FRANCEVILLE

town, southeastern Gabon, on the east bank of the Ogoou River, just south of its confluence with the Mpassa. The French explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza founded it in 1880, and until 1946 it was a part of the Middle Congo Colony. Franceville is now an active trading centre in a mining region. The exploitation of manganese at Mouanda and uranium at Mounana, both to the northwest, has greatly stimulated population growth and commerce in the area. Gold, a less-important export, is mined southwest of the town, and coffee is a major cash crop in the region. Nearby Poubara is the site of a major power installation. Pop. (1987 est.) 75,000.