Gabon

Gabon (pronounced /ɡəˈbɒn/; French pronunciation: [ɡaˈbõ]) is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with the Gulf of Guinea to the west, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, and Cameroon to the north, with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. Its size is almost 270,000 km² with an estimated population of 1,500,000. The capital and largest city is Libreville. Since its independence from France on August 17, 1960, the Republic has been ruled by three presidents. In the early 1990s, Gabon introduced a multi-party system and a new democratic constitution that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and reformed many governmental institutions. The small population together with abundant natural resources and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in the region, with the highest HDI in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Contents

• 1 History
• 2 Government
• 3 Provinces and departments
• 4 Geography
• 5 Economy
• 6 Demographics
• 7 Culture
• 8 See also
• 9 References
• 10 Further reading
• 11 External links

Gabonese Republic République Gabonaise
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Union, Travail, Justice" (French for "Union, Work, Justice")
Anthem: La Concorde
Capital (and largest city)		Libreville 0°23′N 9°27′E / 0.383°N 9.45°E / 0.383; 9.45
Official languages		French
Demonym		Gabonese, Gabonaise
Government		Republic
-	Interim President	Rose Francine Rogombé
-	Prime Minister	Jean Eyeghe Ndong
Independence
-	from France	August 17, 1960
Area
-	Total	267,745 km2 (76th) 103,347 sq mi
-	Water (%)	3.76%
Population
-	July 2005 estimate	1,454,867 (150th)
-	Density	5.4/km2 (216th) 13.5/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$21.049 billion[1]
-	Per capita	$14,478[1]
GDP (nominal)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$14.519 billion[1]
-	Per capita	$9,986[1]
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.729[2] (medium) (107th)
Currency		Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Time zone		CAT (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+1)
Drives on the		right
Internet TLD		.ga
Calling code		241