Gabon

Gabon, a country at the Equator in West- Central Africa, has significant areas of protected parkland. The country bordered by Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; the islands of Sao Tome and Principe are situated off the coast.

It is sparsely populated, with a population of 2 million (2017) and forests covering 85% of its territory. Gabon nonetheless has one of the highest urbanization rates in Africa; more than four in five Gabonese citizens live in cities. In 2013, only 13 per cent of Gabonese lived in rural areas.

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The capital, Libreville, and Port Gentil the economic capital of the country are home to 59% of the population. One in two Gabonese citizens is under the age of 20, with the fertility rate in urban areas at four children per woman against six in rural areas, according to the 2012 Second Demographic and Health Survey.

Gabon is a republic with a presidential form of government under the 1961 constitution (revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003). The president is elected by universal suffrage for a seven-year term; a 2003 constitutional amendment removed presidential term limits and facilitated a presidency for life.

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Forestry and farming are relatively under-developed, contributing just five per cent of GDP, yet agriculture employs about 40 per cent of the rural population. Farming is dominated by an estimated 70,000 small family subsistence farms. Run mainly by older people, they were estimated to average just 0.20 hectares in 2012. Gabon’s small population means that, unlike other African countries, it lacks agricultural workers, and is therefore less preoccupied with smallholder-led production.

Gabon is a member of the main regional bodies for economic co-operation such as ECCAS and CEMAC, but poor diversification and the lack of communication infrastructure in the region has served to hamper efforts at regional integration. Gabon aspires to become an emerging country by 2035.

Politics

Gabon has been politically stable since its independence and has played a strategic role in promoting peace and stability in the region. Following, independence from France in 1960, El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba one of the longest-ruling heads of state in the world dominated the country’s political scene for four decades (1967-2009). President Bongo introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s.

However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in December 2002 and the presidential election in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Following President Bongo’s death in 2009, a new election brought his son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, to power. Despite constrained political conditions, Gabon’s small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make it one of the more stable African countries.

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President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s controversial August 2016 reelection sparked unprecedented opposition protests that resulted in the burning of the parliament building. The election was contested by the opposition after fraudulent results were flagged by international election observers. Gabon’s Constitutional Court reviewed the election results but ruled in favor of President Bongo, upholding his win and extending his mandate to 2023.

Some key dates in Gabon’s history:

14th-19th century – European settlers: Arrival of Portuguese slave traders, followed by French, Dutch and British.

1839 – France signs treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs. Local Mpongwe ruler signs away sovereignty to the French.

1910 – Gabon becomes one of four territories making up French Equatorial Africa.

1958 – Gabon votes to become autonomous republic in the French Community.

1960 – Gabon declares independence.

1967 – Omar Bongo becomes president after the death Leon Mba.

1967-2009 – Omar Bongo dominates Gabonese politics, serving seven consecutive terms.

1990s – Multi-party political system introduced.

2003 – Constitution amended to repeal term limits, ensuring President Bongo holds the presidency for life.

2009 – Death of Omar Bongo, succeeded by his son Ali.

2018 – President Ali Bongo reportedly suffers a stroke, leading to concerns that he will not be able to carry out his duties.

Tourism

Gabon’s forested coastal terrain of its famed Loango National Park shelters a diversity of wildlife, from gorillas and hippos to whales. Lopé National Park consists of mostly rainforest. Akanda National Park is known for its mangroves and tidal beaches.

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The bigger cities like Libreville and Port-Gentil are full of restaurants, bars, and casinos, but we particularly like the country’s parks and beaches, so be sure to check out our top recommendations. Gabon’s various ecosystems include everything from pristine coastal beaches to lush rain forests, and the country’s biodiversity.

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Gabon recorded a total of 269,000 tourists in 2005, ranking 162nd in the world in absolute terms. The country generated around 28.70 m US Dollar in the tourism sector alone. This corresponds to 0.17 percent of its the gross domestic product.

Economy

Gabon is an upper-middle-income country. This is a resource-rich country and the fifth largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa. Gabon is faced with declining oil production, which has been the backbone of its economy since it gained independence. The country is also well endowed with arable land, forest, and mineral resources. It has extraordinary biodiversity, as well as rich deposits of magnesium and iron ore. It is sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest exporter of manganese.

About three-fourths of the country is covered by a dense equatorial rainforest containing more than 3,000 species of vegetation, including the okoumé, a hardwood tree that forms the backbone of Gabon’s timber industry.

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The oil sector has accounted for 80% of exports, 45% of GDP, and 60% of fiscal revenue on average over the past five years. However, as the country is facing a decline in its oil reserves, the Gabonese government has decided to diversify its economy.

Gabon’s fiscal position worsened in 2015, with the country recording a fiscal deficit for the first time since 1998. Despite the government’s attempts to rein in expenditure and offset the decline in oil revenue, Gabon’s economy stalled in 2017 and was projected to grow by 0.8% in 2018 compared to 0.5% in 2017.

This trend is attributable to limited expansion of the secondary and tertiary sectors, impacted by the decline in public expenditure. However, higher prices for crude oil, manganese, and rubber exported by the country contributed to growth in the primary sector. Growth could rebound to 2.9% in 2019, driven by non-extractive sectors like agribusiness and upgraded transport and communication networks.

The government has launched an audit of the public service payroll: its initial steps included the decision to pay civil servants with vouchers and to carry out physical-presence checks to identify ghost workers. The cabinets of the President and the Prime Minister have reduced their staff by 40%. The government also extended the hiring freeze for another three years except for social sectors.

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Gabon’s economic recovery continued in 2019, thanks to the momentum of nonoil activities (mines, timber, rubber, and palm oil), with estimated real GDP growth of 3.4% in 2019 (0.8% in 2018), driven by the exploitation of new oil wells (up 11.8%), nonoil exports (18.6%), and total investment (4.5%). The inflation rate declined from 4.8% in 2018 to 3.4% in 2019, approaching the CEMAC community target of 3%.

In spite of the fact that, the country possess an abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management and over-reliance on oil has stifled the economy. Power cuts and water shortages are frequent. Gabon is reliant on imports and the government heavily subsidizes commodities, including food, but will be hard pressed to tamp down public frustration with unemployment and corruption. The country still suffers from high infant mortality, lack of basic sanitation services and high HIV prevalence. In addition, the Ease of Doing Business Index ranks Gabon 169th out of 190 countries.