← THE SECTION CUT · AFRICA

Gabon

1.0S 11.8E · 20 EVENTS · 9 DOMAINS
INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE · 17 AUGUST 1960
▼ PULL DOWN TO EXTRACT THE CORE
1960 – 2023 · Independence, oil, and the Bongo era
5 EVENTS
17 August 1960 · Independence under Léon M'ba 2 REFS
February 1964 · Coup attempt reversed by France 2 REFS
1910 – 1960 · Colonial Gabon and the road to independence
4 EVENTS
1913 · Schweitzer founds the Lambaréné hospital 2 REFS
1946 · Overseas territory of the French Union 2 REFS
1839 – 1910 · Libreville, Brazza, and French conquest
4 EVENTS
1849 · Libreville founded for freed slaves 3 REFS
1875–1882 · Brazza explores the Ogooué 3 REFS
c. 1000 – 1840 · The Myènè coast, the Fang, and the Atlantic trade
4 EVENTS
c. 11th–13th centuries · Myènè peoples settle the coast 3 REFS
c. 1760s–1840s · Peak of the Atlantic slave trade 3 REFS
Prehistory – c. 1000 CE · Forest peoples and the Bantu migrations
3 EVENTS
deep prehistory · Forest hunter-gatherers of the Ogooué 3 REFS
c. 1st millennium BCE · Bantu farmers and ironworkers arrive 3 REFS
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EVERY ERA, EVENT AND REFERENCE ON ONE PAGE
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Quick facts · atlas reference
Capital
Libreville
Population
1.8 m
Area
267,668 km²
Region
Middle Africa
Languages
French
Currency
Central African CFA franc (Fr)
Demonym
Gabonese
UN member
Yes
Dossier · press a specimen — it turns over

Economy

GDP
$21 B’25 WB-WDI
GDP per capita
$8,263’25 WB-WDI
GDP growth
2.5%’25 WB-WDI
Inflation
1.8%’25 WB-WDI
Trade openness
84.9%’25 WB-WDI

Society

Population
2.6 m’25 WB-WDI
Life expectancy
68.5 yrs’24 WB-WDI
Urban population
92.1%’25 WB-WDI
Fertility rate
3.6’24 WB-WDI
Literacy rate
88.9%’21 WB-WDI

Governance

Voice & accountability
39.0’24 WB-WGI
Political stability
61.2’24 WB-WGI
Government effectiveness
40.3’24 WB-WGI
Regulatory quality
43.5’24 WB-WGI
Rule of law
37.1’24 WB-WGI
Control of corruption
28.9’24 WB-WGI

Health

Health spending
3.1%’23 WB-WHO
Physicians
0.52’22 WB-WHO
Under-5 mortality
32.6’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Measles immunisation
57.0%’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO

Education

Adult literacy
88.9%’21 WB-UNESCO
Education spending
2.3%’23 WB-UNESCO
Primary enrolment
100.2%’19 WB-UNESCO
Secondary enrolment
70.3%’19 WB-UNESCO
Tertiary enrolment
7.7%’03 WB-UNESCO

Technology

R&D spending
0.6%’09 WB-UNESCO
Internet users
68.7%’24 WB-ITU
Mobile subscriptions
125’24 WB-ITU
High-tech exports
1.8%’23 WB-WDI

Geography

Land area
257,670 km²’23 WB-WDI
Forest area
91.2%’23 WB-WDI
Agricultural land
8.4%’23 WB-WDI
CO₂ per capita (t)
2.0’24 WB-WDI
Renewable energy
91.3%’21 WB-WDI

Resources

Resource rents
18.5%’21 WB-WDI
Oil rents
15.6%’21 WB-WDI
Mineral rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Forest rents
2.6%’21 WB-WDI
Electricity access
95.1%’24 WB-WDI

Military

Military burden
1.5%’24 WB-SIPRI
Defense spending
$319 M’24 WB-SIPRI
Armed forces
7,000’20 WB-SIPRI

A hatched gap has no underside — there is nothing to turn over. Absence is stated, never zeroed.

The record · what changed here
EVERY CLAIM SOURCED
ABSENCE ≠ ZERO
NO SIDES