Country Profile - Gabon

General Information
Area: 267,667 sq km (103,347 sq miles).
Population: 1,206,000 (official estimate 2000).
Population Density: 4.5 per sq km.
Capital: Libreville. Population: 419,596 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY: Gabon 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 per cent 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.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State: President El Hadj Omar Bongo since 1967. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean François Ntoutoume Emane since 1999.
Language: The official language is French. The principal African language is Fang. Eshira is spoken by a tenth of the population. Bantu dialects spoken include Bapounou, Miene and Bateke.
Religion: About 60 per cent Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), the remainder follow Muslim and Animist religions.
Time: GMT + 1.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
Communications:
Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 241. No area codes required. Outgoing international code: 00.
Mobile telephone: GSM 900. Network operators include Telecel Gabon, Celtel (website: www.msi-cellular.com) and Libertis.
Internet: ISPs include Internetgabon (website: www.internetgabon.com). There is a growing number of Internet cafes in Libreville.
Post: Airmail from Gabon takes at least 1 week to Western Europe. Urgent letters should be sent by special delivery to ensure their safe arrival. Post office hours: 0800-1200 and Mon-Fri 1430-1800.
Press: The two daily newspapers are Gabon Matin and L’Union published in French. There are several periodicals, published mainly on the topics of the Government and the economy. Official bulletins are published in French, and have a limited circulation.
Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.
Passport/Visa

Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required?
British Yes Yes Yes
Australian Yes Yes Yes
Canadian Yes Yes Yes
USA Yes Yes Yes
OtherEU Yes Yes Yes
Japanese Yes Yes Yes
PASSPORTS: Passport valid for more than 6 months required by all.
VISAS: Required by all.
Types of visa and cost: Single-entry: £50 (Tourist or Transit); £70 (Business). Multiple-entry visas are dealt with at the discretion of the Immigration Department in Gabon. For further details, contact the Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy).
Validity: Single-entry: 3 months from date of issue.
Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section.
Application requirements: (a) One passport-size photograph. (b) One application form. (c) Fee, payable in cash or by cheque only. Credit cards not accepted. (d) Valid passport. (e) Registered stamped, self-addressed envelope for postal applications. (f) For Business visas, a letter from the company stating the date of departure and the reasons for the visit. (g) For applications by post, a registered self-addressed stamped envelope.
Note: (a) While possession of references is not an official requirement when applying for a tourist visa, they may help speed up the application process. (b) Both yellow fever and cholera vaccination certificates are required to enter Gabon but are not necessary when applying for a visa.
Working days required: Minimum 5 days.
Money
Currency: CFA (Communauté Financiaire Africaine) Franc (CFAfr) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of CFAfr10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CFAfr250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1. Cameroon is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des États de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.
Currency exchange: Gabon is part of the French Monetary Area.
Credit & debit cards: Limited use of American Express, MasterCard and Visa. In general, the use of credit cards in Gabon remains relatively limited. Check with your credit or debit card company for merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.
Travellers cheques: To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Euros.
Currency restrictions: The import of local and foreign currency is unlimited, subject to declaration. The export of local and foreign currency is limited to CFAfr200,000.
Exchange rate indicators: The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the CFA Franc against Sterling and the US Dollar:
Date Aug '03 Nov '03 Feb ’04 May '04
£1.00= 915.66 957.53 961.13 983.76
$1.00= 573.92 564.26 528.01 550.79
Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1130, 1430-1630.
Duty Free
Duty Free: The following goods may be imported into Gabon by persons of 17 and over without incurring customs duty:
200 cigarettes/cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco (women – cigarettes only); 2l of alcoholic beverage; 50g of perfume; gifts up to CFAfr5000.
Restricted items: Guns and ammunition require a licence from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Libreville.
Public Holidays
Public Holidays: Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Feb 2 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 12 Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. May 6 Martyrs’ Day. May 31 Whit Monday. Aug 15 Assumption. Aug 16 Independence Day. Nov 1 All Saints’ Day. Nov 14-16 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas Day. Jan 1 2005 New Year’s Day. Jan 21 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Mar 28 Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. May 6 Martyrs’ Day. May 16 Whit Monday. Aug 15 Assumption. Aug 16 Independence Day. Nov 1 All Saints’ Day. Nov 3-5 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas Day.
Note: Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from 2 to 10 days, depending on the region. For more information see the World of Islam appendix.
Health
Special Precautions Certificate Required?
Yellow Fever Yes 1
Cholera Yes 2
Typhoid and Polio 3 N/A
Malaria 4 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from all travellers over 1 year of age. Yellow fever risk is particularly high in Ogooue-Ivindo province.
2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is not a condition of entry to Gabon. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness; see the Health appendix for more information.
3: Immunisation against typhoid and poliomyelitis is often recommended.
4: Malaria risk, predominantly in the malignant falciparum form, exists all year throughout the country. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Food & drink: All water should be regarded as potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Other risks: Diarrhoeal diseases, including giardiasis, and typhoid fevers are common. Hepatitis A and E are widespread. Hepatitis B is hyperendemic. Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water; swimming pools which are well-chlorinated and maintained are safe. Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are present. Epidemics of menigococcal disease may occur, particularly in the savannah areas and during the dry season. Immunisation against diphtheria is sometimes recommended. Oriental lung fluke has been reported.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.
Health care: Travellers in rural areas should take a first-aid kit with anti-tetanus and anti-venom serums. Medical facilities are limited. Full health insurance is essential.
Travel – International
AIR: Gabon’s national airline is Air Gabon (GN), which operates direct flights from Paris and London to Libreville. Air France operates four flights a week from London to Gabon, with a stopover in Paris. Other airlines serving Gabon include Air Afrique, Cameroon Airlines, Nigeria Airways, Royal Air Maroc and Swiss.
Approximate flight times: From Libreville to London is 10 hours 5 minutes (including stopovers).
International airports: Libreville (LBV) is 12km (7 miles) north of the city. Taxis are available to the city (travel time – 10 minutes). Airport facilities include bureaux de change, shops, tourist information, left luggage, car hire (Avis, Eurafrique, Europcar and Hertz), hotel reservation desk and duty-free shops.
Departure tax: None.
SEA: Ferries depart quite regularly from Libreville to São Tomé. Freight ships to Cameroon may take passengers; enquire locally for details.
ROAD: There are roads to Bitam and Ambam (Cameroon), Bata via Cocobeach (Equatorial Guinea) and the Congo.
Travel – Internal
AIR: Air Gabon (GN) operates regular flights from Lambaréné, Libreville, Mitzic, Oyem and other cities. Gabon has a total of nearly 200 airstrips. There are local airports at Franceville (MVB) and Port Gentil (POG).
SEA: Ferries run regularly along the coast from Libreville to Port Gentil (travel time – 4 hours).
RIVER: Riverboats ply the Ogoué River between Port Gentil and Lambaréné (travel time – 10 - 24 hours). Some boats continue on to Ndjolé.
RAIL: The Trans-Gabon Railway connects Libreville (Owendo station, 10km (6 miles) from the city centre) with Lastoursville, Booué and Franceville, with extensions under construction to Belinga in the north. Children under 4 years travel free. Children aged from 4 to 11 years pay half fare.
ROAD: Traffic drives on the right. There are nearly 7518km (4672 miles) of road, but only 614km (382 miles) are tarred. Most of the country consists of impenetrable rainforest and the roads are generally of a poor standard. Road travel in the rainy season is inadvisable. There is no road connection between the second largest city of Port Gentil or any other part of the country. Bus: Inter-urban travel is mainly by minibus or pick-up truck. Daily minibus services run from Libreville to Lambaréné, Mouila, Oyem and Bitam (the last two usually involving night stops). Seats for these and other less frequent routes can be obtained in Libreville. This is not, however, normally necessary for the main routes as seats will be readily available in the ‘bus station’ near the central market (0600-0800). There are also conventional buses on the Mouila route and other services out of Mouila. Car hire: Cars may be hired from main hotels and airports, although they tend to be expensive. Documentation: International Driving Permit and international insurance are required.
URBAN: There are extensive share-taxis. There are bus services in Port Gentil and Masuku (Franceville), and share-taxis in other centres. Taxi rates vary.
Accommodation
HOTELS: There are a few high-class hotels in Libreville and also first-class hotels in Koulamoutou, Lambaréné, Makokou, Masuku (Franceville), Mouila, Oyem, Port Gentil and Tchibanga but, like most of the accommodation in Gabon, they are expensive. Tourist facilities, including comfortable accommodation, are being expanded throughout the country, especially along the coast and in towns close to the National Parks. There are hotels in other major cities and towns. These hotels will accept most major credit cards. For further information, contact GABONTOUR (see Contact Addresses section).
CAMPING: Free but limited. Caution should be used as to where camp is made.
Sport & Activities
Watersports: The beaches on the Atlantic coast offer ideal bathing. Port Gentil at the mouth of the River Ogooué and Libreville have beaches with facilities for water-skiing and other watersports. Mayumba in the south and Cap Estérias, 35km (22 miles) from Libreville, are popular watersports centres at weekends. Perroquet and Pointe Denis both offer good skindiving.
Many of the rivers offer excellent fishing; equipment can be hired at Port Gentil. Fish abound in Gabonese rivers and lakes, but the local fishermen can find the largest variety along the coast and in the numerous lagoons located at the mouth of the Ogooué.
Safaris: Gabon’s national parks are rich in wildlife. The largest is the Lopé-Okanda Reserve, near La Lopé in the centre of the country. The landscape is a mixture of savannah and dense forest. Gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants are all present, as well as a variety of other primates, large mammals such as buffalo and around 350 species of bird. Details can be obtained from GABONTOUR (see Contact Addresses section).
Social Profile
Food & Drink: Most hotels and restaurants serve French and continental-style food and are expensive. Gabonese food is distinctive and delicious, but not always readily available, as most restaurants serve Senegalese, Cameroonian and Congolese food.
Licensing hours are similar to those in France.
Nightlife: There are nightclubs in Libreville with music and bars. Food is often served, although this can be expensive. There are also casinos at several hotels.
Shopping: In Libreville there are two bustling markets at Akebe-Plaine, Nkembo and Mon-Bouet. Stone carvings can be bought on the outskirts of both, fashioned by a group of carvers who have adapted traditional skills for the tourist market. Crafts from local villages can also be bought from stalls in the streets or from the villagers themselves. African (Fang) mask carvings, figurines, clay pots and traditional musical instruments can also be bought.
Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200 and 1500-1900. Some shops close Monday.
Special Events: The following is a special event celebrated annually in Gabon:
Aug 16 Independence Day (the biggest celebration in Gabon).
Other events are celebrated on Muslim holy days.
Social Conventions: Dance, song, poetry and myths remain an important part of traditional Gabonese life. Photography: It is absolutely forbidden to photograph military installations. In general, permission to photograph anything should be requested first, to prevent misunderstandings. Tipping: 10 to 15 per cent unless service is included in the bill.
Business Profile
Economy: Oil reserves and mineral deposits have allowed Gabon to develop into one of Africa’s more successful economies. At US$3200, Gabon has one of the highest per capita incomes on the African continent. One-third of GDP comes from the oil industry; there are also significant mining operations producing manganese and uranium. There are confirmed deposits of iron ore (which are substantial) and also a number of rare metal ores. There is a small manufacturing base engaged in oil refining and the production of plywood, paints, varnishes and detergents, dry batteries, cement, cigarettes and textiles. Future industrial growth in this sector is likely to be limited by a shortage of skilled labour, high costs and inadequate infrastructure. Meanwhile agriculture remains important, as it still employs two-thirds of the working population. Gabon produces coffee, sugar cane, rubber and some other cash crops – also cassava and maize for domestic consumption. Both the timber and fishing industries, while making strong contributions to the national economy, may be the subject of future expansion as export earners, although timber production is likely to be limited by environmental concerns. Like all primary producers, Gabon remains vulnerable to fluctuations in commodity prices.
Gabon is a member of the Central African Customs and Economic Union (CEEAC) and of the CFA Franc Zone. In June 1996, Gabon announced its withdrawal from OPEC, after 23 years’ membership. The country’s main trading partners are in the industrialised West, with the USA the largest, followed by France, Japan and Germany.
Business: Tropical suits are required. French is the principal language used in business circles. Translators and interpreters are available through the Embassy. Strong business ties remain with France despite competition from the USA and Japan. Office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1430-1800.
Commercial Information: The following organisations can offer advice: Chambre de Commerce, d’Agriculture, d’Industrie et des Mines du Gabon, BP 2234, Libreville (tel: 722 064; fax: 741 220).
Conferences/Conventions: Further information can be obtained from the Chambre de Commerce, d’Agriculture, d’Industrie et des Mines du Gabon (address as above).
Climate
Climate: Equatorial with high humidity. The dry season is from June to August, and the main rainy season is from October to May.
Required clothing: Lightweight tropical, with raincoats advised during the rainy season.