and harbors:none; offshore anchorage only
Merchant marine:
total: 75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,092,387 GRT/5,056,658 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 21, container 19,
liquefied gas 7, petroleum tanker 15, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle
carrier 4
foreign-owned: 71 (Belgium 5, Denmark 2, France 45, Germany 2,
Greece 2, Hong Kong 5, Japan 4, Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 5) (2005)
Airports:
none (2004 est.)
Military French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues French Southern and Antarctic Lands
Disputes - international: French claim to "Adelie Land" in Antarctica is not recognized by the United States
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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@Gabon
Introduction Gabon
Background:
Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence
from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj Omar BONGO
Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world -
has dominated Gabon's political scene for almost four decades.
President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new
constitution in the early 1990s. However, the low turnout and
allegations of electoral fraud during the most recent local
elections in 2002–03 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political
structures in Gabon. Presidential elections scheduled for 2005 are
unlikely to bring change since the opposition remains weak, divided,
and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political
conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and
considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more
prosperous and stable African countries.
Geography Gabon
Location:
Western 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
Land use: arable land: 1.26% permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (2001)
Irrigated land:
150 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
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
People Gabon
Population:
1,389,201
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2005 est.)
Age structure:
