Location | Central Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea |
Geographic coordinates | 1 00 S, 11 45 E |
Map references | Africa |
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: 3,261 km border countries (3): Cameroon 349 km, Republic of the Congo 2567 km, Equatorial Guinea 345 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 | highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 377 m |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, 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.) |
Irrigated land | 40 sq km (2012) |
Total renewable water resources | 166 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
Natural hazards | none |
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 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021