2 cities

Location of GabonEquatorial GuineaDemocratic Republic of the CongoSouth SudanCentral African RepublicTogoAngolaBeninNigeriaCongoGhanaCameroonSão Tomé and PrincipeChadGabonPort-GentilLibreville
Country

Gabon

0.44° S, 11.84° E

3,261 km of land border against just 885 km of coast — this country faces its neighbors far more than it faces the sea.

coastline 885 km · 87th/229 · land borders 3,261 km · 61st/230
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value

Population
2,172,579
Area
267,667 km²
Population density
≈ 8.4 / km²
Capital
Libreville
Natural Earth
ISO codes
GA · GAB
GDP (nominal)
$20.87 billion
GDP per capita (PPP)
$18,900
Compare with…Open on map
How big, reallyDrawn at the same scale as Guyana — the next country down in size. Equal-area projection, not the map you are used to.
Gabon 267,667 km²Guyana 214,969 km²

geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area

Where Gabon sits in the world

Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.

  1. Median age22.3 years183rd of 224 · median 32.6 years
  2. Life expectancy70.4 years172nd of 224 · median 76.2 years
  3. Fertility rate3.16 children per woman44th of 225 · median 1.92 children per woman
  4. Population2,172,579147th of 235 · median 5,454,073
  5. Total area267,667 km²77th of 228 · median 83,736 km²
  6. Coastline885 km87th of 229 · median 402 km

Overview

Name

The name Gabon originates from the Portuguese word "gabão," meaning "cloak," possibly used by early explorers to describe the shape of the Komo River estuary.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Geography

At the Equator on the Atlantic coast, Gabon lies in Central Africa between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea. Its terrain runs from a narrow coastal plain into a hilly interior, with savanna in the east and south. The country has maintained its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity.

The country's natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, and hydropower. Mont Bengoue is the highest point, while the Atlantic Ocean forms the lowest point.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Climate

Tropical conditions are hot and humid throughout the year.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Flag and symbols

Three equal horizontal bands—green at the top, followed by yellow and blue—make up the flag: green stands for the country's forests and natural resources, gold for the equator and the sun, and blue for the sea. The black panther is a national symbol.

Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person

Key figures

CIA World Factbook

Economy

GDP (nominal)
$20.87 billion
GDP (PPP)
$48.05 billion
GDP per capita (PPP)
$18,900
GDP growth
+3.4%
Inflation (consumer prices)
1.2%
Unemployment
20.1%
Exports
$13.62 billion
Imports
$6.09 billion

People

Life expectancy
70.4 years
Median age
22.3 years
Birth rate
25.51 per 1,000
Death rate
5.44 per 1,000
Fertility rate
3.16 children per woman
Population growth
+2.35% a year
Urban population
91%
Literacy
88.9%
Languages
  • Frenchofficial
  • Fang
  • Myene
  • Nzebi
  • Bapounou/Eschira
  • Bandjabi
Religions
  • Protestant46.4%Revival Church 37%, other Protestant 9.4%
  • Roman Catholic29.8%
  • Muslim10.8%
  • traditional/animist1.1%
  • other7%

Land

Total area
267,667 km²Land 257,667 km² · Water 10,000 km²
Coastline
885 km
Land borders
3,261 km
Mean elevation
377 m
Highest point
1,050 m Mont Bengoue

Values from the CIA World Factbook archive. Each carries the year it describes; open a year for the exact source field.

Connections

Within
Borders
Contains

Natural geography 4

Natural Earth outlines · features with a Wikidata ID

Oceans 1

Gulfs 1

Lakes 1

Mountain ranges 1

Largest cities 2

Population · Natural Earth

  1. Librevillecapital578.2K
  2. Port-Gentil116.8K

Sources