hemical products, petroleum products,
construction materials, manufactures, machinery
partners: France 35%, African countries, US, Japan, Netherlands
(1994)

External debt: $3.8 billion (1993 )

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $75 million (1993)

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100
centimes

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January
1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992),
282.11 (1991)
note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF
100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since
1948

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation
--------------

Railways:
total: 649 km Gabon State Railways (OCTRA)
standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single track (1994)

Highways:
total: 7,456 km
paved: 560 km
unpaved: 6,896 km (1988 est.)

Waterways: 1,600 km perennially navigable

Pipelines: crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km

Ports: Cape Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo,
Port-Gentil

Merchant marine:
total: 3 bulk (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 36,976 GRT/60,319 DWT
(1995 est.)

Airports:
total: 54
with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1
with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 7
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 21
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 8
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 15 (1995 est.)

Communications
--------------

Telephones: 22,000 (1991 est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a
domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios: 250,000 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (repeaters 5)

Televisions: 40,000 (1993 est.)

Defense
-------

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential Guard, National
Gendarmerie, National Police

Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 273,662
males fit for military service: 139,439
males reach military age (20) annually: 10,966 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $154 million,
2.4% of GDP (1993)

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