Gabon

Gabon is a country located in Central Africa along the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between the Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea, covering an area of approximately 267,667 square kilometers. As of 2025, Gabon has a population of over 2.5 million, with French as the official language alongside numerous local languages including Fang, Myene, Nzebi, and Bapounou. The country features a narrow coastal plain, hilly interior, and savanna in the east and south, with a tropical climate that is always hot and humid. Libreville serves as the capital, and the government operates as a presidential republic.

Gabon’s economy is classified as upper-middle-income and heavily reliant on natural resources, with petroleum extraction and refining, manganese mining, and gold production as key industries. The country has a GDP of $20.87 billion and a GDP per capita of $18,900, though high unemployment at 20.2% and poverty at 33.4% remain significant challenges. Key agricultural products include oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, and sugarcane, while the country also holds substantial reserves of timber, iron ore, and hydropower potential. Despite its resource wealth and high urbanization rate of 91%, Gabon faces institutional uncertainty following the 2023 military coup and struggles with economic diversification away from oil and mineral exports.