Fri, 6 Nov 17:51:06 GMT17

 
Gabon
 
Capital: Libreville
Area size (Land only): 257670 sq. km Slightly larger than the United Kingdom
Time zone: GMT +1
Currency: CFA Franc
Area code: (+) 241
Driving: Right
Climate description: Equatorial, hot, wet and humid throughout the year; Jun-Aug dry season; Oct-May rainy season.
 

People
Standard of living
Economy & aid
Health
Disasters, conflict & migration
Language
French is the official language; local Bantu languages predominate, though pygmy languages are also spoken.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population
2009 1.5 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
2007 1.3 million U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006 1.3 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2005 1.3 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2004 1.3 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2003 1.2 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2002 1.2 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2001 1.2 million U.N. DESA (2006)
2000 1.2 million U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
2.5 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

Ethnic groups
Over half of the population are Bantu-speaking peoples, divided into more than 40 groups including Galoa, Nkomi and Irungu. One third of the population are Fang and Kwele. There are Punu and Nzabi minorities in the south, as well as Baka and Babongo pygmies.
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Mainly Christian, though more than one-third practise traditional African religions. There is a small Muslim minority.
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population
2007 84.7 percent U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006 84.2 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2005 83.6 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2004 83.0 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2003 82.4 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2002 81.7 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2001 80.9 percent U.N. DESA (2005)
2000 80.1 percent U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1956
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
No data available (2005)

Percentage of population under 15
2005 35.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 40.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 40.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 41.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 41.3 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 40.2 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002


Average life expectancy
2005 56.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 54.0 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 54.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 56.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 56.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 52.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male
2005 55.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 53.4 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 53.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 55.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 55.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 51.5 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female
2005 56.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 54.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 55.2 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 57.6 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 57.7 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 53.9 years UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality
2007 60 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006 60 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 60 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 60 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 60 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 60 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 60 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 60 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five
2007 91 per 1,000 live births U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006 91 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005 91 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004 91 per 1,000 live births UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003 91 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 91 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 90 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 90 per 1,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Births attended by skilled personnel
1997-2005 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Maternal mortality
2005 520 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000 420 per 100,000 live births UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)
2005 119 UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 124 UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 123 UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 122 UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001 118 UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000 117 UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
2000-2007 12 percent U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2000-2006 12 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
1996-2005 12 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
1996-2004 12 percent UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
1995-2003 12 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002 12 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001 12 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000 No data available percent

Percentage of undernourished population
2003-2005 <5 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2008
2002-2004average 5 percent U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) 2006
2001-2003average 5 percent FAO 2006

Food intake falls below the minimum requirement.

Population with access to improved water
2006 87 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 88 percent UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002 87 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 86 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Population with access to improved sanitation
2006 36 percent UNICEF and WHO 2008
2004 36 percent UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002 36 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2000 53 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004

Literacy - average
2004 71.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 71.0 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002 No data available percent
2001 No data available percent
2000 No data available percent

Literacy - male
No data available percent

Literacy - female
No data available percent

Landlines telephones
2008 19 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2007 19 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2006 26 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2005 29 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2004 29 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2003 29 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2002 25 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2001 30 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2000 32 per 1,000 people ITU 2009

Cellular telephone subscribers
2008 898 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2007 822 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2006 643 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2005 538 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2004 365 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2003 228 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2002 217 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2001 119 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2000 97 per 1,000 people ITU 2009

Internet users
2008 67 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2007 62 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2006 55 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2005 48 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2004 29 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2003 26 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2002 19 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2001 13 per 1,000 people ITU 2009
2000 12 per 1,000 people ITU 2009

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)
2008 96 (joint) Transparency International 2008
2007 84 (joint) Transparency International 2007
2006 90 (joint) Transparency International
2005 88 (joint) Transparency International
2004 74 (joint) Transparency International
2003 Not ranked
2002 Not ranked
2001 Not ranked
2000 Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
Yes (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

International humanitarian aid flows
Access the Financial Tracking Service, a global real-time database which records all reported humanitarian aid - including that for NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, bilateral aid, in-kind aid and private donations - searchable by country.
Source: Financial Tracking Service, ReliefWeb

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method
2007 7020 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006 6030 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005 5430 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004 4220 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003 3780 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002 3580 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001 3470 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000 3220 current US$ World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP
2007 11.6 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006 9.5 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005 8.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004 7.2 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003 6.1 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002 4.9 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001 4.7 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000 5.1 current US$ billions World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Annual GDP growth
2006 1.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005 3.0 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004 1.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003 2.5 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002 -0.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001 2.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000 -1.9 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation
2007 5.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006 7.9 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005 17.0 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004 6.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003 -0.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002 -0.2 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001 -6.3 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000 28.1 percent World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians
2000-2004 29 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004 29 per 100,000 people UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003 No data available per 100,000 people
1990-2002 No data available per 100,000 people

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
2007 5.9 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2006 6.0 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2005 6.0 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2004 5.9 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008
2003 5.9 percent U.N. Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) 2008

Malaria
Risk from P.falciparum throughout the year in the whole country. Resistance to chloroquine and sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reported.
Source: WHO

TB cases
2007 406 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2006 366 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2005 325 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2004 296 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2003 283 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2002 285 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2001 271 per 100,000 people WHO 2009
2000 254 per 100,000 people WHO 2009

Chronology of natural disasters
Access EM-DAT, a database of natural disasters from 1900 to the present - death tolls and numbers of affected people - searchable by country.
Source: Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium

Number of refugees originating here
2008 129 UNHCR
2007 116 UNHCR
2006 95 Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005 81 UNHCR
2004 53 UNHCR
2003 39 UNHCR
2002 37 UNHCR
2001 27 UNHCR
2000 26 UNHCR

Number of refugees residing here
2008 9001 UNHCR
2007 8826 UNHCR
2006 8429 UNHCR
2005 8545 UNHCR
2004 13787 UNHCR
2003 14005 UNHCR
2002 13473 UNHCR
2001 15581 UNHCR
2000 17982 UNHCR

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate
No data available

Landmine casualties per year
2004 0 Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003 0 Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1997)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military
2005 1.5 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004 1.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003 No data available percent

Percentage of GDP spent on education
2002-2005 No data available percent
2002-2004 No data available percent
2000-2002 3.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1999-2001 3.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1998-2000 3.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health
2004 3.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004 2.9 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002 1.8 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001 1.7 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000 2.1 percent UNDP - Human Development Report 2003


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