STATISTICS: GABON

Gabon Official name: Rpublique Gabonaise (Gabonese Republic). Form of government: unitary multiparty republic with a Parliament comprising two legislative houses (Senate ; National Assembly ). Chief of state: President. Head of government: Prime Minister. Capital: Libreville. Official language: French. Official religion: none. Monetary unit: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes; valuation (Sept. 25, 1998) 1 U.S.$ = CFAF 560.38; 1 = CFAF 954.05. Demography Population (1998): 1,208,000. Density (1998): persons per sq mi 11.7, persons per sq km 4.5. Urban-rural (1993): urban 73.1%; rural 26.9%. Sex distribution (1995): male 49.32%; female 50.68%. Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 39.1%; 15-29, 22.3%; 30-44, 17.2%; 45-59, 12.4%; 60-74, 7.2%; 75 and over, 1.7%. Population projection: (2000) 1,244,000; (2010) 1,445,000. Doubling time: 32 years. Ethnic composition (1983): Fang 35.5%; Punu, Sira, and Nzebi 16.9%; Mpongwe 15.1%; Mbete 14.2%; other 18.3%. Religious affiliation (1995): Christian 79.9%, of which Roman Catholic 50.1%, Protestant 18.0%; traditional beliefs 19.1%; Muslim 1.0%. Major cities (1993): Libreville 362,386; Port-Gentil 80,841; Franceville 30,246; Oyem 22,669; Moanda 21,921. Vital statistics Birth rate per 1,000 population (1990-95): 37.2 (world avg. 25.0). Death rate per 1,000 population (1990-95): 15.5 (world avg. 9.3). Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1990-95): 21.8 (world avg. 15.7). Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1990-95): 5.3. Life expectancy at birth (1990-95): male 51.9 years; females 55.2 years. Major causes of death per 100,000 population: n.a.; however, in the early 1990s major causes of morbidity and mortality included malaria, shigellosis (infection with dysentery), tetanus, cardiovascular diseases, trypanosomiasis, and tuberculosis. National economy Budget (1996). Revenue: CFAF 755,100,000,000 (oil revenues 59.5%; customs duties 16.6%; other current revenues 23.9%). Expenditures: CFAF 676,500,000,000 (current expenditure 75.7%, of which wages and salaries 27.3%, service on public debt 25.6%; capital expenditure 22.8%). Public debt (external, outstanding; 1996): U.S.$3,874,000,000. Tourism (1995): receipts from visitors U.S.$4,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$112,000,000. Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1996): roots and tubers 408,000 (of which cassava 220,000, yams 120,000, taro 65,000), plantains 250,000, sugarcane 220,000, corn (maize) 27,000, peanuts (groundnuts) 15,000, bananas 9,000, palm oil 3,000, cacao beans 1,000; livestock (number of live animals) 172,000 sheep, 165,000 pigs, 84,000 goats, 39,000 cattle, 3,000,000 chickens; roundwood (1995) 4,347,000 cu m; fish catch (1995) 27,978. Mining and quarrying (1996): manganese ore 1,983,000; uranium ore 623,000. Manufacturing (1994): fuel oil 289,000; diesel and gas oil 240,000; cement 147,789; kerosene 100,000; wheat flour 31,000 {1}; refined sugar 13,687; beer 816,419{2} hectolitres; soft drinks 415,613{2} hectolitres; cigarettes 399,000,000 units{1}; plywood 47,100,000 cu m; textiles are also significant. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1995) 1,024,000,000 (794,000,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1995) 132,500,000 ( 11,600,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1994) 776,000 (633,000); natural gas (cu m; 1994) 129,000,000 (129,000,000); fuelwood (cu m; 1994) 2,812,000 (2,812,000). Population economically active (1993): total 375,944; activity rate of total population 37.0% (participation rates : ages 15-64, 68.2%; female 38.4%; unemployed 20%). Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1993) 5.2; income per household: n.a.; sources of income (1983): private sector 73.4%, public sector 26.6%; expenditure (1969){3}: food and tobacco 54.7%, clothing and footwear 17.5%, housing 13.0%, recreation 6.6%, transportation and communications 6.3%, health care 1.9%. Land use (1994): forested 77.2%; meadows and pastures 18.2%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 1.8%; other 2.8%. Gross national product (1996): U.S.$4,444,000,000 (U.S.$3,950 per capita). Foreign trade Imports (1996): CFAF 495,900,000,000 ( machinery and mechanical equipment 32.1%, food and agricultural products 17.5%, transport equipment 15.1%, construction materials 14.0%, chemical products 13.1%). Major import sources (1996): France 35.2%; Africa 28.0%; other EEC 20.9%; United States 4.8%; Japan 3.9%. Exports (1996): CFAF 1,591,700,000 (crude petroleum and petroleum products 81.4%, wood 12.3%, manganese ore and concentrate 4.9%, uranium ore and concentrate 0.8%). Major export destinations (1996): United States 50.0%; France 16.3%; other EU 11.9%; Japan 8.3%; Africa 2.3%. Transport Transport. Railroads (1995): length 424 mi, 683 km; passenger-km 77,000,000; metric ton-km cargo carried 503,000,000. Roads (1995): total length 4,850 mi, 7,800 km (paved 10%). Vehicles (1992): passenger cars 23,000; trucks and buses 17,000. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 29; total deadweight tonnage 30,186. Air transport (1996){4}: passenger-mi 452,000,000, passenger-km 728,000,000; short ton-mi cargo 23,700,000, metric ton-km cargo 34,600,000; airports (1997) with scheduled flights 17. Education and health Educational attainment of economically active population (1993): none, or incomplete primary 37.7%; complete primary 32.1%; complete secondary 16.4%; postsecondary certificate or degree 13.8%. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 63.2%; males literate 73.7%; females literate 53.3%. Health: physicians (1989) 448 (1 per 2,377 persons); hospital beds (1985) 5,156 (1 per 197 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1990-95) 94. Food (1995): daily per capita caloric intake 2,511 (vegetable products 86%, animal products 14%); 107% of FAO recommended minimum requirement. Military Total active duty personnel (1997): 4,700 (army 68.1%, navy 10.6%, air force 21.3%), excluding 600 French troops. Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1995): 2.6% (world 2.8%); per capita expenditure U.S.$90. {1} 1992. {2} 1995. {3} Libreville only. {4} Air Gabon only.