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Gabon Profile |
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Quick Facts About Gabon
Capital
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name: Libreville
geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Country Name
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conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon
local long form: Republique Gabonaise
local short form: Gabon
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Dependency Status
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*
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Type of Government
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republic; multiparty presidential regime
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Background
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Until recently, only two autocratic presidents had ruled Gabon since its independence from France in 1960. The recent president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - had dominated the country"s political scene for four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. President BONGO died in June 2009. New elections in August 2009 brought Ali Ben BONGO, son of the former president, to power. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries. In January 2010, Gabon assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.
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Branches
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Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 42.2% (male 326,998/female 324,409)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 415,691/female 417,911)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 25,234/female 35,012) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
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Population
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1,545,255
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
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Internet Users
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90,000 (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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slightly smaller than Colorado
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Area
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total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km
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Terrain
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narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
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Climate
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tropical; always hot, humid
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Natural Hazards
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NA
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| Gabon |
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Source:
CIA World Factbook |
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