Gabon
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Countries
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo Brazza
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Gabon
- Guinea
- Ivory Coast
- Mali
- Niger
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Togo
Other Regions
Gabon is located in Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea. The capital is Libreville. Population was estimated at 1.3 million in 2003, and is growing at a rate of 2.54 percent. Population estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS. French is the official language of Gabon.
Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy.