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Compare Gabon (2004) - United Kingdom (2002)

Compare Gabon (2004) z United Kingdom (2002)

 Gabon (2004)United Kingdom (2002)
 GabonUnited Kingdom
Administrative divisions 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem England - 47 boroughs, 36 counties*, 29 London boroughs**, 12 cities and boroughs***, 10 districts****, 12 cities*****, 3 royal boroughs******; Barking and Dagenham**, Barnet**, Barnsley, Bath and North East Somerset****, Bedfordshire*, Bexley**, Birmingham***, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Bradford***, Brent**, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol*****, Bromley**, Buckinghamshire*, Bury, Calderdale, Cambridgeshire*, Camden**, Cheshire*, Cornwall*, Coventry***, Croydon**, Cumbria*, Darlington, Derby*****, Derbyshire*, Devon*, Doncaster, Dorset*, Dudley, Durham*, Ealing**, East Riding of Yorkshire****, East Sussex*, Enfield**, Essex*, Gateshead, Gloucestershire*, Greenwich**, Hackney**, Halton, Hammersmith and Fulham**, Hampshire*, Haringey**, Harrow**, Hartlepool, Havering**, Herefordshire*, Hertfordshire*, Hillingdon**, Hounslow**, Isle of Wight*, Islington**, Kensington and Chelsea******, Kent*, City of Kingston upon Hull*****, Kingston upon Thames******, Kirklees, Knowsley, Lambeth**, Lancashire*, Leeds***, Leicester*****, Leicestershire*, Lewisham**, Lincolnshire*, Liverpool***, City of London*****, Luton, Manchester***, Medway, Merton**, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Newcastle upon Tyne***, Newham**, Norfolk*, Northamptonshire*, North East Lincolnshire****, North Lincolnshire****, North Somerset****, North Tyneside, Northumberland*, North Yorkshire*, Nottingham*****, Nottinghamshire*, Oldham, Oxfordshire*, Peterborough*****, Plymouth*****, Poole, Portsmouth*****, Reading, Redbridge**, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmond upon Thames**, Rochdale, Rotherham, Rutland****, Salford***, Shropshire*, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield***, Slough, Solihull, Somerset*, Southampton*****, Southend-on-Sea, South Gloucestershire****, South Tyneside, Southwark**, Staffordshire*, St. Helens, Stockport, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent*****, Suffolk*, Sunderland***, Surrey*, Sutton**, Swindon, Tameside, Telford and Wrekin****, Thurrock, Torbay, Tower Hamlets**, Trafford, Wakefield***, Walsall, Waltham Forest**, Wandsworth**, Warrington, Warwickshire*, West Berkshire****, Westminster***, West Sussex*, Wigan, Wiltshire*, Windsor and Maidenhead******, Wirral, Wokingham****, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire*, York*****; Northern Ireland - 24 districts, 2 cities*, 6 counties**; Antrim, County Antrim**, Ards, Armagh, County Armagh**, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast*, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, County Down**, Dungannon, Fermanagh, County Fermanagh**, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, County Londonderry**, Derry*, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane, County Tyrone**; Scotland - 32 council areas; Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, The Scottish Borders, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), West Lothian; Wales - 11 county boroughs, 9 counties*, 2 cities and counties**; Isle of Anglesey*, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff**, Ceredigion*, Carmarthenshire*, Conwy, Denbighshire*, Flintshire*, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire*, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire*, Powys*, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea**, Torfaen, The Vale of Glamorgan*, Wrexham
Age structure 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 286,819; female 285,184)


15-64 years: 53.7% (male 362,311; female 365,132)


65 years and over: 4.1% (male 23,157; female 32,643) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 18.7% (male 5,732,385; female 5,443,900)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 19,803,478; female 19,381,734)


65 years and over: 15.8% (male 3,931,463; female 5,485,042) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish
Airports 56 (2003 est.) 470 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 11


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total: 334


over 3,047 m: 8


2,438 to 3,047 m: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 151


914 to 1,523 m: 83


under 914 m: 59 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 45


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 15


under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.)
total: 136


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 22


under 914 m: 112 (2002)
Area total: 267,667 sq km


land: 257,667 sq km


water: 10,000 sq km
total: 244,820 sq km


land: 241,590 sq km


water: 3,230 sq km


note: includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Colorado slightly smaller than Oregon
Background Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. Gabon's current President, El Hadj Omar BONGO - 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. In addition, recent strikes have underscored the popular disenchantment with the political system. 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. Great Britain, the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999.
Birth rate 36.4 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 11.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.771 billion


expenditures: $1.413 billion, including capital expenditures of $310 million (2003 est.)
revenues: $565 billion


expenditures: $540 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01)
Capital Libreville London
Climate tropical; always hot, humid temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Coastline 885 km 12,429 km
Constitution adopted 14 March 1991 unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Country name conventional long form: Gabonese Republic


conventional short form: Gabon


local long form: Republique Gabonaise


local short form: Gabon
conventional long form: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland


conventional short form: United Kingdom


abbreviation: UK
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States British pound (GBP)
Death rate 11.43 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $3.284 billion (2003 est.) $NA
Dependent areas - Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth P. MOOREFIELD


embassy: Boulevard de la Mer, Libreville


mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville


telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92


FAX: [241] 74 55 07
chief of mission: Ambassador William S. FARISH


embassy: 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W1A1AE


mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040


telephone: [44] (0) 207499-9000 (switchboard)


FAX: [44] (0) 207 629-8288


consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA


chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000


FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668


consulate(s): New York
chief of mission: Ambassador Sir Christopher J. R. MEYER


chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500


FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870


consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco


consulate(s): Dallas, Denver, Miami, and Seattle
Disputes - international creation of a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay with Equatorial Guinea is hampered by dispute over Mbane Island, administered and occupied by Gabon since the 1970s Spain and UK are discussing "total shared sovereignty" over Gibraltar, subject to a constitutional referendum by Gibraltarians, who have largely expressed opposition to any form of cession to Spain; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; Argentina claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark and Iceland; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $4.5 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient $331 million (1995) -
Economy - overview Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet because of high income inequality a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies. The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-02 as the global downturn, the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the "new economy" bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Still, the economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic performance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The Prime Minister has pledged to hold a public referendum if membership meets Chancellor of the Exchequer BROWN's five economic "tests." Scheduled for assessment by mid-2003, the tests will determine whether joining EMU would have a positive effect on British investment, employment, and growth. Critics point out, however, that the economy is thriving outside of EMU, and they point to public opinion polls that continue to show a majority of Britons opposed to the single currency. Meantime, the government has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes.
Electricity - consumption 742.5 million kWh (2001) 345.03 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 134 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 14.308 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 798.4 million kWh (2001) 355.76 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 73%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 23%


other: 2% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
lowest point: Fenland -4 m


highest point: Ben Nevis 1,343 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; poaching continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (has met Kyoto Protocol target of a 12.5% reduction from 1990 levels and intends to meet the legally binding target and move towards a domestic goal of a 20% cut in emissions by 2010); by 2005 the Government aims to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and to recycle or compost at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015; between 1998-99 and 1999-2000, household recycling increased from 8.8% to 10.3%
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
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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 English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999) British pounds per US dollar - 0.6981 (January 2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: President El Hadj Omar BONGO (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 reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4%
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)


head of government: Prime Minister Anthony (Tony) BLAIR (since 2 May 1997)


cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister


elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually the prime minister
Exports NA (2001) $286.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001) manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco
Exports - partners US 51.5%, France 8.7%, China 7.5%, Japan 4% (2003) EU 58.1% (Germany 12.5%, France 10.2%, Netherlands 7.7%, Ireland 7.3%), US 15.4% (2001)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
Flag description three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) and which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, as well as British overseas territories
GDP purchasing power parity - $7.301 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $1.52 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 8.1%


industry: 48.8%


services: 43.1% (2003 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 25%


services: 74% (2000)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.2% (2003 est.) 1.6% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 1 00 S, 11 45 E 54 00 N, 2 00 W
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 lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Heliports - 11 (2002)
Highways total: 8,464 km


paved: 838 km


unpaved: 7,626 km (2000 est.)
total: 371,603 km


paved: 371,603 km (including 3,303 km of expressways)


unpaved: 0 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 2%


highest 10%: 28% (1995)
Illicit drugs - gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market; major consumer of synthetic drugs, producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center
Imports NA (2001) $330.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs
Imports - partners France 49.9%, US 5.3%, UK 4.6% (2003) EU 51.7% (Germany 12.7%, France 8.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, Benelux 5.1%), US 13.2% (2001)
Independence 17 August 1960 (from France) England has existed as a unified entity since the 10th century; the union between England and Wales was enacted under the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284; in the Act of Union of 1707, England and Scotland agreed to permanent union as Great Britain; the legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was implemented in 1801, with the adoption of the name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 formalized a partition of Ireland; six northern Irish counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland and the current name of the country, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was adopted in 1927
Industrial production growth rate 1.6% (2002 est.) -3.4% (2002 est.)
Industries petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair; food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods
Infant mortality rate total: 54.34 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 64.15 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 44.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
5.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.5% (2003 est.) 2.1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESA, ESCAP, EU, FAO, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - more than 400 (2000)
Irrigated land 150 sq km (1998 est.) 1,080 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts House of Lords (highest court of appeal; several Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are appointed by the monarch for life); Supreme Courts of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (comprising the Courts of Appeal, the High Courts of Justice, and the Crown Courts); Scotland's Court of Session and Court of the Justiciary
Labor force 610,000 (2003) 29.7 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% agriculture 1%, industry 25%, services 74% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 2,551 km


border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
total: 360 km


border countries: Ireland 360 km
Land use arable land: 1.26%


permanent crops: 0.66%


other: 98.08% (2001)
arable land: 26.41%


permanent crops: 0.18%


other: 73.41% (1998 est.)
Languages French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
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 common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; British courts and legislation are increasingly subject to review by European Union courts
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be held by January 2009)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9
bicameral Parliament comprised of House of Lords (consists of approximately 500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy) and House of Commons (659 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)


elections: House of Lords - no elections (some proposals for further reform include elections); House of Commons - last held 7 June 2001 (next to be held by NA May 2006)


election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor 42.1%, Conservative and Unionist 32.7%, Liberal Democrats 18.8%, other 6.4%; seats by party - Labor 412, Conservative and Unionist 166, Liberal Democrat 52, other 29; note - seating as of 15 February 2002: Labor 410, Conservative 164, Liberal Democrats 53, other 32


note: in 1998 elections were held for a Northern Ireland Parliament (because of unresolved disputes among existing parties, the transfer of power from London to Northern Ireland came only at the end of 1999 and was twice rescinded before reinstatement in November 2001); in 1999 there were elections for a new Scottish Parliament and a new Welsh Assembly
Life expectancy at birth total population: 56.46 years


male: 54.85 years


female: 58.12 years (2004 est.)
total population: 77.99 years


male: 75.29 years


female: 80.84 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 63.2%


male: 73.7%


female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling


total population: 99% (2000 est.)


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea Western Europe, islands including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, northwest of France
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries


exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - total: 212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,308,232 GRT/4,171,757 DWT


ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 32, chemical tanker 13, combination ore/oil 1, container 53, liquefied gas 3, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 48, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 26, short-sea passenger 10, specialized tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Bermuda 1, Cyprus 1, Denmark 21, Germany 6, Greece 3, Hong Kong 4, Italy 1, Monaco 4, Netherlands 1, Norway 9, Russia 1, South Africa 2, Sweden 11, Taiwan 2, United States 5 (2002 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $149.3 million (2003) $31.7 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2% (2003) 2.32% (2002)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 314,434 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 14,632,418 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 162,847 (2004 est.) males age 15-49: 12,151,734 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 13,462 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968) Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, celebrated on the second Saturday in June (1926)
Nationality noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)


adjective: Gabonese
noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)


adjective: British
Natural hazards NA winter windstorms; floods
Natural resources petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 1.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines gas 210 km; oil 1,385 km (2004) crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993 km; natural gas 12,800 km
Political parties and leaders Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG, former sole party [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE,]; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU] Conservative and Unionist Party [Iain DUNCAN SMITH]; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Rev. Ian PAISLEY]; Labor Party [Anthony (Tony) BLAIR]; Liberal Democrats [Charles KENNEDY]; Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Ieuan Wyn JONES]; Scottish National Party or SNP [John SWINNEY]; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]; Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Mark DURKAN]; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [David TRIMBLE]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Confederation of British Industry; National Farmers' Union; Trades Union Congress
Population 1,355,246


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 2004 est.)
59,778,002 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 17%
Population growth rate 2.5% (2004 est.) 0.21% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dover, Falmouth, Felixstowe, Glasgow, Grangemouth, Hull, Leith, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Scapa Flow, Southampton, Sullom Voe, Teesport, Tyne
Radio broadcast stations AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001) AM 219, FM 431, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios - 84.5 million (1997)
Railways total: 814 km


standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
total: 16,878 km


standard gauge: 16,536 km 1.435-m gauge (4,928 km electrified; 12,591 km double- or multiple-tracked)


broad gauge: 342 km 1.600-m gauge (190 km double-tracked)


note: all 1.600-m gauge track is in common carrier service in Northern Ireland (1996)
Religions Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% Anglican and Roman Catholic 40 million, Muslim 1.5 million, Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 500,000, Hindu 500,000, Jewish 350,000
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: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system


domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations


international: country code - 241; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system


domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems


international: 40 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers
Telephones - main lines in use 38,400 (2003) 34.878 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 300,000 (2003) 43.5 million (yearend 1998)
Television broadcast stations 4 (plus four low-power repeaters) (2001) 228 (plus 3,523 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Total fertility rate 4.8 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.73 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate 21% (1997 est.) 5.2% (2002 est.)
Waterways 1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2003) 3,200 km
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