Gabon is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and the Congo. The 800km- (500-mile-) long
sandy coastal strip is a series of
palm-fringed bays, lagoons and estuaries. The lush tropical vegetation (which covers much of the interior) gives way in parts to the
savannah.
There are many
rivers along which settlements have grown. Many of the
Bantu people are concentrated in coastal areas and villages along the banks of the many rivers. The main cities are
Libreville, Port Gentil, Lambaréné, Moanda, Oyem, Mouila
and Franceville.
The Republic of Gabon moved peacefully into
independence (from France) in 1960. President Omar Bongo, who succeeded Léon M’Ba as president on the latter’s death in 1967 is now one of Africa’s
longest serving heads of state. In 2003, a change of constitution meant that Bongo could run for office as many times as he wanted and Bongo, now in his 70s, is likely to remain as president for life. Gabon’s only problem in the region concerns the island of Mbagne which lies in the Corisco Bay, potentially the site of large
oil and gas deposits: occupied by Gabon in 1970, it is also claimed by Equatorial Guinea.
But tourist natural resources are likely to center around features such as
stunning white beaches, an abundance of
wildlife, including
gorillas, panthers, parrots and elephants, and verdant
forests.
GeographyGabon is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the north by Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon, and to the east and south by the Congo. The 800km- (500-mile-) long sandy coastal strip is a series of palm-fringed bays, lagoons and estuaries. The lush tropical vegetation (which covers about 82% of the interior) gives way in parts to the savannah. There are many rivers and they remain the main communication routes along which settlements have grown. Of the 40 or so Bantu tribes, the largest are the Fang, Eshira, Mbele and Okande. Only a small percentage of native Gabonese live in the towns, as the population is concentrated in the coastal areas and the villages along the banks of the many rivers, following a more traditional rural style of life.
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