The 'Gabonese Republic', or 'Gabon' (
IPA: ), is a country in west central
Africa. It borders on
Equatorial Guinea,
Cameroon,
Republic of the Congo and the
Gulf of Guinea. Since its independence from
France on
August 17,
1960, the Republic has been ruled by only two
autocratic Presidents; the incumbent
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba has been in power since 1967 and is currently (2007) Africa's longest-serving
head of state. Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new democratic constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and foreign private investment have helped make Gabon one of the most prosperous countries in the region. Its coat of arms shows two jungle cats, representing the country's pride in its animals.
History
Main articles: History of Gabon
The earliest inhabitants of the area were
Pygmy peoples. They were largely replaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes during
Bantu migrations.
French explorer
Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza led his first mission to the Gabon-Congo area in 1875. He founded the town of
Franceville, and was later colonial governor.
Several
Bantu groups occupied the area that is now Gabon when
France occupied it in 1885. In 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of
French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959. These territories became independent on
August 17,
1960.
The first president of Gabon, elected in 1961, was
Léon M’ba, with
Omar Bongo Ondimba as his vice president. When M'Ba died in 1967, Bongo replaced him as president, and has been the head of state ever since, winning each contested election with a substantial majority.
Government
Main articles: Politics of Gabon
In March 1991, a new constitution was started. Among its provisions are a bill of rights, the creation of the National Council of Democracy that also oversees the guarantee of those rights and a governmental advisory board which deals with economic and social issues. Multi-party legislative elections were held in 1990-91 even though opposition parties had not been declared formally legal.
President
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power since 1967 and the longest-serving African head of state, was re-elected to another seven-year term according to poll results returned from elections held on
November 27 2005. According to figures provided by Gabon's Interior Ministry, this was achieved with 79.1% of the votes cast. In 2003 the President amended the
Constitution of Gabon to remove any restrictions on the number of terms a president is allowed to serve. The president retains strong powers, such as authority to dissolve the National Assembly, declare a state of siege, delay legislation, conduct referendums, and appoint and dismiss the prime minister and cabinet members.
In provisional results, his ruling
Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) won 84 out of 120 parliamentary seats. As with previous Gabonese elections in which the opposition parties have contested, there were several accusations of electoral fraud, bribery, and calls for a boycott. There were also incidences of violence and protest, particularly in the first round of voting held two weeks prior. However, several international observers including the Economic Community of Central African States have reported that the election "met international standards" for
democratic voting.
Gabon has a small, professional military of about 5,000 personnel, divided into army, navy, air force,
gendarmerie, and national police. Gabonese forces are oriented to the defense of the country and have not been trained for an offensive role. A 1,800-member guard provides security for the president.
Provinces and departments
Main articles: Provinces of Gabon,
Departments of Gabon
Provinces of Gabon
Gabon is divided into 9
provinces and further divided into 37
departments.
The provinces are:
#
Estuaire
#
Haut-Ogooué
#
Moyen-Ogooué
#
Ngounié
#
Nyanga
#
Ogooué-Ivindo
#
Ogooué-Lolo
#
Ogooué-Maritime
#
Woleu-Ntem
Geography
Map of Gabon
Gabon is located on the
Atlantic coast of central Africa. Clockwise from the northwest, it is bounded by
Equatorial Guinea,
Cameroon, and the
Republic of Congo.
Gabon's largest river is the
Ogooué. Gabon is also noted for efforts to preserve the natural environment with what may be the largest area of
nature parks in the world.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of Gabon
Gabon is more prosperous than most nearby countries, with a
per capita income of four times the average for
Sub-Saharan Africa. This is in large part due to offshore
oil production that has produced substantial wealth, although the distribution of income from this industry is extremely unequal. Gabon was a full member of
OPEC from 1975 to 1995.
During the 1990s,
devaluation of the
CFA franc left Gabon struggling to pay its overseas
debt;
France and the
IMF have provided further loans and aid in exchange for the implementation of changes to the economy.
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Gabon
Almost all Gabonese are of
Bantu origin. Gabon has at least forty
ethnic groups with separate languages and cultures. The
Fang are generally thought to be the largest, although recent census data seem to favor the
Bandjabi (or
Nzebi). Others include the
Myene,
Bakota,
Eshira,
Bapounou, and
Okande. Ethnic group boundaries are less sharply drawn in Gabon than elsewhere in
Africa.
French, the
official language, could be regarded as a unifying force. More than 10,000
French people live in Gabon, and France predominates foreign cultural and commercial influences. Historical and environmental factors caused Gabon's population to decline between 1900 and 1940. It is one of the least-densely inhabited countries in Africa, and a labor shortage is a major obstacle to development and a draw for foreign workers. The population is generally accepted to be just over 1 million, though some dispute this. Most inhabitants are
Christians (with estimates of the Christian population ranging from 55 to 77 %), mostly members of the
Roman Catholic Church. Other religious groups include animists, Muslims, and practitioners of indigenous African religions.
Culture
Main articles: Culture of Gabon
: ''and
List of writers from Gabon
Gabonese music is little-known in comparison with regional giants like the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Cameroon. The country boasts an array of folk styles, as well as pop stars like
Patience Dabany (who now lives in the US). Dabany's albums, though recorded in Los Angeles, have a distinctively Gabonese element and are popular throughout Francophone Africa. Other major musicians include
Pierre-Claver Akendengue (considered a master-poet), "the veteran"
Mackjoss,
Vickos Ekondo, known as "the king of
Tandima". Also known are guitarists like
Georges Oyendze,
La Rose Mbadou and
Sylvain Avara, and the singer
Oliver N'Goma. Imported rock and hip hop from the US and UK are popular in Gabon, as are
rumba,
makossa and
soukous.
Gabonese folk instruments include the
obala, the
ngombi,
balafon and traditional drums.
Gabon also features highly appreciated masks, such as the
n'goltang (Fang) and the relicary figures of the
Kota.
See also
References
★ Maria Petringa, ''Brazza, A Life for Africa'' (2006)
External links
Government
★
Le Gabon : official site of the Gabonese Republic
★
Assemblée Nationale du Gabon official site
★
Gabonese Embassy in London government information and links
★
Le Sénat de la République Gabonaise official site (in French)
News
★
Gaboneco.com - ''Gabon'' news headline links
★
AllAfrica.com - ''Gabon'' news headline links
Overviews
★
BBC News Country Profile - ''Gabon''
★
CIA World Factbook - ''Gabon''
Culture
★
The official site of the Arts, Traditions and Culture of Gabon - Discover the first Virtual Museum of the arts and traditions
★
Gabonese literature at a glance
Ethnic groups
★
Baka Pygmies of Cameroon and Gabon Culture and music of the first inhabitants of Gabon
Directories
★
Open Directory Project - ''Gabon'' directory category
★
Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: ''Gabon'' directory category
★
University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: ''Gabon'' directory category
★
Yahoo! - ''Gabon'' directory category
Tourism
★
The Travel Book – Destination Gabon
★
العربية
ä¸å›½
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिनà¥à¤¦à¥€
Italiano
日本語
Português
РуÑÑкий
Español
