Gabon
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Libreville
- Population
- 2,513,738 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 267,667 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Languages
- French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
- Religions
- Protestant 46.4% (Revival Church 37%, other Protestant 9.4%), Roman Catholic 29.8%, other Christian 4%, Muslim 10.8%, traditional/animist 1.1%, other 0.9%, none 7% (2019-21 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Fang 23.5%, Shira-Punu'Vii 20.6%, Nzabi-Duma 11.2%, Mbede-Teke 5.6%, Myene 4.4%, Kota-Kele 4.3%, Okande-Tsogho 1.6%, other 12.6%, foreigner 16.2% (2021 est.)
- Currency
- Coopération Financière en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF)
- Life Expectancy
- 70.4 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .ga
- Climate
- tropical; always hot, humid
- Terrain
- narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
- Major Exports
- crude petroleum, ships, manganese ore, refined petroleum, wood (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Gabon, a sparsely populated country known for its dense rainforests and vast petroleum reserves, is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in central Africa.