Where is gabon located

Arable land: 1. Agriculture: cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume a tropical softwood ; fish. 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.

Major trading partners: U. Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 17, ; mobile cellular: 2. 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 hosts: Internet users: 98, Transportation: Railways: total: km Highways: total: 9, km; paved: 1, km; unpaved: 8, km est.

Waterways: 1, km km on Ogooue River Airports: 44 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. Its area is slightly less than Colorado's. Most of the country is covered by a dense tropical forest. The earliest humans in Gabon were believed to be the Babinga, or Pygmies, dating back to B. Gabon was first explored by the Portuguese navigator Diego Cam in the 15th century.

In , the Portuguese explorers encountered the mouth of the Como River and named it? Rio de Gabao,? The Dutch began arriving in , and the French in In , the French founded their first settlement on the left bank of the Gabon estuary and gradually occupied the hinterland during the second half of the 19th century. He changed his name to Omar in , upon converting to Islam. Strikes and riots led to a transitional constitution in May , legalizing political parties and calling for free elections.

In Gabon's first multiparty election in Dec. In Dec. Gabon lacks roads, schools, and adequate health care, yet income from the oil-rich country has lined the pockets of its ruler, who, according to the French weekly L'Autre Afrique, is said to own more real estate in Paris than any other foreign leader.

He narrowly won re-election in in a poll marred by violence and accusations of fraud, and reportedly suffered a stroke in October that led to concerns about his ability to carry out his duties.

Gabon's main broadcast media are government-controlled. Reporters Without Borders says self-censorship is commonplace. Some key dates in Gabon's history:. Local Mpongwe ruler signs away sovereignty to the French. UN news about Gabon. Gabon National Assembly. President Ali Ben Bongo. Gabon's national parks authority. The Gabonese Republic Capital: Libreville. Image source, Getty Images. Read full media profile. Omar Bongo was Africa's longest serving head of state when he died, having been in power for 42 years.

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