President: Ali Bongo Ondimba
(2009) Prime Minister: Raymond Ndong Sima
(2012) Land area: 99,486 sq mi (257,669 sq km);
total area: 103,346 sq mi (267,667 sq km) Population (2012 est.): 1,608,321 (growth
rate: 1.977%); birth rate: 35/1000; infant mortality rate: 49/1000;
life expectancy: 52.29
Capital and largest city (2009 est.):
Libreville, 619,000 Monetary
unit: CFA Franc National
name: République Gabonaise
Current government officials
Languages:
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi,
Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Ethnicity/race:
Bantu tribes, including four major tribal
groupings: Fang, Punu, Nzeiby, Mbede (Obamba/Bateke); other Africans
and Europeans 10.8%, including 0.8% French and 0.8% persons of dual
nationality
Religions:
Christian 55%–75%, animist, Islam less
than 1%
National Holiday:
Independence Day, August 17 Literacy rate: 63.2% (1995 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2011 est.):
$24.28 billion; per capita $16,000. Real growth rate: 5.6%.
Inflation: 1.6% (2011). Unemployment: 21% (2006 est.). Arable
land: 1.21%. Agriculture: cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil,
rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish. Labor
force: 728,100 (2011); agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services
25%. Industries: petroleum extraction and refining; manganese,
gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering
and plywood, cement. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas,
diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore,
hydropower. Exports: $10.86 billion (2011 est.): crude
oil, timber, manganese, uranium. Imports: $3.239
billion (2011 est.): machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
chemicals, construction materials. Major trading partners:
U.S., China, France, Trinidad and Tobago, Netherlands,
Cameroon, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Malaysia, China (2010).
Member of French Community
Communications: Telephones: main
lines in use: 30,400 (2010); mobile cellular: 1.61 (2010). Broadcast media: 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). Internet hosts: 103 (2011). Internet users: 98,800 (2009). Transportation:
Railways: total: 649 km (2009). Highways: total:
9,170 km; paved: 937 km; unpaved: 8,233 km (2004 est.). Waterways:
1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2007). Ports and
harbors: Gamba, Libreville, Lucinda, Owendo, Port-Gentil.
Airports: 44 (2010). International
disputes: UN presses Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the
sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and to establish
a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay.
Major sources and definitions
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