Gabon: A Country of Prosperity and Natural Resources
The Country’s Background
Gabon, where a military coup was announced by a group of officers today Wednesday, is a country in west-central Africa, one of the most prosperous countries in the region and the highest country in the Human Development Index in sub-Saharan Africa. due to its small population, it is estimated at two million people. Nesma – in addition to rich natural resources, especially oil, she became known as the African “oil giant”.
The country, which covers an area of about 270,000 square kilometers, is bordered by the Gulf of Guinea to the west, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and Congo to the east and south. a regime that sought to safeguard the interests of France. After his death in 1967, he was succeeded by Omar Bongo until his death in 2009. Then his son, the current President Ali.
Language and Culture
It is noteworthy that French is the official language of Gabon along with many local languages, and 80% of the population speaks French in addition to local languages.
Economic Importance of Oil
Gabon has huge oil wealth, with the discovery of many oil fields around the capital Libreville in 1931, making it one of the top five crude oil producers in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to US Energy Information. Administration.
Gabon’s Membership in OPEC
Gabon officially returned to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 2016, after being a former member between 1975 and 1995 and temporarily withdrawing due to high annual duties, according to a previous report from Asharq Al- Awsat. Gabon’s natural gas production reached 454 million cubic meters by the end of 2021, up from 80 million cubic meters in 2010, according to OPEC’s annual report. By the end of 2021, it has 26 billion cubic meters of proven natural gas reserves, most of which are located in oil fields. The Gabonese government relies heavily on crude oil revenues, which, together with other liquids, make up about 45% of the country’s GDP. Moreover, Gabon’s exports of oil and other liquids accounted for approximately 79% of total export earnings in 2021.
On the other hand, Gabon ranked 21st out of 53 African countries in the Ibrahim African Governance Index in 2009. It is a composite measure of African governance based on various variables that reflect the success of governments in providing basic commodities to their citizens. In addition to oil and gas, it has an enchanting nature that can contribute to its development and increase in tourist activity, since it is located on the Atlantic coast in Central Africa, and due to the tropical climate, tropical forests cover 85% of its land, and it is famous for its savannas, mangroves , lakes and beaches, making it an ideal habitat for various species of animals and reptiles.
Former President Omar Bongo included Gabon in the list of future ecotourism destinations in 2002, identifying more than 11% of its territory as part of the national park system (13 parks in total), which is one of the largest percentage of such parks in the world. world.
