dities:
foodstuffs, chemical products, petroleum products, construction materials,
manufactures, machinery
partners:
France 48%, US 2.6%, FRG, Japan, UK
External debt:
$3.4 billion (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -10% (1988 est.)
Electricity:
315,000 kW capacity; 995 million kWh produced, 920 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
petroleum, food and beverages, timber, cement, plywood, textiles, mining -
manganese, uranium, gold
Agriculture:
accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing and forestry); cash crops -
cocoa, coffee, palm oil; livestock not developed; importer of food; small
fishing operations provide a catch of about 20,000 metric tons; okoume (a
tropical softwood) is the most important timber product
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $66 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2,225 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $27 million
Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF)
= 100 centimes

:Gabon Economy

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January
1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54
(1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year

:Gabon Communications

Railroads:
649 km 1.437-meter standard-gauge single track (Transgabonese Railroad)
Highways:
7,500 km total; 560 km paved, 960 km laterite, 5,980 km earth
Inland waterways:
1,600 km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km
Ports:
Owendo, Port-Gentil, Libreville
Merchant marine:
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,563 GRT/25,330 DWT
Civil air:
15 major transport aircraft
Airports:
70 total, 59 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate system of cable, radio relay, tropospheric scatter links and
radiocommunication stations; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 6
FM, 3 (5 repeaters) TV; satellite earth stations - 3 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
and 12 domestic satellite

:Gabon Defense Forces

Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National Gendarmerie, National
Police
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 267,5