gabon

Gabon – Central Africa

Gabon


Hi! My name is Annie Flore Batchiellilys and I am a world renowned singer from Gabon. Let me take you on a tour of my country!


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An elephant located in Loango National Park.

One of the modern buildings located in Libreville, the

country’s capital.

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GabonGeography


Gabon


GEOGRAPHY

Demographics

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Gabon

Nationality: GabonesePopulation: 1,545,255Ethnic groups: Fang (largest), Myene, Bapounou, Eshira, Bakota, Nzebi, Bateke, BandjabiLocation: Surrounded by the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial GuineaGross Domestic Product: $22.5 Billion US Gross Domestic Product per capita: $14,500 US Population growth rate: 2.025% each yearCapital: LibrevilleWork Force: 50% agriculture, 16% services, 33% governmentNatural wonders: Tourists say the country is beautiful, however tourism is underdeveloped. Gabon’s 13 national parks attract many tourists every year. The beaches, inland fishing facilities, the falls on the Ogooue River and the Crystal Mountains are also tourist destinations.

Demographics


GEOGRAPHY

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GabonNatural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Natural Resources


GEOGRAPHY

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GabonEnvironment


Gabon

ENVIRONMENT

AgricultureClimateWater



Gabon

Agriculture

Due to the fact that the country is mostly rainforest, only a small portion of the country is suitable for agricultural activity.

The country imports around 50% of all of its consumed goods.

Coffee, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber are all exported.

Principle crops: plantains, cassava, and maize

ENVIRONMENT

Plantains

Maize (Corn)

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Gabon

ClimateTropical climateTypically always hot, and humid Equatorial climate: Country experiences a whale season from July to September. Rainforests cover 85% of the country.

Climate ChangeMean annual temperature has increased by 0.6° C since 1960. Mean rainfall has decreased by 2.6% since 1960. The country is said to be warming faster in the central and eastern region than on the coast (west).

ENVIRONMENT

A portion of the Gabonese forest

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Gabon

ClimateDesertification has been an issue in the Congo River Basin where Gabon is located. This basin alone represents 30% of Africa’s vegetation coverage.

Between 1990 and 2000, the basin shrunk by 8.3 million hectares in size.

Degradation still has not reached its peak yet. Officials still do not know the potential effect of this degradation and when it reaches its peak.

ENVIRONMENT

Examples of the deforestation in Gabon

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Gabon

WaterAccess to clean water still remains a problem in rural and poorer suburbs. 80% of Gabon’s urban population and 30% of rural population have access to clean water. The prevalence of diarrheal and waterborne diseases remains a threat in the country.Local officials are working to protect both water sources and beaches from pollution.

ENVIRONMENT

Body of water located in Libreville

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GabonHealth


GabonLife expectancy: 52 yearsPercent with access to improved water sources: 41.0%Child mortality rate: 68.9 per 1,000 childrenPercent living below the poverty line: 32.7%HIV prevalence: 5%Infant mortality rate: 52 per 1,000 live birthsIncidence of tuberculosis per 100,000 people: 501 (has increased drastically since 2006)Health expenditure (% of GDP): 3.5%

HealthHEALTH



GabonTrade & Economics


Gabon

TRADE & ECONOMICS

Mining and Drilling

Natural Resources and Investment

Manufacturing



Gabon

Mining & Drilling

Gabon is a major petroleum producer. Gabon is the world’s second largest manganese dioxide producer. Gabon also produces minor gold, uranium, and diamonds.

TRADE & ECONOMICS

A petroleum gas refinery in Arzew, Gabon

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Gabon

Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Foreign Investment: Foreign firms currently control Gabon’s major industries (petroleum, manganese, and timber). The country is open to foreign investment. The Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) passed in 1998 provides the same rights to foreign companies operating in Gabon as domestic firms do. Foreign investors have the option of opening bank accounts in Communaute Financiere Africaine (CFA) Franc or Euros. Foreign firms operate on an equal basis with national firms.

Natural Resources & InvestmentTRADE & ECONOMICS



Gabon

Manufacturing

In 1967, a petroleum refinery factory opened in Port-Gentil.

This refinery overshadows other manufacturing enterprises, such as lumber processing companies, cement and cigarette factories, and breweries.

TRADE & ECONOMICS

Lumber, one of the many goods that is manufactured in Gabon.



GabonScience & Technology


Gabon

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology

Information and Communications Technologies



GabonThere are currently two institutions carrying out plant breeding in Gabon. Le Centre d’Introduction, d’Adaptation, et de Multiplication du Materiel Vegetal (CIAM) and the Laboratoire de Biotechnologie Vegetale (LBV). CIAM focuses more on line creation and evaluation while LBV focuses more on plant biotechnology and germplasm.

BiotechnologySCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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Gabon

Gabon has a shortage of trained scientists and technicians. They mostly rely on scientists from France. The University that Omar Bongo founded in 1970 has a faculty of scientists as well as a school of engineering. Gabon is one of the few African countries to have a connection to the South Atlantic 3/West African Submarine Cable (SAT3/WASC) through sea cable, which links Europe to Asia by going through the African continent. Gabon has more than 45,000 people subscribed to fixed telephone lines. Gabon’s internet is supplied by Gabon Telecom, SOLSI, and INTERNET GABON.

Information & Communication TechnologiesSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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GabonHistorical Issues


Paleolithic Era

13-15th Century

16th Century

Early 18th Century

Late 18th

Century-Late 19th

Century

Late 19th

Century-

Present Day400,000-350,0

00 years ago: Evidence of

human activity.

13th Century: First migrations of Bantu

tribes from West Africa. 1470-1480 :Portuguese

explorers are the first Europeans to arrive in the

area, they establish commercial trade

centers.

16th Century: Dutch, British and

French traders arrive, they begin trading with local chiefs in tobacco, and weapons for

raw materials, and eventually, slaves.

1839: France signs treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs,

paving the way for what would become the era of

French colonialism. 1849: Slaves freed along the

banks of the Komo River name their settlement

Libreville “free town”, what is today Gabon’s capital city.

1862: French explorers penetrate the interior of Gabon.

1885: France occupies Gabon and the era of French Colonialism begins.

1910: Gabon becomes one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa.

Aug 17, 1960: Gabon declares Independence from France.

12 Feb, 1960: Léon M'ba becomes first president of Gabon and serves till his death

in 1967.

Nov 1967: Omar Bongo Ondimba succeeds M’ba as president and serves until his death in 2009.

30 Aug 2009: Ali Bongo Ondimba was elected President in a free and democratic election,

assuming office on 16 Oct, 2009.

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Pre-Colonial/ Ancient

Civilizations Colonial Africa Post-Colonial/ Post

Cold War African Historic

Figures

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GabonPre-Colonial/ Ancient Civilizations


Gabon

Pre-Colonial/Ancient Civilizations PRE-COLONIAL/ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

It is thought that the original and earliest inhabitants of Gabon were Pygmy people, however, there is not much evidence to document these findings as they left little archeological record.

What evidence does exist of the earliest inhabitants is preserved today at the Lopé National Park in Gabon, and at sites such as Njole (200km east of the country’s capital city).

Lopé National Park, Central Gabon

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Gabon

Pre-Colonial/Ancient Civilizations PRE-COLONIAL/ ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

The ecological and archaeological evidence preserved in this park shows that the area was inhabited almost continuously from late Paleolithic times, 350-400,000 years ago, to the present day.

Archeologists have unearthed carvings approximately 400,000 years old, dating back to the beginning of the Stone Age, as well the remains of Paleolithic tools, and Neolithic villages dated circa 4,000 B.C.

Lopé National Park, Central Gabon

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Gabon

These findings are attributed to early migrations of the Bantu tribes from West Africa, who migrated across the region in search of new land or to escape conflict, following the fall of the Mali and Songhai Empires, to which they belonged.

During this time, the original inhabitants of present day Gabon, including the Pygmies, were absorbed by the Bantu tribes.

Some displaced Pygmies still live in the jungle in the east of the country today.

In the 13th century, the migrating Bantu tribes of The Mpongwe people arrived and settled in the area; the people of the Fang tribe arrived much later, at the end of the 18th century.



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Gabon


In the 13th century, the migrating Bantu tribes of The Mpongwe people arrived in the area; the people of the Fang tribe arrived much later, at the end of the 18th century.

Fang mask, c.a. 18th Century

Musée des Arts et Traditions du Gabon

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Gabon


In the 15th Century (1470), the Portuguese became the first explorers to land on the coast of Gabon, and the first Europeans to make contact with the inhabitants of Gabon.

As such, the region derives it’s name, Gabon, from the Portuguese word, “Gabão,” for cloak, due to the resemblance of the Komo River estuary to a coat with a hood and sleeves.

It is here, in the 1480s, that the Portuguese established commercial trading posts, trading with local communities all along the coast of West and Central Africa.

15th Century Portuguese Explorers, West and Central African coast


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GabonAt the beginning of the 16th century, an influx of Dutch, British and French traders followed the Portuguese and started a lucrative trade with local chiefs that began with the trade of tobacco, cloth, iron, alcoholic beverages and weapons, in exchange for ivory and, eventually, slaves.

Between the 1760s and the 1840s, the settlements on the Gabonese estuary, as well as those on the coast and in the south, became hubs to hold slaves.



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GabonSlaves were transported down the river from the interior of Gabon by African slavers. They were temporarily held in these hubs along the coast to await Dutch, British and French slave ships.

The majority of slaves from Gabon were shipped to the “New World,” to work on plantations in Brazil and North America.

The majority of African tribes in the region at this time were involved in the slave trade. The Fang, although not part of the trade, displaced settlers when they invaded Gabon from the north (present day Cameroon) causing them to move into areas where slave trading was popular.




Gabon

Although the slave trade was abolished in France in 1794, and in the United States in 1865, it continued illegally in Africa for some time.

By 1815, France joined forces with Britain to officially halt the illegal smuggling and trade of slaves in the area.

However, Europeans continued to trade in manufactured goods for raw materials.

With the slave trade ending, European powers became focused on establishing their dominance over the lucrative natural resources of Africa. Between 1839 and 1941, France signed a series of treaties with Gabonese coastal chiefs to solidify their status in the region.



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Gabon

In 1839, France established the first permanent European settlement, in agreement with the Mpongwe ruler. This settlement laid the ground-work for what was later to become the period of French colonialism in the area.

The first American settlement in the area was established in 1842 by American missionaries from New England.

In 1849, the local population along the Komo River estuary grew when the French captured an illegal slave ship; they released the captives along the mouth of the Komo River and these freed slaves named their settlement Libreville -"free town.”

This settlement would later become the capital of Gabon.



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Gabon

The interior of Gabon remained, for the most part, unexplored by foreigners until the mid-19th century.

In the 1850s, an American, Paul du Chaillu, became one of the first foreigners to explore the interior of the region.

Between 1862 and 1887, the French began exploring Gabon’s dense jungles. Capitalizing on treaties signed with indigenous chiefs earlier in the century, France occupied Gabon in 1885 during the European scramble for Africa, ushering in the era of French colonialism.

In 1903, France began administering the area and in 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959.

The territories remained as such until the time of their independence in 1960--forming the independent nations of the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.



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Gabon


In 1903, France began administering the area and in 1910, Gabon became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa, a federation that survived until 1959.

The territories remained as such until the time of their independence in 1960--forming the independent nations of the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo (Brazzaville), and Gabon.

French Missionary school, Central Africa, c.a. 1906http://histclo.com/country/fran/reg/fr-col.html

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GabonColonial Africa


Gabon

Upon succeeding in conquering the region of Gabon, France concentrated its efforts on maximizing the exploitation of natural resources for trade and profit.

As a result of the exploitation of the local population, a series of widespread revolts occurred throughout the country by people who refused to work for French companies.

These revolts led the colonial administration to put in place structures that would allow them to assert full control over the region.

The Code de l'indigénat was instituted; it required locals to pay a head tax to the colonial administration that could be paid off by working for French concessionary companies, and also allowed colonial administrators to jail locals without trial for fifteen days and forced them to pay a fine for any offense.

Colonial Africa COLONIAL AFRICA



GabonAs a result of the Code de l'indigénat, forced labor was instated throughout all French African colonies.

In 1910, the French appointed a Governor and divided Gabon into 38 subdivisions, which allowed the French colonial administration to exercise control over the population.

During this time, France also established Gabon’s southern border (present day Republic of Congo) with King Leopold II of Belgium in 1918, and its northern border (present day Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea) with Spain and Germany in 1919.


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Gabon

The timber industry – along the coast and lagoons of Gabon, as well as the upper Komo and Rembwe regions, and the lakes near the town of Lambaréné, came to dominate the export industry.

Thousands of wood cutters from other regions of the country flocked to these regions to transport logs of trees down creeks and rivers to the coastal areas of Port-Gentil and Cape Lopez which had established ports for timber export.

Labor conditions during this time were extremely difficult as the timber industry was not mechanized and the cutting down of trees and sawing of logs had to be done by hand.




Gabon


African labor unions formed to demand better working conditions for Gabonese people. Leaders such as Léon M'ba fought to obtain the end of forced labor and end the worst abuses of colonialism.

Following World War 2, the French Government instituted a series of economic and social reforms in all its African colonies.

Changes in the timber industry also occurred; a tractor trailer now did all the cutting and carrying of logs and a large timber factory was built.

In the 1950s, exploitation of oil wells began as well as exploitation of manganese, uranium, and iron.

Léon M'ba



GabonThese natural resources boosted the Gabonese economy and provided support for infrastructure development such as roads and ports.

The first Gabonese government council was formed in 1957, and Léon M’Ba became president of the council in 1958.

In 1958, Gabon voted to become a autonomous republic in the French Community with Léon M'ba elected Prime Minister.

The country declared its independence on 17 August 1960, and in 1961 M’Ba was elected president.


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GabonPost-Colonial/ Post Cold War


Gabon

At the time of independence in 1960, only two principal political parties existed in Gabon: the Bloc Democratique Gabonais (BDG), led by Gabriel Léon M'ba, and the Union Democratique et Sociale Gabonaise (UDSG), led by J.H. Aubame.

In the first post-independence election, neither party was able to win a majority. The BDG, however, obtained support from three of the four independent legislative deputies, and M'Ba was named Prime Minister.

Soon after this, the two parties agreed that Gabon did not have enough people to support a two-party system, and the two party leaders agreed on a single list of candidates to take part in the 1961 presidential election. In that election, held under the new presidential system, M'Ba became President and Aubame became Foreign Minister.

Post-Colonial/ Post Cold War POST-COLONIAL/ POST COLD WAR



Gabon

Gabriel Léon M'ba served as the first president of Gabon from 1961-1967.

M’ba intended to establish the kind of democratic regime that was necessary to develop the country and attract foreign investment, however, in practice this was not the case.

On the 21st February 1961, a new constitution was unanimously adopted that allowed for a “hyper-presidential regime,” in which M’ba had full executive powers; he could appoint ministers and decide their responsibilities himself, dissolve the National Assembly at will, and declare a state of emergency when he felt necessary.



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Gabon

M’ba’s one-party system appeared to work until February 1963; at this time M’ba broke ties with Aubame and all UDSG party members were dismissed.

M‘ba called an election for February 1964 . When the BDG appeared likely to win the election by default, the Gabonese military toppled M‘ba in a bloodless coup on 18 February 1964.

Gabonese Military personnel arrested the President of the National Assembly and announced to the Gabonese people, via radio, that a coup had taken place.

They instructed the French not to interfere and that no French citizens would be harmed. A provisional government of both UDSG and BDG members was formed, and the presidency was offered to Aubame.




Gabon

•The new head of government contacted the French Ambassador, Paul Cousseran, to assure the protection of French nationals and to ask him to prevent any French military intervention.

•However, as M’ba was one of the most loyal allies to France in Africa, the French Government decided to restore what they considered the legitimate Government and French troops re-instated M’ba to power the next day.

•Aubame was charged for his alleged involvement in the coup and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor and 10 years in exile.

•In 1965, the French began looking for a successor for M’ba, who was aging and sick. Omar Bongo Ondimba, a young leader in the President’s cabinet, was favored to be his successor.




Gabon

In 1966, the constitution was revised to provide for automatic succession of the Vice President should the President die in office.

In March 1967, Omar Bongo Ondimba was elected Vice President; M'Ba died later that year, and Omar Bongo became President.

In March 1968, Bongo declared Gabon a one-party state; he dissolved the BDG and established a new party--the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG). Bongo invited all Gabonese politicians, regardless of previous political affiliation, to join the party.

In April 1975, the position of Vice President was abolished and replaced by the position of Prime Minister, who had no right to automatic succession.

Bongo was re-elected President in both December 1979 and November 1986 to 7-year terms.



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Gabon

In 1990, economic discontent and a desire for greater democracy prompted violent demonstrations and strikes by students and civil servants.

In response, Omar Bongo Ondimba made significant wage concessions; he promised to allow greater political diversity in the PDG and to organize a national political conference in April 1990 to discuss Gabon's future political system.

The April 1990 conference approved sweeping political reforms, including the creation of a National Senate, decentralization of the budgetary process, and freedom of assembly and Press.

A new constitution that provided an independent judiciary but retained strong executive powers for the President came into force in March 1991.




Gabon

Despite these concessions, opposition to the PDG continued after the April 1990 conference, and in September 1990, two coup d’état attempts were uncovered and aborted.

Following President Omar Bongo Ondimba's re-election in December 1993, opposition candidates refused to validate the election results. Serious civil disturbances led to an agreement between the government and opposition factions to work toward a political settlement.

These talks led to the Paris Accords in November 1994, under which several opposition figures were included in a government of national unity, however, this arrangement soon broke down.




GabonAs opposition was still divided, President Omar Bongo Onbimba was re-elected in December 1998.

While Bongo's major opponents rejected the outcome as fraudulent, some international observers characterized the results as representative, despite some irregularities.

In November 2005, President Omar Bongo Ondimba was elected for his sixth term. There were some instances of violence following the announcement of Omar Bongo Ondimba's win, but Gabon generally remained peaceful.




Gabon

On 8 June 2009, President Omar Bongo Ondimba died of cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment in Barcelona.

In accordance with the amended constitution, Rose Francine Rogombe, the President of the Senate, became Interim President on 10 June 2009.

Presidential elections were held on 30 August 2009 with 18 candidates vying for President.

Omar Bongo’s son, ruling party leader Ali Bongo Ondimba, was declared the winner in elections that were deemed to be democratically free and fair, and after a 3-week review by the Constitutional Court he was officially declared President; his inauguration took place on 16 October 2009.


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GabonAfrican Historic Figures


Gabon

African Historic Figures AFRICAN HISTORIC FIGURES

Gabriel Léon M'ba

El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba

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Gabon

Gabriel Léon M'ba AFRICAN HISTORIC FIGURES

Gabriel Léon M'ba became the first president of Gabon, serving from 1961-1967.M'ba was born on 9 February 1902 in Libreville, Gabon.In 1909, M’ba joined a seminary, where he received his primary education. From 1920, M’ba gained employment as a store manager and lumberjack before entering the French Colonial administration as a customs agent. Despite good job performance, M’ba’s political activism worried the Colonial Administration and in December 1922 he was sentenced to prison for providing a colleague with falsified documents; a minor crime that would normally have resulted in a small fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_M%27ba



Gabon

Gabriel Léon M'ba AFRICAN HISTORIC FIGURES

Around 1924, M’ba reconciled with colonial authorities and was named the chef de canton (village chief) of Libreville’s Fang neighborhood. In 1931, M’ba was implicated in the murder of a woman near Libreville, he was sentenced in 1931 to three years in prison and 10 years in exile. In 1946, the French colonial administration permitted M’ba to return to Gabon.He began his rise to political power in 1946; he was appointed Prime Minister on 21 May 1957, and served in this position until 21 February 1961. He became President of Gabon upon independence from France, and was officially sworn in on 12 February 1961. M'ba was reelected in March 1967, but died of cancer in November 1967. He was succeeded by his vice president, Albert-Bernard Bongo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_M%27ba

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Gabon

El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba AFRICAN HISTORIC FIGURES

Born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, Omar Bongo was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years, from 1967 until his death in office in 2009.Omar Bongo was promoted to key positions as a young official under Gabon's first President Leon M'ba in the 1960s, before becoming Vice-President from 1966 to 1967. He eventually succeeded M'ba, becoming Gabon's second President upon M’ba’s death in 1967.Bongo headed the single-party regime of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) until 1990, when he introduced multi-party politics in Gabon. He was re-elected in the 1993 presidential election, and again in the subsequent elections of 1998 and 2005.

http://ujpdg-france.vefblog.net/519.html

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GabonCurrent Politics & Culture


Current Politics Culture

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GabonCurrent Politics


Foreign Relations US Relations Media Governance Current

Administration

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Gabon

Gabon follows a policy of nonalignment, meaning it does not have political alliances with other nations.

Gabon promotes dialogue in international affairs, and has taken a leadership role in mediation between central African countries. The President also recently completed a “Tour of Friendship” to neighboring countries.

It recognizes both sides in countries divided by disputes.

It is a member of the UN and related organizations, and is currently on the Security Council.

Gabon is also a member of the African Union and regional economic and development organizations.

It currently has some sovereignty disputes with Equatorial Guinea over Mbane Island and other maritime boundaries.

Foreign Relations FOREIGN RELATIONS

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Gabon

US Relations US RELATIONS

Gabon maintains excellent relation with the US.

Multiple visits have been made by heads of state from both the US and Gabon, including a recent visit in June 2011 by the President of Gabon and his wife.

The US maintains strong trade relations with Gabon.

The US provides some development assistance to Gabon.

Gabon hosted a US AFRICOM military communications event in 2009.

President Bongo Ondimba meeting with President Obama.



Gabon

Media MEDIA

There are two government-owned TV stations and two government-owned radio stations.

There are several privately owned radio stations and TV stations.

Africa No. 1, one of Africa’s most famous and most powerful radio stations, is located in Libreville. It is a major commercial station, supported by the French and Gabonese governments, as well as the private European media. It was started in 1981, although the station in Libreville is currently undergoing renovations.

The national press service is the Gabonese Press Agency, which publishes Gabon Matin. L’Union is a government-controlled daily newspaper, and Gabon Aujourd’hui is published by the Ministry of Communications.

There are nine privately-owned periodicals, which may be independent or associated with a political party. Some major newspapers include: Le Temps, Le Temoin, La Lowe, Le Journal, and La Relance.

The government supports the rights to free speech and press; the government may be openly criticized.



Gabon

Governance•Gabon is a republic.•It gained its independence on August 17, 1960, and adopted its constitution on February 21, 1961. The constitution was revised in 1975, rewritten in 1991, and revised in 2003.•The head of state is the President, who is elected for a 7 year term, with no limit to the number of terms he or she can serve. The President can appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister, the cabinet, and the Supreme Court judges, can dissolve the National Assembly, can declare a state of siege, can delay legislation, and can conduct referenda.•The head of the government is the Prime Minister, who is served by a Council of Ministers.•The Main legislative body is composed of the National Assembly, which has 120 members, and the Senate, which has 102 members.•The judiciary is composed of a Supreme Court and a Constitutional Court.•The main political parties include: the Parti Democratique Gabonais (PDG) which holds the largest number of seats in the National Assembly; the l’Union Nationale (UN); the Union du Peuple Gabonais (UPG); and the Rassemblement du Peuple Gabonais (RPG).

GOVERNANCE


Gabon

Current Administration


CURRENT ADMINISTRATION

•Democratic elections have been held since the independence of the country, and have moved back and forth between a single party and multi party government.•The government and country were unified under President Omar Bongo, during his consecutive terms as President from 1967-1990.•Workers made numerous grievances in 1990 which led to extreme government reforms, including the creation of the Senate, the decentralization of the budget, more freedom of assembly and the press, a new constitution with a Bill of Rights and an independent judiciary, and open multiparty elections.•Omar Bongo was reelected in 1998 and 2005, but died in 2009.•Bongo’s son, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was elected following his death.

On the Horizon: The current administration has attempted to reduce corruption by eliminating government positions, has attempted to diversify the economy to become less dependent on petroleum, by increasing manganese and timber production, and has attempted to modernize the workforce.The President has supported the slogan “Emerging Gabon,” under which he has established three major programs, “Green Gabon,” which focuses on the environment, “Industrial Gabon,” which focuses on raw materials, and “Grey Gabon,” which focuses on high-tech service industries.The President has put a strong emphasis on the development of strategic partnerships, and is committed to sustainable economic and environmental growth, through means such as the preservation of national parks, which protects the environment while supporting a growing tourism industry, and the creation of a space agency to monitor deforestation.

President Bongo Ondimba Biyokulule.com



GabonCulture


Ethnic Groups & Religion Food Values &

Customs Music Art & Literature

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Gabon

Ethnic Groups & Religion ETHNIC GROUPS & RELIGION

The major ethnic groups include: the Fang which is the largest group, the Myene, the Bapounou, the Eshira, the Bandjabi, the Bakota, the Nzebi, and the Bateke/Obamba.

There are at least 40 ethnic groups, but almost all of them are of Bantu origin.

Ethnic clashes are less severe than in many other countries, because the groups are more spread out and have more contact and more intermarriage.

Gabon is one of the least densely populated countries in Africa.

More than 10,000 native French live there, and French is the main language used in commerce.

Major religions include Christianity, which makes up 55-75% of the population, Islam, which makes up 5-10% of the population, and traditional Animism, which makes up less than 1% of the population.

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Gabon

Food FOOD & CLOTHING

Gabonese produce includes: bananas, papayas, pineapples, mangoes, guavas, avocado, coconuts, eggplants, feed corn, sugarcane, peanuts, plantains, and tomatoes.

The Gabonese staple food is the starch cassava.

Main sources of protein come from seafood and game.

Wine used for ceremonies is made from palm trees and sugarcane.

Gabon Cultura

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Gabon

Values & Customs VALUES & CUSTOMS

•Regarding property, villages own three mile of land in every direction, which they split evenly among the families of the village. The best locations are given to the elders.

•The Gabonese may marry within the same ethnic group, but villagers will often marry outside of their communities, in order to avoid marrying relatives.

•Regarding children, if they are born in marriage, they belong to the father, so women are expected to have children before they marry, so they will have something if they separate from their husbands. Having children before marriage is also used to prove a woman’s fertility.

Worldflags101.com

•The Gabonese flag is green, gold, and blue, and the colors represent forests and natural resources, the equator and the sun, and the sea, respectively.

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Gabon

Music MUSIC

Gabonese music is less well-known than that of the surrounding regional powers.

The Gabonese have many different folk styles of music, and use varying instruments including the obala, the ngombi, which is a type of harp, the balafon, which is similar to a xylophone, and traditional drums.

Popular styles of music include rock and hip hop from the US and UK, as well as Rumba, which is a percussive style based on a 5-stroke rhythmic pattern, Soukous, which evolved from Rumba, and Makossa, which is similar to Soukous, but has a stronger bass and horn section.

Ngombi harp, katalog.van-ham.com

The National Anthem is “La Concorde,” which was adopted in 1960.

The mother of the current President of Gabon is the famous singer Patience Dabany.

One of the most well-known musicians, a composer, singer, and producer, is Pierre Akendengue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZCmHanNhG8&feature=related

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Gabon

Art & Literature ART & LITERATURE

•Gabonese literature follows an oral tradition, and folklore and mythology are very important.

•“Raconteurs” keep traditions alive by telling stories.

•Spoken-word poetry is very popular. A modern-day form of this is the vibrant art called “Slam.”

•Literature is strongly influenced by France, because many Gabonese are educated there.

•The Gabonese make beautiful masks, from wood and precious metals, which are generally painted white with black features.

•The Gabonese make decorative boxes to hold the remains of their ancestors, which are called Bieri.

•The International Center for Bantu Civilizations is located in Gabon.

Bieri reliquary head, metmuseum.org

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Women, Youth, and Community


Women Youth Community

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WomenWOMEN

The First Lady has created a program called the Akassi Microcredit Project, which is designed to enable women to start small business projects of their own.Akassi means “women” in the Bateke language.The goal of the project is to improve the social and economic status of these women.The project encourages women to work in partnership and share good working practices.

Washingtonpost.com

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Youth

YOUTH

The First Lady has supported the development of a center for orphaned and abandoned children, as well as the development of after-school centers, that encourage youth involvement in the community.The First Lady has placed a special focus on the career frustrations of rural children, and on increasing their opportunities and potential.Gabon participated in a UN awareness project , which allowed children to travel to France and act as ambassadors on behalf of endangered gorillas in their region. This program emphasized the importance of youth involvement.

The First Lady on her tour of the interior of Gabon, facebook.com



Community

COMMUNITY

The First Lady created her own special cabinet of advisors to support a social program for communities and families.She has her own foundation, called “Pour la Famille,” meaning, “For the Family.”She has focused on social programs, including the development of community associations, support for the disabled, and the reduction of maternal mortality rates.She has also been focused on supporting health programs that deal with serious diseases such as HIV and malaria.

World Aids Day,Wikipedia



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www.eva.mpg.de

Loango National Park


This is the only place in Africa where you can see whales, chimps, gorillas, and elephants in one park. It covers the beach, savannah,

forest, and swamp.


Reserve de la Lope

Trip Advisor


It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2002.

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Ivindo National Park

Amozonair.com


It contains the famous Kongou Falls.

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Arboretum de Sibang

Libreville.com


This is a preserved rainforest park that holds many of Gabon’s diverse tree species.

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Pointe-Denis Beach


Gomag.co.za

Located off of a nearby island, this beach allows for a great view of Libreville’s skyline. It also allows for many water activities, and is home to

many giant leatherback turtles.

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L’Eglise St. Michel de Nkembo

Afrikimages.blogspot.com


This church is known for its huge, intricate columns carved from wood, said to have been created by a blind man.

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Musee des Arts et Traditions du Gabon

Ratsdeville


This is a great museum that showcases Gabon’s culture, and has an impressive collection of masks.

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Albert Schweitzer Hospital

Ressurectionhope.blogspot.com

It has been a primary source of healthcare for the region, and has been considered as a tentative World Heritage Site.

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