Lying on the Equator on the west coast of central Africa, Gabon is a country of unexplored wildnerness, far from the tourist crowds on the other side of the continent. There are a huge variety of landscapes from coastal beaches, to savannah and deep, lush rainforest. Loango National Park is the prime destination for wildlife viewing, with species as diverse as leatherback turtles, elephants, red river pigs and lowland gorillas. After the safaris, Point St. Catherine offers the perfect relaxation spot with its pristine beaches. Explore in depth highlights of Gabon.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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0 groups tours with set departures
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World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +1 (West Africa time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | French |
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| Other languages: | Bandjabi, Bapounou/Eschira, Fang, Myene, Nzebi |
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| Currency: |
Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) €1 = CFA0.00, $1 = CFA587, £1 = CFA781 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .ga | International Dialling Code: 241 |
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For help planning your trip to Gabon including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Gabon trip planning page.
Further information on Gabon
Discover more about Gabon - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 267,667 sq km (10,000 sq km under water)
Coastline: 885 km (Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Guinea)
Neighbours (border lengths): Cameroon (298km), Congo-Brazzaville (1,903km), Equatorial Guinea (350km)
Climate: Tropical climate, always hot and humid.
Highest mountain: Mont Iboundji (1,575m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Gabon from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Not Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Authoritarian regime | 121/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 104/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Noticeable problems | 93/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Limited rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 94/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 135/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Full name: Gabonese Republic Status: Independent Country
Population: 1,672,597 (rank: 149/196) Density: 6.2 people/sq km (rank: 186/196)
Ethnic groups: Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Religions: Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
GDP (PPP): $30.06 billion GDP per capita: $19,200 (rank: 54/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.