Gabon

Gabon Geography

Location
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea

Geographic coordinates
1 00 S, 11 45 E

Area
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km
water: 10,000 sq km

Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Colorado

Land boundaries
total: 2,551 km
border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km

Coastline
885 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate
tropical; always hot, humid

Terrain
narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m

Natural resources
petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Land use
arable land: 1.26%
permanent crops: 0.66%
other: 98.08% (2001)

Irrigated land
150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards
NA

Environment - current issues
deforestation; poaching

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

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



- Info Provided by the CIA World Factbook -