Gabon vs. Cameroon
Geography
| Gabon | Cameroon | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea | Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria |
| Geographic coordinates | 1 00 S, 11 45 E | 6 00 N, 12 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 267,667 sq km land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km | total: 475,440 sq km land: 472,710 sq km water: 2,730 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Colorado | slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania |
| Land boundaries | total: 3,261 km border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 km | total: 5,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 901 km, Chad 1116 km, Republic of the Congo 494 km, Equatorial Guinea 183 km, Gabon 349 km, Nigeria 1975 km |
| Coastline | 885 km | 402 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm |
| Climate | tropical; always hot, humid | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
| Terrain | narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south | diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 377 m | highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 667 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 19% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 17.2% (2018 est.) forest: 81% (2018 est.) other: 0% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 20.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.) forest: 41.7% (2018 est.) other: 37.7% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 40 sq km (2012) | 290 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | none | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986 |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation (the forests that cover three-quarters of the country are threatened by excessive logging); burgeoning population exacerbating disposal of solid waste; oil industry contributing to water pollution; wildlife poaching | waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland; poaching; overfishing; overhunting |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban |
| 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 | sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano |
| Total renewable water resources | 166 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 283.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the relatively small population is spread in pockets throughout the country; the largest urban center is the capital of Libreville, located along the Atlantic coast in the northwest as shown in this population distribution map | population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
