Gabon

Country	Gabonese Republic
Capital	Libreville
Independence	17 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday	Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Population	1,608,321 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Gabonese (singular and plural)
Religions	Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
Languages	French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy	age 15 and over can read and write total population: 88.4% male: 91.9% female: 84.9% (2010 est.)
Location	Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Geographic coordinates	1 00 S, 11 45 E
Map references	Africa
Area	total: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries	total: 2,551 km border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Coastline	885 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	tropical; always hot, humid
Terrain	narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Exports - commodities	Crude oil, timber, manganese, uranium
Imports - commodities	Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
Land use	Arable land: 1.21% Permanent crops: 0.64% Other: 98.15% (2005)
Irrigated land	40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	164 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.12 cu km/yr (50%/8%/42%) per capita: 87 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	NA
Environment - current issues	deforestation; poaching
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity