity: 47.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

production: 463 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption: 463 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves: 25.995 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

total petroleum production: 204,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 14,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves: 2 billion barrels (2021 est.)

1.58 (2024 est.)

49.7% (2023 est.)

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.09% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.09% of GDP (2021 est.)

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

has a small space program focused on the acquisition, processing, analysis, and furnishing of data from foreign remote sensing (RS) satellites for environmental management, mapping, natural resources, land use planning, and maritime surveillance, as well as research and innovation; has relationships with Brazil, China, the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member states (particularly France), Kenya, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, and the US; shares RS data with neighboring countries (2024)

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015) (2024)

total ports: 9 (2024)

large: 0

medium: 2

small: 2

very small: 5

ports with oil terminals: 7

key ports: Libreville, Oguendjo Terminal, Port Gentil, Port Owendo

chamber name: Transitional National Assembly (Assemblée nationale de la transition)

number of seats: 98 (all appointed)

scope of elections: full renewal

most recent election date: 10/6/2023

percentage of women in chamber: 25.5%

expected date of next election: August 2025

chamber name: Transitional Senate (Sénat de la transition)

number of seats: 70 (all appointed)

scope of elections: full renewal

most recent election date: 10/6/2023

percentage of women in chamber: 20.3%

expected date of next election: August 2025

On Gabon’s coat of arms, the panthers represent vigilance and courage, and they support a shield with a ship and an okoume tree, which is a symbol of the timber trade. The ribbon below the shield has the national motto in French, Union, Travail, Justice ("Union, Work, Justice"), and the ribbon above the shield has the Latin phrase Uniti Progrediemur ("We shall go forward united").

771,000 (2023 est.)

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

total: 36.5% (2023 est.)

male: 31.7% (2023 est.)

female: 42.9% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

total: 22 years (2024 est.)

male: 22.5 years

female: 21.5 years

$6.672 billion (2023 est.)

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

227 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

$1.372 billion (2019 est.)
$1.321 billion (2018 est.)
$965.054 million (2017 est.)

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

62.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

3.21 children born/woman (2024 est.)

20.36% (2023 est.)
20.5% (2022 est.)
21.23% (2021 est.)

note: % of labor force seeking employment

total: 2,455,105 (2024 est.)

male: 1,270,023

female: 1,185,082

3.144 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke: 230,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids: 2.005 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas: 908,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total : 267,667 sq km

land: 257,667 sq km

water: 10,000 sq km

9.49% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

$46.472 billion (2023 est.)
$45.363 billion (2022 est.)
$44.025 billion (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

42 (2025)

total: 26.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male: 29.7 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 24 deaths/1,000 live births

total subscriptions: 3 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2022 est.)

38 (2017 est.)

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

3.63% (2023 est.)
4.23% (2022 est.)
1.09% (2021 est.)

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

$140.996 million (2015 est.)
$1.112 billion (2014 est.)
$1.463 billion (2013 est.)

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$18,700 (2023 est.)
$18,700 (2022 est.)
$18,500 (2021 est.)

note: data in 2021 dollars

total: 80,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2022 est.)

15% (2016)

22.101 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

25.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

installed generating capacity: 785,000 kW (2023 est.)

consumption: 3.173 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports: 584.039 million kWh (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses: 604 million kWh (2023 est.)

total: 87 (2023)

by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 19, oil tanker 30, other 37

6.4% (2019/20)

$3.499 billion (2022 est.)
$3.353 billion (2021 est.)
$3.454 billion (2020 est.)

note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars

$12.935 billion (2022 est.)
$11.229 billion (2021 est.)
$7.275 billion (2020 est.)

note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars

total subscriptions: 43,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)

total: 6.47 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer: 5.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine: 0.62 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits: 0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total population: 70.4 years (2024 est.)

male: 68.6 years

female: 72.1 years

2.45% (2023 est.)
3.04% (2022 est.)
1.47% (2021 est.)

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

3.94% (2023 est.)

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

agriculture: 6.5% (2023 est.)

industry: 53.5% (2023 est.)

services: 38.2% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

2.6% of GDP (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

2.37% (2024 est.)