Country name:
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form:
Gabon
local long form:
Republique Gabonaise
local short form:
Gabon
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Capital:
name:
Libreville
geographic coordinates:
0 23 N, 9 27 E
time difference:
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Independence:
17 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Constitution:
previous 1961; latest drafted May 1990, adopted 15 March 1991, promulgated 26 March 1991; amended several times, last in 2011 (2013)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of French civil law and customary law
International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA (since 16 October 2009)
head of government:
Prime Minister Daniel ONA ONDO (since 27 January 2014)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held on 30 August 2009 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
President Ali BONGO ONDIMBA elected; percent of vote - Ali BONGO ONDIMBA 41.7%, Andre MBA OBAME 25.9%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 25.2%, Zacharie MYBOTO 3.9%, other 3.3%
note:
President BONGO died on 8 June 2009 after serving as president for 32 years; in accordance with the constitution he was replaced on an interim basis by the president of the Senate, Rose Francine ROGOMBE on 10 June 2009; new elections were held on 30 August 2009 and the son of the former president, Ali BONGO Ondimba, was elected president
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (102 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
Senate - last held on 18 January 2009 (next to be held in January 2015); National Assembly - last held on 17 December 2011 (next to be held in December 2016)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 75, RPG 6, UGDD 3, CLR 2, PGCI 2, PSD 2, UPG 2, ADERE 1, independents 9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 114, RPG 3, others 3
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court (organized into Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts chambers and consists of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office:
Supreme Court judges appointment and tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed - 3 by the national president, 3 by the president of the Senate, and 3 by the president of the National Assembly; judges serve 7-year, single renewable terms
subordinate courts:
Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; county courts; military courts
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for National Rebirth or ARENA [Richard MOULOMBA]
Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]
Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]
Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]
Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG [Ali BONGO ONDIMBA]
Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Benoit Mouity NZAMBA]
Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD [Zacharie MYBOTO]
Independent Center Party of Gabon or PGCI [Luccheri GAHILA]
National Rally of Woodcutters-Democratic or RNB-D [Pierre Andre KOMBILA]
National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]
Party of Development and Social Solidarity or PDS [Seraphin Ndoat REMBOGO]
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]
Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS
Union for the New Republic or UPRN [Louis Gaston MAYILA]
Union of Gabonese People or UPG [Mathieu Mboumba NZIENGUI (until the next Congress)]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael MOUSSA-ADAMO (since 2 September 2011)
chancery:
Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
[1] (202) 797-1000
FAX:
[1] (202) 332-0668
consulate(s):
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Dante PARADISO; note - also accredited to Sao Tome and Principe
embassy:
Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville
mailing address:
Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville; pouch: 2270 Libreville Place, Washington, DC 20521-2270
telephone:
[241] 01-45-71-00, after hours - 07380171
FAX:
[241] 74 55 07
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue; green represents the country's forests and natural resources, gold represents the equator (which transects Gabon) as well as the sun, blue represents the sea
National symbol(s):
black panther
National anthem:
name:
"La Concorde" (The Concorde)
lyrics/music: Georges Aleka DAMAS
note: adopted 1960