Gabon

Gabon, officially the Gabonese Republic, is a nation located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa.

It sits directly on the equator. To its west lies the Gulf of Guinea. The country shares borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest and Cameroon to the north. To the east and south, it is bordered by the Republic of the Congo.

The landscape is varied. Coastal plains line the ocean. The center features mountains like the Cristal Mountains and the Chaillu Massif. In the east, the terrain shifts into a savanna.

The name "Gabon" has an interesting origin. It comes from the Portuguese word "gabao," which means "hooded cloak." In the 1470s, Portuguese navigators explored the area. They looked at the Komo River estuary. They thought the shape of the water looked like a cloak. Eventually, the name spread to the whole region and the modern state.

Human history in Gabon involves many migrations. The original inhabitants were the Bambenga people. Later, Bantu migrants began settling in the region. By the 18th century, the Kingdom of Orungu was established. This was a Myeni-speaking kingdom. It served as a trading center. France began to colonize the region in the late 19th century. Explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza led a mission there in 1875. He founded the town of Franceville. France officially occupied the area in 1885.

Gabon gained independence from France on August 17, 1960.

The country's early political years were complex. Léon M'ba became the first president in 1961. He held strong executive powers. In 1964, an army coup attempted to oust him. However, French paratroopers arrived within 24 hours to restore him to power. After M'ba died in 1967, Omar Bongo took office. In 1968, Bongo established the Parti Démocratique Gabonais, or PDG. This made Gabon a one-party state. Bongo used the PDG to create a single national movement. He aimed to reduce regional and tribal rivalries.

Political life changed again in the 1990s. Economic discontent led to strikes by workers and students. In 1990, Bongo negotiated with these groups. He organized a national political conference. This conference led to important reforms. Gabon introduced a multi-party system and a democratic constitution. These changes aimed for a more transparent electoral process. They also created a national Senate and an independent judiciary. Despite these reforms, the PDG remained the dominant political force for many decades.

After Omar Bongo died in 2009, his son Ali Bongo became president. The transition was difficult. Some opposition candidates did not accept the election results. This led to protests and unrest in places like Port-Gentil. In 2019, an unsuccessful coup attempt occurred while Ali Bongo was recovering from a stroke. Finally, in August 2023, military officers launched a coup d'état. They canceled the election results after Ali Bongo won a third term. This ended the Bongo family's 55-year hold on power. General Brice Oligui Nguema was named the transitional leader.

Economically, Gabon is a significant nation in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the wealthiest countries in the region regarding per capita income. This wealth comes largely from petroleum and foreign private investment.

In 2023, the nominal GDP per capita was $10,149. Gabon has the fifth highest GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa. It also has the fourth highest Human Development Index (HDI) in the region. However, there is a large gap in wealth. While the nation is rich, many people in the population remain very poor. Gabon is also working to protect nature. In 2021, it became the first African country to receive payments for reducing deforestation.