Introduction
Background
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.
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Geography
Location
Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Geographic coordinates
1 00 S, 11 45 E
Map references
Africa
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries
total: 3,261 km
border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km; Republic of the Congo 2,567 km; Equatorial Guinea 345 km
Coastline
885 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Elevation
highest point: Mont Bengoue 1,050 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 377 m
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Land use
agricultural land: 19% (2018 est.)
arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 81% (2018 est.)
other: 0% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
40 sq km (2012)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)
Major aquifers
Congo Basin
Population distribution
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
Natural hazards
none
Geography - note
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
People and Society
Population
total: 2,455,105
male: 1,270,023
female: 1,185,082 (2024 est.)
comparison rankings: female 145; male 143; total 145
Nationality
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese
Ethnic groups
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.)
Languages
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Religions
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.)
Demographic profile
Gabon’s oil revenues have given it one of the highest per capita income levels in Sub-Saharan Africa, but the wealth is not evenly distributed and poverty is widespread. Unemployment is especially prevalent among the large youth population; more than 60% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020. With a fertility rate still averaging more than 3 children per woman, the youth population will continue to grow and further strain the mismatch between Gabon’s supply of jobs and the skills of its labor force.
Gabon has been a magnet to migrants from neighboring countries since the 1960s because of the discovery of oil, as well as the country’s political stability and timber, mineral, and natural gas resources. Nonetheless, income inequality and high unemployment have created slums in Libreville full of migrant workers from Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, and elsewhere in West Africa. In 2011, Gabon declared an end to refugee status for 9,500 remaining Congolese nationals to whom it had granted asylum during the Republic of the Congo’s civil war between 1997 and 2003. About 5,400 of these refugees received permits to reside in Gabon.
Age structure
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)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 67.6
youth dependency ratio: 61
elderly dependency ratio: 6.5
potential support ratio: 15.3 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 22 years (2024 est.)
male: 22.5 years
female: 21.5 years
comparison ranking: total 187
Population distribution
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
Urbanization
urban population: 91% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
870,000 LIBREVILLE (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
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.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
19.6 years (2012 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
Infant mortality rate
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
comparison ranking: total 57
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.4 years (2024 est.)
male: 68.6 years
female: 72.1 years
comparison ranking: total population 175
Gross reproduction rate
1.58 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
31.1% (2012)
Drinking water source
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.)
Current health expenditure
3.4% of GDP (2020)
Physician density
0.65 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
Hospital bed density
6.3 beds/1,000 population
Sanitation facility access
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.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and sexually transmitted diseases: hepatitis B (2024)
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
Alcohol consumption per capita
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.)
comparison ranking: total 64
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
49.7% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.5%
male: 86.2%
female: 84.7% (2021)
Environment
Environment - current issues
deforestation (the forests that cover three-quarters of the country are threatened by excessive logging); burgeoning population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poaching
Environment - international agreements
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
Climate
tropical; always hot, humid
Land use
agricultural land: 19% (2018 est.)
arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 81% (2018 est.)
other: 0% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 91% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 2.27% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Air pollutants
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.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 238,102 tons (1995 est.)
Major watersheds (area sq km)
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)
Major aquifers
Congo Basin
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 80 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 40 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total renewable water resources
166 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon
local long form: Republique Gabonaise
local short form: Gabon
etymology: name originates from the Portuguese word "gabao" meaning "cloak," which is roughly the shape that the early explorers gave to the estuary of the Komo River by the capital of Libreville
Government type
presidential republic
Capital
name: Libreville
geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: original site settled by freed slaves and the name means "free town" in French; named in imitation of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone
Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence
17 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Legal system
mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law
Constitution
history: previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991
amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 2023 (presidential term reduced to 5 years and election reduced to a single vote)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema (since 4 September 2023)
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
election results:
2016: Ali BONGO Ondimba reelected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 49.8%, Jean PING (UFC) 48.2%, other 2.0%
2009: Ali BONGO Ondimba elected president; percent of vote - Ali BONGO Ondimba (PDG) 41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME (independent) 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU (UPG) 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO (UGDD) 3.9%, other 3.3%
Legislative branch
description: Transitional Parliament (formerly the bicameral Parliament) consists of:
Senate (70 seats; members appointed by Transitional president; member term NA)
National Assembly (98 seats; members appointed by the Transitional president; member term NA)
note - all members represent legally recognized political parties or leading political figures, civil society, and defense and security forces
elections: on 11 September 2023, Transitional President Gen. Brice OLIGUI Nguema appointed 168 members to the Transitional Parliament; elections for a permanent legislature reportedly to follow 2-year transition; note - the military government announced on 13 November 2023 that presidential and legislative elections will be held in August 2025
election results: all members of the Transitional Parliament appointed by the Transitional president
Judicial branch
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
Political parties
Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG
Restoration of Republican Values or RV
The Democrats or LD
Paul Mba Abessole
International organization participation
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
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:
[email protected]
https://gabonembassyusa.org/en/
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
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:
[email protected]
https://ga.usembassy.gov/
Flag description
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
National symbol(s)
black panther; national colors: green, yellow, blue
National anthem
name: "La Concorde" (The Concorde)
lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS
note: adopted 1960
National heritage
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)
Economy
Economic overview
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$48.201 billion (2023 est.)
$47.134 billion (2022 est.)
$45.776 billion (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 127
Real GDP growth rate
2.26% (2023 est.)
2.97% (2022 est.)
1.47% (2021 est.)
note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 131
Real GDP per capita
$19,800 (2023 est.)
$19,700 (2022 est.)
$19,600 (2021 est.)
note: data in 2021 dollars
comparison ranking: 102
GDP (official exchange rate)
$20.516 billion (2023 est.)
note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.63% (2023 est.)
4.23% (2022 est.)
1.09% (2021 est.)
note: annual % change based on consumer prices
comparison ranking: 71
Credit ratings
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.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 5% (2017 est.)
industry: 44.7% (2017 est.)
services: 50.4% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 177; industry 19; agriculture 127
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 37.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 14.1% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 29% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.6% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 46.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -26.8% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
plantains, cassava, sugarcane, yams, taro, vegetables, maize, groundnuts, game meat, rubber (2022)
note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Industries
petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
Industrial production growth rate
3.5% (2023 est.)
note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
comparison ranking: 96
Labor force
763,000 (2023 est.)
note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
comparison ranking: 152
Unemployment rate
20.36% (2023 est.)
20.5% (2022 est.)
21.23% (2021 est.)
note: % of labor force seeking employment
comparison ranking: 201
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 36.5% (2023 est.)
male: 31.7% (2023 est.)
female: 42.9% (2023 est.)
note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
comparison ranking: total 15
Population below poverty line
33.4% (2017 est.)
note: % of population with income below national poverty line
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
38 (2017 est.)
note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
comparison ranking: 54
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.2% (2017 est.)
highest 10%: 27.7% (2017 est.)
note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
Remittances
0.09% 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
Budget
revenues: $3.296 billion (2019 est.)
expenditures: $2.937 billion (2019 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
9.13% (of GDP) (2021 est.)
note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
comparison ranking: 184
Current account balance
-$725 million (2017 est.)
-$1.389 billion (2016 est.)
$140.996 million (2015 est.)
note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
comparison ranking: 127
Exports
$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
comparison ranking: 104
Exports - partners
China 43%, South Korea 8%, Italy 7%, India 7%, Indonesia 5% (2022)
note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Exports - commodities
crude petroleum, manganese ore, wood, veneer sheets, refined petroleum (2022)
note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
Imports
$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
comparison ranking: 161
Imports - partners
China 22%, France 21%, UAE 5%, US 5%, Belgium 4% (2022)
note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Imports - commodities
poultry, plastic products, iron pipes, fish, excavation machinery (2022)
note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$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
comparison ranking: 134
Debt - external
$6.49 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$5.321 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
comparison ranking: 126
Exchange rates
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.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 93.5% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 98.5%
electrification - rural areas: 29%
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 784,000 kW (2022 est.)
consumption: 2.497 billion kWh (2022 est.)
imports: 544.035 million kWh (2022 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 433.104 million kWh (2022 est.)
comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 77; imports 89; consumption 144; installed generating capacity 140
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 58.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
solar: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
hydroelectricity: 41.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Coal
imports: 82,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 204,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 16,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 2 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 463 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
consumption: 463 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
proven reserves: 25.995 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
3.47 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 251,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 2.311 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 908,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 148
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 43,000 (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 160
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 2.995 million (2022 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125 (2022 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 141
Telecommunication systems
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)
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
Internet users
total: 1.656 million (2021 est.)
percent of population: 72% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 142
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 44,607 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 144
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8
Pipelines
807 km gas, 1,639 km oil, 3 km water (2013)
Railways
total: 649 km (2014)
standard gauge: 649 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge
comparison ranking: total 105
Merchant marine
total: 87 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 1, general cargo 19, oil tanker 30, other 37
comparison ranking: total 96
Ports
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
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Gabonese Armed Forces (Force Armées Gabonaise or FAG; aka Gabonese Defense and Security Forces): Land Forces (Army), National Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie (includes Coast Guard), Corps of Firemen; Republican Guard (2024)
note 1: the National Police Forces, under the Ministry of Interior, and the National Gendarmerie, 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 Gendarmerie is organized into regionally-based “legions,” mobile forces, a national parks security unit, and a special intervention group
Military expenditures
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.)
comparison ranking: 110
Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 6,500 active-duty troops including the Republican Guard and Gendarmerie (2023)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the Gabonese military is lightly armed with a mix of equipment from a variety of suppliers including Brazil, China, France, Germany, and South Africa (2023)
Military service age and obligation
18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2023)
Military - note
the Gabonese military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for both external and internal security; in August 2023, it seized control of the government in a coup; some members of the military attempted a failed coup in 2019 (2024)
Space
Space agency/agencies
Gabonese Studies and Space Observations Agency (Agence Gabonaise d’Etudes et d’Observations Spatiales or AGEOS; established 2015) (2024)
Space program overview
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
Transnational Issues
Trafficking in persons
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/