0–14 years: 42.1% (male 293,668/female 291,816)15–64 years: 53.8% (male 372,134/female 374,850)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 23,551/female 33,182) (2005 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.57 years
male: 18.34 years
female: 18.8 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.45% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
36.24 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
11.72 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 53.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 63.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 43.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.02 years
male: 53.63 years
female: 56.45 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.77 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
8.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
48,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2004)
Nationality:
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese
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%
Languages:
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.2%
male: 73.7%
female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
Government Gabon
Country name:
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon
local long form: Republique Gabonaise
local short form: Gabon
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
legalized in 1990)
Capital:
Libreville
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga,
Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence:
17 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968)
Constitution:
adopted 14 March 1991
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review
of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2
December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE
(since 23 January 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in
consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected;
percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 66.6%, Pierre
MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%
Legislative branch:
