Gabon

Gabon

Gabon / is a country located in West Central Africa, bordered by the Gulf of Guinea to the west, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and the Republic of the Congo to the east and south

Gabon is located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa. Gabon lies on the equator, with a tropical climate and a wide system of rainforests covering 85% of the country. There are three distinct areas: the coastal plains (ranging from 2-30 km from the ocean shore), the mountains (the Crystal Mountains to the northeast of Libreville, and the block of Shilo in the center where the highest peaks are the Ebondji Mont at 1575 m) and the savannah in the east of the country. Coastal plains form a large part of the World Wildlife Fund for areas of the ecological Atlantic coastal coastal forests and contain foci of mangrove forests in Central Africa at the mouth of the Mooney River on the border with Equatorial Guinea

The largest Gabon river is Ugoi with a length of 1,200 km. Gabon contains three karst fields where hundreds of caves are located in the limestone and dolomite rocks. These include Grote de Lastorville, Grotte de Libamba, Grote de Bongolo and Grote de Kisepugu. Some caves are still unknown. A National Geographic delegation visited the caves in the summer of 2008

Gabon is also known for its efforts to conserve nature. In 2002 President Omar Bongo Ondimba put Gabon firmly on the map as a future ecotourism destination by allocating more than 11% of the country’s territory to be part of the National Park System (with 13 parks in total), which is one of the largest proportions of similar parks in the world . Natural resources (include: (oil, magnesium, iron, gold, uranium and forests

Gabon is more prosperous than most neighboring countries, where per capita income is four times higher than the average in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is due in large part to oil production. While critics say that the oil output does not enter into the modernization or diversification of the economy, Gabon is still heavily dependent on its natural resources. Gabon is a full member of OPEC between 1975-1995

It is also a source of manganese iron and wood. Uranium mines near Franceville were closed in 2001 due to new competition in the global market, and efforts are under way to reopen them. There are also efforts to exploit iron mines located to the northeast of Makoko, starting in 2012

During the 1990s, the devaluation of the African franc caused Gabon to struggle to repay its external debt. France and the International Monetary Fund provided more loans and aid in exchange for implementing economic changes. Gabon's main trading partners are the United States, China and Russia for exports, while most imports come from France

Gabon is small in size and is located on both sides of the equator on the west coast of Central Africa and has common borders with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of the Congo. The country is rich in animals and tropical forests make up 85% of the country, in addition to the low population density. Added to the above are savannas, mangroves, lakes, and beaches, making them an ideal habitat for various species of animals and reptiles including 20,000 western lowland gorillas, 60,000 forest elephants (the most numerous on the continent), and 700 species of exotic birds. The National Tourism Strategy, in consultation with the Wildlife Conservation Society, seeks to reach the goal of 100,000 visitors annually